John Samuelson's statement read, followed by TWU member testimony opposing ban
A TWU member reads a statement from International President John Samuelson calling the hearing political, criticizing Councilmember Marte's comments, and arguing the bill strips workers of jobs with no real compensation. The member then gives his own testimony opposing the ban.
This is from the testimony of the council, TW International President John Samuelson.
This hearing is based on politics, not on the pursuit of animal welfare or public safety.
Let's start with the prime sponsor, Councilman Marte.
I'm ashamed he left here.
At a hearing on rider's law last year, Marte said this about horses giving carriage rides.
If it was an individual, if it was a human pushing a horse carriage, we would call that inhumane.
If it was any other living animal, whether it's a dog or a cat pushing a carriage, we would call that inhumane.
Why do we have to put horses at a different level?
This is one of the most unintelligent comments ever uttered by a city council member.
A 1,600-pound horse is not comparable, councilman, to a chihuahua, a cocker spaniel, or a Siamese horse.
But that is in the fact the mindset of the animal rights fundamentalists that this council speaker and council are following.
Speaker Menon knows this is not an issue of safety in the park.
If safety in the park was a real concern, she would hold a hearing on a bill, which 20 council members signed onto when it was introduced, that would prohibit e-bikes and motorized scooters.
In Central Park.
Nearly 70 people, including pedestrians, were injured in Central Park in accidents involving bicyclists, e-bike riders, and e-scooters in the last five years.
One died.
This is absolutely a political issue.
Speaker Minin and the council members here want to end the noise from the animal rights fundamentalists and the real estate backers.
The constant phone calls, the emails, the social media posts, and the threats posed to council members.
Death threats to council members who opposed the bill.
Ironically, they are wrong when they think that most New Yorkers don't want to get rid of the horse carriages.
There are polls that show strong support for protecting workers, these immigrant workforces, and the horses.
You need to wrap it up.
I'll wrap it up.
Please, because you can submit that.
Yeah, I will wrap up.
I'm on the last two sentences.
This bill strips blue-collar workers of their jobs and future income.
It offers nothing in return, just a promise of workforce development and the words from the speaker about potential future jobs, with no mention of compensation to medallion owners who paid, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars for the right in the surgery.
NAFTA has come to Central Park.
At the best, this bill is half-baked, exposing workers and, ironically, horses to harm.
This is my testimony.
Thank you.
Who's next?
No, I am next because I'm the second.
Oh, you're next.
Okay, I'm sorry, sorry.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Just seven months ago, this same committee, the health committee, rejected this exact same bill, then called Ryder's Law.
You rejected the claims that the carriage horses are being mistreated.
You rejected claims that the horses aren't receiving proper care.
Can I wait till I get attention?
Okay.
You rejected claims that the horses aren't receiving proper care.
You rejected claims that the horses don't have suitable housing.
You rejected claims that it is cruel somehow for a 1600 pound draft horse to propel a carriage horse with giant wheels.
You have voted against advancing this very same bill.
So what changed?
For the first time in 167 years of carriage rides being a popular feature of Central Park, a passenger fatality occurred.
One fatality in 167 years.
Carriage rides are the most safe mode of travel in New York City.
The fatal accident involving romance was an absolute tragedy, no question.
Was it more tragic than the death of bicyclist Salvador Nico Garcia, who was killed in a bicycle accident in the park last year?
Was it more tragic than the death of bicyclist Charles Cheeseborough, who was killed in a bicycle accident in 2019?
Is it more tragic than the death of 28 people killed in accidents involving two-wheeled motor vehicles?
vehicles in New York City in the first six months of this year?
No.
Are you considering banning walking, biking, scooters, taxi cabs, buses, or the subway?
Of course not.
Because that defies all logic and common sense.
So does banning carriage horses.
The city can address any safety concerns it has by doing what it's supposed to do.
Govern.
Regulate.
The lawyer for the Romance family earlier said, it's not the workers, it's not the union, it's the city that did zero enforcement.
One of the animal rights activists said, the city has done zero enforcement.
And the only thing that this council can come up with doing is banning?
That is not government, not the government that anybody in this city wants.
The city can address safety concerns by holding a hearing on Jim Gennaro's bill.
In all fairness to the immigrant drivers, carriage owners, and the horses themselves, the city should shelve this ban.
Govern.
Don't cancel.
That's what voters want, not a knee-jerk reaction to an unprecedented tragedy, and there are polls to back that up.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Who's next?
Is the mic on?