OPEN LETTER TO NYC COUNCIL RE CARRIAGE HORSE BAN ISSUE

Open letter concerning the horse-drawn carriage issue
September 11, 2014

Dear Council Members:  We elect our representatives because we hope that they will make smart, fair, ethical  and informed decisions on issues that concern us and our City.    We also expect that our elected representatives will not be a mouth piece for any union - especially one that does not play fair – and especially the Teamsters.  Any time this happens, they are helping to kill democracy and fair play.   It gives the perception of a deal made and it is ugly.    The middle class was created because of unions and we support them. However, while unions are strong, the majority of people in NYC do not belong to unions.   

But this is exactly what Council Member Espinal, a first term council member, did on Wednesday,

September 10^th when he allowed the Teamsters and carriage trade to co-opt him and came out against a ban of the inhumane and unsafe carriage trade – something that we – the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages - have  been working on since 2006 as a grass roots, all volunteer organization. 

Espinal  says he has done a lot of research but his arguments are straight from the carriage drivers’ play book – almost the exact words and they are clearly either lies,  exaggerations or manipulations of the truth.    I do not know why he is doing this.  I think it is foolish for a first term council member  to play with fire on something he knows little about.  I suspect he made a deal with the Teamsters.  He is also wrong suggesting  that the only committee for such a bill is Consumer Affairs.  In the 1990s similar bills were in the Health Committee.  It was not until 2007 that it was put in Consumer Affairs. 

Anti labor?  don't think so:  Espinal says he will convince all of you who are undecided to join with him.  Quite presumptuous. 

Please read these articles below first and become educated.   Know the issue.  Also know that the Teamsters’ carriage driver local is not a real union shop. Approximately 150 drivers belong to the union and pay $60 a month dues. Drivers and owners are in the same local.   There is no collective bargaining; no medical or vacation benefits; no paid days off.   Based on this estimate, the Teamsters get about $108,000, which goes toward their already hefty salaries.  Please do not think these are real union jobs.  They are not.  This is all about bully politics.   Any real union member should be ashamed that this is what the Teamsters are fighting for while  risking any good relationship they might have with the Mayor.   

Mayor deBlasio & the Teamsters:  It is also curious that Mayor deBlasio is the first pro union mayor in 20 years and the Teamsters are trying to hurt him on this issue.  If they could get him to back off and flip flop, this could work against him in the future and he may not get reelected.  Is this what the Teamsters really want or have they even looked ahead and weighed the consequences of their actions.?  Are they willing to sacrifice their many members for a tiny group of people - many of whom are not even union members?  How quickly they forget that municipal workers went five years without a contract under Mayor Bloomberg and Mayor deBlasio is working through and settling the contracts.  

Mayor deBlasio has never wavered:  With all the pressure, we are grateful that Mayor deBlasio continues to remain firm on this issue.  He has always said he will find other employment for the drivers.  An excellent solution is one offered by Andres Carriage Tours, which was approved by legislation for Detroit.  It involves the same carriages  -- just not the horses.  We have sanctuaries waiting to help find homes for all the horses if the drivers agree.  Instead they are acting like spoiled children wanting their own way, something that all past administrations have given them.    Last year I produced a well documented report that revealed a turnover of 529 horses in 7 ½ years.  This is not something you will ever see in the Daily News.  The link is at the end of this letter.

 
Revenue:  Do you realize that no one really knows how much the carriage trade contributes to the

economy?  It is a cash only  business.  Inside sources have told us that a medallion can bring in about $130,000 per year, which is a little over $8,000,000 (68 medallions).  But this same source says that the amount reported is a fraction of that, which means that the City of NY is losing out on tax revenue.   The carriage drivers should be forced to produce their tax returns. 

The Daily News has taken control of this issue spewing outrageous, unchallenged lies about the carriage trade.  Why are they doing it?  Please do not think they care about the horses or drivers.  It is a metaphor for Mayor deBlasio’s progressive agenda, which they despise,  and a Mort Zuckerman payback for Christine Quinn’s primary loss and his  loss of access to City Hall.    We have not been able to get the truth out.  I implore you to read these documents below to learn the truth about this business and issue.  

