bill de blasio

During his mayoral campaign, Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to remove the iconic horse-drawn carriages from the city’s streets. The FBI is currently examining that pledge as it relates to contributions to an animal rights group, NYCLASS, and threats made to de Blasio’s chief rival in that mayoral race.  Candidate de Blasio made his pledge to ban the horse carriages in March, 2013. The Daily News has disclosed that a political consultant for NYCLASS threatened to undermine Quinn’s campaign if she didn’t back the carriage horse ban. In April, Quinn, who was leading de Blasio in the polls at the time, refused to back the ban. That same April, two NYCLASS officials gave $200,000 to a PAC formed by their political consultant to carry out the “Anybody But Quinn” campaign. Records show that NYCLASS gave $225,000 to the anti-Quinn campaign in the months of May and June. Records also show that two of de Blasio’s top financial supporters gave $225,000 to NYCLASS. The FBI also appears interested in a $175,000 contribution to NYCLASS given by a union connected to de Blasio’s cousin, labor leader John Wilhelm. The attacks against Quinn—fueled by large contributions made by NYCLASS to the “Anybody But Quinn” campaign—began in April. The ad blitz attacked her candidacy with TV ads, robocalls, and mailings. By late June, Quinn had fallen to third place in the Democratic primary. De Blasio won the primary and later the mayoral election. Click for more details in Greg Smith’s New York Daily News article. Posted April 26, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pledge to take the city’s iconic horse-drawn carriages off the streets is facing increased opposition, according to the Associated Press. Recent support for the horse carriages from many quarters has changed the mayor’s timetable on his ban promise from immediate to year-end. Actor Liam Neeson, in a recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, wrote that the carriage horses appear happy and well cared for. “It has been my experience, always, that horses much like humans are at their happiest and healthiest when working,” Neeson wrote. His comments earned him the attentions of a gang of animal rights protesters outside his home. Also, some city unions—usually on the Mayor’s side—broke with him on the subject, fearing tourism losses. Two thirds of city residents are in favor of keeping  the horse carriages, at least in Central Park, according to recent poll. And last week, the city’s print media—New York Times, Daily News, New Yorker—came out in sympathy for the horse-drawn carriages. “Let the horses and carriages alone,” said the Times in an editorial. Click for more details in Jonathan Lemire’s AP article. Posted April 25, 2014

The city council votes are insufficient thus far to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had vowed two days before his election to end that romantic tradition in his first week in office. Twelve weeks later, such a bill has yet to be introduced. Animal rights activists claim that forcing horses to work in the traffic-clogged streets is cruel. However, a recent poll found that voters opposed the ban by 64% to 24%. Council members who have expressed their opinions are said to favor the ban by fifteen to eight, with nineteen members yet undecided and nine more members unresponsive. Some of those on the fence express concern over the loss of jobs that the drivers will suffer. A proposal to transition the carriage drivers into driving electric-powered vintage cars as a replacement for the horse carriages is being considered. [A proposal that most horse lovers, we suspect, will find damn silly.] Click for more details in the Newsday article by Emily Ngo. Posted March 28, 2014

Two days before New York Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio was to be sworn into office he vowed to eliminate the horse carriages that have for so long played a romantic role in Central Park. “It’s over,” he said. “We are going to quickly and aggressively move to make horse carriages no longer a part of the landscape in New York City. They are not humane. They are not appropriate to the year 2014.” While de Blasio’s announcement has elicited opposition, it appears that he comes to power with sufficient votes in the City Council to eliminate the sound of horse’s hooves from the streets of New York for all time. “De Blasio has handed animal rights activists a major victory. Harry Bruinius, staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor writes, “Liberals have swept into office across the city, and now PETA is in, and top hats—which many hansom cab riders wear—are out.” Click for more details in the CSM report. Posted January 4, 2014