From the "wish I wrote it" department

One activist's account
I am humbled after reading one woman's account of the Mother's Day demonstration outside of Central Park. This blogger, "The Feminist Texican," really tells it like it is. "Like hell I'm letting this one go," she explains in a better-late-than-never post that details the sexual harassment that carriage drivers are allowed to spew with impunity. Read her excellent post, "The Sexual Politics of Meat[heads]."
Also interesting is one commenter's remark that complaint should be sent to Demos Demopoulos, of the Teamsters union (Local 553). Another great idea! Contact information:
Demos Demopoulos
Secretary-Treasurer
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
265 W. 14th Street, Suite 509
New York, NY 10011

Phone: 212-229-9754 OR 212-929-6828

Photo courtesy of HFA

Related video from YouTube member HorsefeathersNYC

Mother's Day demonstration

Some things never change. Insults and intimidation from carriage drivers were the order of the day at a peaceful demonstration last weekend, but the activists carried on. They're used to it. I just received this video of the very successful event. I'm told that a number of tourists decided not to take a ride after getting more information about this industry and learning about the plight of the horses. I hope these people spread the word!
The infamous "ponytail guy" driver can be seen and heard in this clip. Kind of funny and pathetic.
Video courtesy of YouTube member "HorsefeathersNYC"
For optimal quality viewing, click twice on the video and see it on YouTube.

And the winner is...

"Blinders" ... for Outstanding TV Documentary!
Congratulations, Donny Moss!
A huge honor at the 23rd Annual Genesis Awards for independent filmmaker Donny Moss, whose documentary "Blinders: The Truth Behind the Tradition" was named Best TV Documentary. "Definitely a happy night for me, the activists, and, of course, the carriage horses," said Moss, seen in the photo accepting his award at the March 28, 2009 awards presentation. "Blinders" shows us the realities of New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry, which is deemed inhumane by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), sponsor of the Genesis Awards. The ASPCA, HSUS, countless animal advocacy groups, and the New York City Bar Association support a full ban, as outlined in legislation introduced by New York City Council member Tony Avella. "Blinders" is credited with helping to make more people aware of the plight of New York City's carriage horses.
See more photos of Donny Moss and other honorees on Flicker.
After the film was nominated in February, The Documentary Channel (DOC) added more screenings, on Monday, April 20, at 10 pm and Saturday, April 25, at 6 pm (both ET). DOC is available on DISH Network (Channel 197), and several broadcast stations in major markets including NYC TV (Channel 25) throughout the greater New York metropolitan area. DOC also has made the full-length "Blinders" documentary available to online audiences on the network's exclusive Sling.com channel.
Winners of 2009 Genesis Awards by category
Photo: Long Photography
Also available: Read an interview with Donny Moss on Advocate.com

So glad you said that...

The fine folks from NYC & Co., the tourism agency of New York City, are seen in this amusing clip explaining in withering detail how the carriage industry rakes in the money. Never mind that the city derives not a single penny of direct revenue from this cash-only business. Kimberly Spell is persistent, though, even wagging a finger at Council Member Tony Avella several times as he listens intently to her explanation. See why Avella, sponsor of the bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, is so delighted to hear her say it!
Avella invoked the rarely used Sponsor's Privilege rule to force a public hearing in January on two bills affecting the carriage industry: his proposed ban, and an industry bill that would help the drivers but not the horses. NYC & Co. has drunk Mayor Bloomberg's Kool-Aid, which is why their math is so fuzzy. This hilarious testimony provided comic relief during the long hearing, I'm told.
Video by Anthony Speziale. Visit "PitytheHorses" channel on YouTube for more clips (more to come, we're told!)
Also see: "One Council Member to Another"