A few months ago, the Daily News, supported by the carriage drivers, Teamsters, Working Families Party (the latter referred to the carriage trade as the third most popular tourist attraction in NYC - and they did this with a straight face) and various council members ran a cover saying "You're an Ass, Mr. Mayor."  simply because the Mayor could not be bullied by them.  

Support is there.  There is a lot of support for this ban.  Do not think otherwise.  Before the Daily News got involved with this crusade, every poll taken showed 75-80% of respondents in favor of a ban.  But after they polluted the atmosphere with lies about this issue for one year, it is not surprising that the Quinnipiac polls show that 60% of the respondents are opposed to a ban.   The truth is not getting out. 

IF ONLY THE MAYOR WOULD VISIT THE CARRIAGE STABLES ...

this is what the stables are really about

IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE    

Anyone considering whether to support a ban or not must be informed about the inherent dangers of the carriage horse trade and the nature of the horse.

NYC CARRIAGE DRIVERS BEHAVING BADLY

Since the ASPCA gave up humane law enforcement in January 2014, most of the street laws are not enforced.  The drivers are getting away with a lot. 

What has happened to all the carriage horses - there has been a turnover of 529 horses in 7 1/2 years. 

Thank you for reading this letter.  Please learn about this issue.  If anyone is interested in seeing how horses are supposed to live WHILE they enjoy being real horses, I suggest you visit the sanctuaries at Equine Advocates or Catskill Animal Sanctuary about 2-2 1/2 hours from NYC.  Equine Advocates is the home of Bobby II Freedom, a former NYC carriage horse we rescued from the kill auction in 2010. 

Equine Advocates    

Catskill Animal Sanctuary  

Bobby II Freedom - the NY Times report on his rescue  

List of Accidents - NYC 

List of Accidents - outside of NYC.  (remember horses do not care where they are to spook) 

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BULLYING BILL DEBLASIO - WILL IT WORK?

WORKING FAMILIES  PARTY TRIES TO BULLY MAYOR DEBLASIO -- will they succeed?     

Only time will tell


The Teamsters and  Working Families Party (WFP) have ganged up on Mayor deBlasio,  trying to get him to change his mind about banning the horse-drawn carriage industry.   

And they are trying to put the fear of god in the City Council with veiled threats that they will not get behind them in the next election.   

NYC stable - small stall

All this for a tiny questionable business.  

It begs the question WHY? 

This is the letter the WFP sent to the City Council dated August 8th.  

This is a shameful bully tactic perpetrated by a political party that is obviously only concerned with jobs and people and does not incorporate  higher ideals such as what is best for the City as a whole, the safety and well being of all its residents (not just the carriage drivers) and compassion for animals ... something that the three individuals below understood in depth:

"A human being is part of the whole called by us ‘universe' - a part limited in time and space. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
Albert Einstein

illegal u-turn - a common occurrence

"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace." Albert Schweitzer

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”     Mahatma Gandhi

But back to reality ...

I will break down this  letter piece by piece:

1.  The WFP  claims that the carriage drivers are "workers who play a pivotal role in generating millions of dollars  in revenue as one of the top three tourist attraction in the city.”

This is pure fantasy and an embarrassment to even claim this in

typical for NYC carriage horses in traffic

writing.  One of the "top three tourist attractions ?"  

Look at any site - check this one out as an example.    NY C Tourist

These are the top tourist attractions in NYC and you will not see the horse-drawn carriages listed.  

Top of the Rock; Natural History Museum; Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum.  Museum of Modern Art; Sea Air Space Museum; Central Park Zoo; Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center; Liberty Island, Ripley's Believe It or Not; Madam Tussuad's Museum; FAO Schwartz; Ground Zero; Citi Field; Carnegie Hall; Lincoln Center; Cooper Hewitt Design Museum; Times Square

Scroll down the NYC Tourist page to see "The Most Famous New York Attractions."  

This  is what it says about Central park and there is nothing about the carriage horses. 

"Central Park:  the biggest and most beautiful park in New York City is Central Park NY.  Spanning 843 acres and offering tons of things to do in NYC for tourists - including the famous Central Park Carousel and the Wollman ice Skating Rink - Central Park is the perfect way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of New York City."     

