The
best way to ban the horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC is through
legislation. A draft of our proposed legislation appears on our
web site.
First, a Council Member must agree to sponsor the bill and then
files it with Speaker Christine Quinn's office. It is then
introduced into the Council and referred to the appropriate
committee.
Historically, bills concerning horse-drawn carriages have been
heard in the Transportation Committee, which is why we are first
meeting with the Council Members on this committee. One or more
public hearings are generally held on the proposed legislation. The
public is given the opportunity to testify for or against the bill.
Committee work usually represents a very long process involving bill
amendments. However, in order for the council as a whole to vote on
the bill it must be passed in committee and sent to the full council
for more debate and a final vote. If passed by an affirmative vote
of a majority of all Council Members (at least 26 members) the bill
is then sent to the Mayor, who also holds a public hearing. If the
Mayor signs the bill, it becomes law. If the mayor vetoes the bill,
it can be overridden by two-thirds of the Council Members. If the
mayor does not sign or veto the bill within 30 days, it is
considered approved automatically.
All of you play a CRUCIAL role in seeing that this process
happens. It is VITAL for you to contact your Council Member
NOW to let them know that you would like to see this industry
banned in NYC. If you do not contact them, they have no way of
knowing that their constituents believe this to be an important
issue. Don't think that someone else is going to do it so you are
off the hook. Your comments matter and it takes but a few minutes to
send an e-mail or to follow up with a phone call. We need you and
the horses need you. Please do not let them down. You should also
know who your elected representatives are. If you do not, you can
access the
City
Council web site by clicking here - and entering the required
information.
IF YOU ARE A NEW YORKER, you must also contact
Speaker Christine Quinn. The Speaker's office is almost as
powerful as the Mayor's and controls which bills are heard in the
Council. And please
contact Mayor Bloomberg. And while you are at it, do not forget
the members of the
Transportation Committee - even if they are not your
representative. It can be the same e-mail to all of them. If you are
stumped at what to say , please visit our
web site.
NOT A NYC RESIDENT? Your comments are equally as
important. Please
contact Mayor Bloomberg - but also contact
Speaker Christine Quinn and the members of the
Transportation Committee. You are considered a potential tourist
with money to spend in NYC. You might prefer to spend your money in
a city that does not have the carriage trade - such as Los Angeles,
Las Vegas-- or cities like Paris, London or Toronto, which banned
the carriage-trade years ago.
PETITIONS - As you know, we have been collecting
signatures on petitions directed to the City Council and Mayor. This
is a marketing tool and does not have legal weight. It is not a
ballot initiative so there is no requirement as to the number of
signatures we need. This method of taking the pulse of the people
(essentially a poll) has never been done before and we hope it will
be received as impressive documentation by the City Council. Our
petitions are broken down into states, countries and NYC zip codes.
This entire process can be described in a few paragraphs - but the
actual process is not going to be that easy. It will take some time
and we have to keep the pressure on. But it is the only right thing
to do for these horses. Let's hope our City Council will heed the
words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Cowardice asks the
question, Is it safe? Expediency asks the question, Is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, Is it popular? But conscience asks the
question, Is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a
position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must
take it because his conscience tells him that it is right."
The
best way to ban the horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC is through
legislation. A draft of our proposed legislation appears on our
A
five year old girl named Brielle was thrown off her horse and
trampled by an out of control team of horses pulling a wagon at the
Tucson Rodeo Parade on February 22nd. The run-away horses crashed
into her horse causing him to rear up and throw the little girl who
was trampled by the carriages. She later died in the hospital from
internal bleeding. 
This
is the first death in the parade?s history ? but in a similar
incident last year, a runaway team of horses pulling a wagon rammed
into a carriage carrying the mayor and his wife. Both were injured.
The horses' owner says the horses are parade veterans and have never
been involved in any parade accidents. "They were alarmed by some
incident along the parade route and reacted instinctively." ?A
person is not strong enough to stop a twelve- hundred pound animal?
said a bystander. ?Bringing a horse under control is enough of a
challenge. Driving a wagon team puts at least 15 to 20 feet between
the driver and the horse they're trying to control.?