Best of the worst: Andrew Eiler

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) doesn't know the legally allowable fare for a horse-drawn carriage. Or, at least, Andrew Eiler, the DCA's legislative director, didn't know when that question was asked of him at the public hearing. He pulls out some legalese at the end, giving us the "tree in the forest" line of thinking--that there's no problem unless a consumer files a complaint. Convenient, because tourists don't KNOW they're being blatantly and illegally ripped off. That's going to change! Anyway, view this entertaining clip of what Tony Avella, sponsor of Intro. 658, described as "the poorest testimony." Hilarious.
This is one of the first video clips to be made available from the hearing, and we're told that others are being uploaded soon. Watch for them on YouTube channel "PitytheHorses."
Also view the excellent testimony by Elaine Sloan on overcharging that is overlooked by the city.
Video credit: Anthony Speziale

The trickle-down theory of stupidity

Or, "How much is the fare?"
No surprise that the ASPCA cannot do much about the plight of New York's carriage horses. This organization and others have said that New York's industry cannot be made safe for the horses. What is even more troubling is that the agencies charged with industry oversight--namely, the Department of Health and the Department of Consumer Affairs--do next to nothing on this front. Heck, they are effectively sanctioning all kinds of industry misbehavior, from blatant disregard for the regulations that state when and where the horses can and cannot be worked to illegally overcharging the tourists that the city purports to so adore. Thus the city is entrenched in this out-of-control industry up to its eyeballs, from our narcissistic mayor to the police officers who turn a blind eye. Because spooking accidents involving carriage horses almost always involve human injury, a human fatality is inevitable. It's only a matter of time. The other injuries will be from the "Tweeder" politicians getting whiplash, as most of them will be spinning around and pointing the finger of blame at everyone but themselves. And the city will be in the spotlight, since the liability insurance carried by the carriage drivers and companies is negligible. Yikes.
At the well-attended recent public hearing on Intro. 658, Tony Avella's bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages, and Intro. 653, a misguided industry bill that would bring about even LESS oversight, many of us were getting a real lesson in community civics. Imagine our surprise to see such bad behavior on the part of Council Members James Gennaro and G. Oliver Koppell. We heard a DCA representative, Andrew Eiler, stammer when asked about the fare for a 30-minute carriage ride, and increments, and then guess and get them both wrong! How disturbing is it that the DCA apparently doesn't know--or care to know--the fares, because then the department might have to bother itself with problem resolution, or even restitution--the way it does for brides who were ripped off by bad wedding photographers! And the cash-only carriage industry wants a raise!
Related video: Driver Gone Wild (when asked about fares!) *** EXPLICIT *** from YouTube member "HorsesinNYC." Also: statements that were made at the hearing about overcharging and insurance.
Photo credit: AP file photo

No walk in the park

No walk in the park
Originally uploaded by mac6036

Images from Manhattan on a day of global action: "Horses Without Carriages International." The initiative brought people out in various cities to publicize the plight of the carriage horses, advocate for bans, and engage in educational outreach. A very successful and invigorating event at Central Park! Council Member and mayoral candidate Tony Avella, who introduced a bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, spoke briefly and passionately about this blight on the city. Many people shared their support for a ban and wanted to get involved with ongoing work to get the word out. A high-impact message for people to "Pity the Poor Horses" and work for a ban.
Click on the photo to see more images

Big-city politics: too puzzling!

How is this going to help the horses?
Here’s something to ponder. In the grand tradition of big city politics, the League of Humane Voters of New York City is honoring City Council member Peter Vallone, Jr. Puzzling, isn’t it? Humane isn’t the word that comes to mind. Vallone wants to ban pit bull dogs in New York City. He has never supported the Pets in Housing bill, a measure that is dear to New Yorkers and that would save the lives of many companion animals. He does not support Council Member Tony Avella’s bill that would ban the inhumane horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC. He voted for an extension of term limits (apparently he wants to ensure that we’ll have four more years of the same seamy, do-nothing council). Speaker Christine Quinn, as you may recall, has blocked every single piece of animal-friendly legislation that has come up. And I’m really scratching my head over the exclusion of Avella from the list of honorees. Humane DOES come mind when I think of Avella, who leads the way in supporting humane legislation—and who is enthusiastically endorsed by the League of Humane Voters of New York State (the real LOHV).
The LOHV-NYC also helped to elect Elizabeth Crowley, a vigorous opponent of a ban on horse-drawn carriages. (Maybe some whippersnapper can explain this to me?) With friends like this, who needs enemies! Crowley has ties to a number of proud political "players," as you may know.