 2.  The WFP claims that the industry generates millions of dollars.  Talk is cheap.  They need to prove this and show us the tax returns for these many small  businesses - both from owners and individual drivers.   It is a cash only business and it is doubtful that the workers  report what they earn.    When an industry is said to generate so much in revenue, the implication is that they are paying  income taxes to the City of NY based on that revenue.  In this case it is just rhetoric to make the industry sound viable.    Until the WFP, the Teamsters or the carriage trade itself can prove how much they pay in taxes, along with reliable audited statements, they are just whistling in the wind and making it up as you go along.   

3. The WFP claims that the legislation passed in 2010 brought significant improvements to the lives of workers while formalizing best practices for working with horses.  They failed to explain  what "best practices for working with horses” is.   I guess they thought it sounded good on paper.  

The 2010 law required that horses get a 5-week furlough each year.  The problem with this is that the Department of Health (DoH) failed to require a list of the farms where the horses go; nor did they did require inspections.  A former ASPCA veterinarian was quoted in the NY Post in October 2011: "Dr. Corey, the director of equine veterinary services of the ASPCA's Dr. Corey, the director of equine veterinary services of the ASPCA’s humane law-enforcement department, said, “We have observed some horses returning to New York City after furloughs on a farm in worse condition than when they left.”

We have heard from several sources that some of those horses are sent to farms to work for the Amish farmers in exchange for the drivers being able to report to the Department of Health that the horses actually went on furlough.   There is no way to prove it because the DoH does no oversight.  The DoH continues to look the other way.  

And of course it goes without saying to anyone who truly knows and cares about horses that they need daily turnout to pasture -- something that is not available for them  in NYC.  

Yes, the drivers may have increased their income by about 45%, but the horses' stall increased in size only by 2 feet.  

4.  "Adored by their owners."   Just because the WFP  puts this  in writing to the City Council does not make it true.  I do not see any evidence of these horses being "adored."  If they were, there would not be such a huge turnover of horses in this trade - about 71 per year or a third of the horses working.  That is a huge number.  Because there is no concerted effort to place all of these horses -- as we would do - we believe that many are laundered through the Amish on their way to the kill auctions and then go on to Canada or Mexico to be slaughtered for food.  The existing law, which was endorsed by the carriage trade, requires sales records be submitted to the Department of Health only if the horse is sold within NYC.  But if a horse is sold outside the city as most are - the only thing required is to notify the DoH that the horse is no longer working.  These horses are out of site out of mind.  

The Department of Health has been complicit in all of these new and old regulations and appears to be a willing partner, resistant to making humane changes for the horses.   

5.  The WFP claims that the horses get multiple  breaks during the work day, and stables with more than adequate space complete with  circulation fans and automatic waterers.

This is not correct.    Although the law requires that the horses get a 15 minute break every two hours, there is no one in authority to enforce this law.  The ASPCA stopped doing law humane law enforcement in January 2014, turning it over to the NYPD.  The latter  - from our experience with street cops - does not know the many regulations and therefore does not enforce them.  Again -- no thanks to the Department of Health.  

During the holiday season, the horses are worked non stop with no breaks.  If there is a choice between giving a customer a ride for money or giving the exhausted horse a break  - the money will win every time.  

As for the claim that the stables have "more than adequate space" - this is also not correct.  Experts recommend stalls be a minimum of 144 square feet for standardbred horses and even more for drafts as most of the carriage horses are.  Instead, the stalls can legally be 60 square feet - less than half what they should be.  This is like cramming a 15 pound cat into a child's shoe box.  

Susan Wagner, president of Equine Advocates, was recently interviewed on Wild Horse & Burro radio.  She addresses the carriage horse issue at about 26:21 minutes into the show.  

 

If Mayor deBlasio gives in to the demands of the Working Families Party and the Teamsters, he will be as good as mush.  

He will have lost his backbone and many people will see him as an emasculated loser who does not keep his word -- a typical politician who cannot be trusted.  This will help to erode public trust in the political process.   He will become ineffective - nothing more than a puppet of the unions and WFP.  He will be putty in their hands and  will lose his bid for reelection.   

One wonders why these organizations  are so dense as not to see this - or is it all contrived and they actually have their eyes on another candidate for mayor in 2017 and want to continue the chipping away of  Mayor deBlasio that their partner in crime - the NY Daily News -  started.  

We hope Mayor deBlasio continues to be his own person and stands strong.  

We can only wait and see.   

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