horse carriage

NYCLASS, a group that has lobbied intensively to ban horse drawn carriages from the streets of New York City, has agreed to pay a fine for violating campaign finance rules. The group has admitted to making illegal contributions last year to two City Council candidates, both of whom were elected. Earlier this year, the Daily News disclosed that a political consultant for NYCLASS threatened to undermine Christine Quinn’s mayoral campaign if she didn’t back the carriage horse ban. In April, 2013, Quinn, who was leading her opponent—the now Mayor de Blasio—in the polls at the time, refused to back the ban. NYCLASS responded by contributing more than $400,000 to a PAC formed by NYCLASS’s political consultant to carry out the “Anybody But Quinn” campaign. Records also show that two of de Blasio’s top financial supporters gave $225,000 to NYCLASS. With Mayor de Blasio now having sent proposed legislation to ban the carriages to the New York City Council, that body—which includes the two successful candidates who received illegal funds from NYCLASS—will be deciding on the fate of the horse carriages and their drivers. De Blasio said on Tuesday that he intends to personally lobby City Council members to pass the ban. Dirty business, all under the syrupy guise of “Free the Horses; Stop the Abuse.” Posted December 12, 2014

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

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