Democracy: rest in peace

Democracy came to an end in New York City today, with the "Quinn 29" voting without a referendum to extend term limits. And New York City Council member Tony Avella got it right: the 29 members who voted--against the will of the city's voters--to extend term limits for New York City elected officials to three terms from two should be voted out of office. I will make my list, and then vigorously campaign against all of these unethical twits. My little vote can only go so far, so I will have to be creative, won't I! I think I may make that deadbeat Robert Jackson my pet project, for having the unmitigated gall to say: “Let’s have a backbone" (and not back down, presumably). He deserves a job stamping out license plates. No wonder he's hanging onto this one for dear life.

Thank you to the 22 council members who voted "no" to this subversive measure, including Jessica Lappin. Well done.

The billionaire mayor thinks we will forget all about it. Never will I forget this betrayal. And another thing: it stands to cost the city in so many ways. Starting with lifetime retiree health insurance that would cost the city up to $12,600 a year per council member, for any one who serves a third term. Which will amount to millions of dollars over the coming decades. Kind of stupid, isn't it?

Did you know: Tony Avella (D-Queens) introduced the measure to ban horse-drawn carriages; Council Speaker Christine Quinn has blocked it, along with every other piece of animal-friendly legislation that been introduced during her shameful tenure; virtually all council members line up behind Quinn, fearing retribution. No, the City Council is not a legislative body. Far from it. All back-room deals.

Embarrassingly off-base

The "sliming" tactics of the New York City carriage industry and the handful of individuals who support this inherently cruel industry are mind-boggling. It takes chutzpah to criticize one of the world's leading authorities on the humane treatment of carriage horses while promoting the under-handed "oversight" of a very biased veterinarian who has essentially been a lobbyist for the industry. Holly Cheever, DVM, eloquently answers her critics, including one Upper East Sider who venomously characterizied anti-carriage activists as "Machiavellian" and hurled insults at Dr. Cheever. The pinnacle of absurdity.
The Machiavellian line was hilarious -- I laughed out loud! But seriously, the insulting letter was so bad that I was embarrassed for its writer. Like that cringe that comes from listening to Sarah Palin.
The ever level-headed Dr. Cheever has previously described New York's carriage horse industry as the worst she has ever seen--and never humane. Read her comments as published in a February 2008 letter letter to Metro.

Put this on your "To Do" list!

Get your tickets for the fundraiser! Space is limited, but you need to be there on October 14, 2008, because the proceeds benefit the ongoing work of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages. Some special guests will be attending, including City Council Member Tony Avella and documentary-maker Donny Moss. There's a fantastic entertainment lineup: Fiona Walsh, Joy Askew, Nellie McKay, Ann Design, and Liam McEneaney.

If you are involved in efforts to ban horse-drawn carriages, you must make this the event to attend! Clear your calendar for October 14, and head over to the fundraiser at Mantra 986 on Second Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets, 6-10 pm (arrive on time and take part in the silent auction!) An evening of great entertainment, food, and fun--and it's for a great cause. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door.

Get your tickets early, through PayPal (via the Coalition website). If you prefer to pay by check, make it payable to the Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc. The mailing address is: PO Box 20247, Park West Station, New York, NY 10025.

Check out the Silent Auction catalog ...
About Mantra 986
Seriously, cancel those other plans! You know you want to attend this party!

Staying on topic

Irrelevant industry, crude tactics, suffering horses
More proof that the industry is irrelevant, ridiculous, and circumvents the law came this week, when threatening phone calls allegedly were made to a pub that was to have been the setting for a fund-raiser in support of a ban. The intimidating calls, of course, which were described to a member of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages by a pub manager, are believed to be from someone in the carriage industry. The pub pulled the plug on the venue, the manager saying he feared for the safety of his employees. Drivers are already dismissing the entire incident as a lie. However, the pub manager reiterated his account (he himself used the word "riot") to a second coalition member, and also to Councilman Tony Avella, in phone calls.

Lest you think this is a first, consider that a well-known NYC business that has been running ads in support of an industry ban received intimidating phone calls before the campaign started--and the caller did identify himself. This was heard by a number of people.

Avella, a mayoral candidate and the sponsor of a measure to ban the industry (with the idea of providing a reasonable alternative), denounced this week's thug tactics at a hastily arranged news conference on Friday.

The idea that some scary phone calls would derail efforts to ban the industry is laughable and pathetic at the same time.

Avella: the quality of life candidate

Tony Avella works tirelessly to make the city a better place. He did a tremendous amount of good by stopping by an outreach event Saturday on the issue on New York City carriage horses. Avella, a Queens City Council member who is running for mayor, told an enthusiastic crowd that gathered near Central Park what is wrong with the industry--and the long and short of it is that the industry is outdated and inherently inhumane. Time for a ban!

The outreach is a regular event that has drawn ongoing support for Avella's landmark legislation that would ban the industry. Thousands of New York City residents and tourists have signed a petition asking lawmakers to co-sponsor the bill and support a ban.

Avella has an outstanding record of support for animal-friendly legislation, including the pets-in-housing bill. He is strongly committed to reducing taxes for all New Yorkers, halting overdevelopment that is putting neighborhoods at risk, and reforming the Department of Education. He made headlines recently by promoting a "three-strike" policy for truck drivers who violate the city's truck route rules, a problem that he wisely has identified as potentially dangerous quality-of-life issue.
The carriage bill introduced by Avella, Intro. 658, calls for a full ban and is supported by the American Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States, Friends of Animals, and numerous other leading U.S. and global animal protection organizations.

Learn more about where Tony Avella stands on the issues affecting New Yorkers. Visit TonyAvellaforMayor.com
Photo credit: Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages/friend of horses

Quinn's version of leadership

Bad enough that we have an animal-hater at the helm of the City Council in Christine Quinn. Even more painful, taxpayers are being forced to pay for her $600-an-hour lawyer.
I can't believe this is New York City politics in the year 2008. Council Member Tony Avella is the only one with the guts to speak out against the lunacy of having taxpayers foot the bill for Quinn's lawyer. Quinn, the council at large, and the horse-drawn carriage industry--corruption piled on top of corruption.
Read "Lawyers for Counsel Seen As Departure" (The New York Sun, April 28, 2008)

A sight for sore eyes

It's great to see the impactful and brilliant Manhattan Mini Storage ads! It's simple and it's wonderful: MMS will donate $25 on your behalf to one of 5 organizations when you rent. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is among them, along with Planned Parenthood of NYC, Animal Haven, The NYC Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, and Citymeals-on-Wheels. All wonderful organizations. This is a tremendous ad campaign from a company with a social conscience.
I love all of these ads! This one will have an impact in making more people aware of the cruelty of the horse-drawn carriage industry. In a predictably vulgar fashion, some in the carriage industry behaved very badly upon learning of this campaign. Carriage people would do well to keep it real and always be mindful of laws that prohibit menacing behavior. Cheers.

Change for the better

Kathy's cheerful blog on all things "girly" came to my attention when she wrote about her upcoming visit to New York, and her Top 10 list of things to do--including a carriage ride. After we talked by email, she changed her plans and decided against a carriage ride.

"You didn't bring me down. You made me aware," Kathy wrote following her visit. "I saw buckets of food. But no water for the horses. Where was the water?!!!! I know I'd be thirsty after hauling fat people around the park all day!"

I hear this from so many tourists and visitors to New York City. Most informed individuals will not willingly support the mistreatment of animals. New York City is a great place to visit and a great place to live, in spite of its embarrassing shortcomings such as a failure to ban this miserable industry. Other world-class cities have already done so.

Kathy is fortunate to have not witnessed a gruesome accident. She also was spared other sad sights of blatant abuse that we sometimes witness, such as a driver slapping his horse's face for spilling a few crumbs of food.

If You're Reading This on a Blackberry...

You may be a driver of a horse-drawn carriage.

Who the heck are all the carriage drivers talking to? Central dispatch? Jean Kim? Are the drivers planning a meet-and-greet at City Hall? Maybe they're ordering food. How many ways can you multitask while driving a carriage in NYC traffic, anyway?

I'll be damned. I see that carriage drivers are enjoying this blog. Maybe some of the stable owners will give us an update on the goings-on at their oh-so-festive stables.

The Man Who Will Be Mayor

Status quo? No! The revolution starts ... now!
Tony Avella, the Queens Democrat who introduced the bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, will officially announce his mayoral bid this weekend on the steps of City Hall.
Join City Council Member Avella at a news conference on Sunday, March 30, at 1 pm on the steps of City Hall in lower Manhattan. Join the revolution!

CM Avella represents the interests of real New Yorkers, not special interest groups. He has displayed compassionate leadership time and time again, sponsoring Intro. 658 (the bill to ban horse-drawn carriages) and Intro. 13, the Pets in Housing bill--and addressing a host of quality-of-living issues that matter to people.
Come out Sunday and show your support for Tony Avella, a man of integrity and conviction.

More Tales of the Weird in Hell's Kitchen

This chilly afternoon I found myself in the badlands of W. 45th Street, home to the sad-looking Shamrock Stables. It was around 4:30 pm and a carriage driver was stuck in traffic as he headed west to 11th Avenue. (This north-south speedway is one of the scary and congested routes that the horses must travel on their way to Central Park for the night shift.)

The driver got antsy trying to weave in and out of traffic, so he steered his horse up onto the crumbling sidewalk to get into prime position to turn right onto 11th. Perhaps he deemed this strategy the lesser of two evils, since the Metropolitan Lumber workers were zipping around the other side of the street on a forklift. The white horse soldiered on, pulling the white carriage. I said a prayer under my breath, knowing how far they still had to travel in Friday afternoon traffic.

Support a ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York City. Support Intro. 658, and ask your City Council representative to do the same. This measure cannot move forward without broad support.
Not a NYC resident? Make your voice heard. Contact Mayor Bloomberg's office

Coming up: Pop quiz! Which horses have to travel the farthest to and from work? We'll map their routes at www.MapmyRun.com

Say, Here's An Idea: No More Roadwork

That's not very likely to happen
Susan V. writes about a near-miss she witnessed on 57th Street at 9th Avenue:

"As a horse lover and occasional rider, I thought I was going to see a tragic end to one of those beautiful carriage horses ("You can lead a horse to water if there is any," Feb. 21). On 57th Street and 9th Avenue, a driver tried to catch the light and has his horse bolt through traffic. The horse slipped across a steel plate covering a portion of the street while running. I believe that if the horse had skidded, it would have been quite tragic, as there is building construction at this section and a lot of steel posts and pedestrians. Aren't there any guidelines? Isn't this endangerment cruelty?"

Susan V, a Metro (NY) reader from Queens; Feb. 27, 2008

Horse-drawn carriages have no place in 21st-century New York City. Ask your City Council member to co-sponsor Intro. 658, Tony Avella's bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC.
Not a NYC resident? Tell the mayor that you want to see this inhumane industry banned forever.