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05-15-06, 01:54 PM
League of Humane Voters of New York City's E-News & Action Alerts
More info at http://www.humanenyc.org or call (212) 889-0303
Horse-Carriage Lobby Sneaks Pedicab Ban into Proposed Regs
Rather than amending Council Member Alan Gerson’s proposed bill, Intro. 75, to regulate pedicabs, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Bloomberg Administration have provided the City Council with their own proposed “regulations.”
The problem? These “regulations” are almost exactly what the horse-drawn carriage industry has been paying a lobbyist $2,000 a month to promote. Introduced by Council Member Leroy Comrie, Intro. 331, would put many pedicabs out of business.
Pedicab owners rightfully see this as the second version of a bill introduced last year to ban pedicabs. If passed, Intro 331 would cripple the industry.
Intro. 331 would require one million dollars in insurance; compare that to $300,000 in insurance required by horse-drawn vehicles – which, as you many have noticed over the past few months, are much more prone to accidents.
Intro 331 would also effectively keep pedicabs out of all public parks and would give the Department of Transportation the authority to ban pedicabs from certain city streets (the area right by Central Park, perhaps?).
Don’t let the horse-drawn carriage industry win!
Please call and write (click here for a sample letter) your Council Member immediately and ask him or her to support Intro. 75 to regulate pedicabs and to oppose the Administration’s new bill, Intro 331. To find out who your Council Member is, call us at (212) 889-0303 or visit http://www.humanenyc.org/. Thanks.
Vegan Bakery in Danger of Eviction
Anyone who has strolled down St. Marks Place recently can attest to the obvious changes that have taken place in the neighborhood over the past decade.
The building that housed Coney Island High went condo years ago, and chain stores like Quiznos keep showing up.
Now, Whole Earth Bakery & Kitchen--another neighborhood mainstay--may soon be evicted.
"The landlord has refused to renew my lease," said owner Peter Silvestri. "We’ve been here since 1991. The neighborhood has changed significantly over time."
When Peter took over the store (which had been a vegetarian cookery since 1982) in the early 1990's, things were quite different.
"There was a full-fledged riot going on in Tompkins Square Park," he said. "It was an occupied neighborhood."
Now, Peter is being forced to close on May 31, as his ten-year lease expires. But we’re not giving up yet!
Peter’s already collected more than 2,000 names on a petition to save the store. Now, Council Member Rosie Mendez (D-Lower East side), whom LOHV-NYC endorsed last year, and John Phillips, LOHV-NYC’s Executive Director, have also written letters to the landlord asking him to renew Whole Earth Bakery & Kitchen’s lease. Please consider joining them and write a letter of support.
Letters can be sent to:
Mr. Lomis J. Grossman, Jr.
Mr. Ronald S. Friedman
130 Saint Marks Place, L.L.C.
c/o Gibraltar Manager Co. Inc.
150 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591
You can also fax your letter to: 914-631-6243
Thanks for supporting humane businesses!
More info at http://www.humanenyc.org or call (212) 889-0303
Horse-Carriage Lobby Sneaks Pedicab Ban into Proposed Regs
Rather than amending Council Member Alan Gerson’s proposed bill, Intro. 75, to regulate pedicabs, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Bloomberg Administration have provided the City Council with their own proposed “regulations.”
The problem? These “regulations” are almost exactly what the horse-drawn carriage industry has been paying a lobbyist $2,000 a month to promote. Introduced by Council Member Leroy Comrie, Intro. 331, would put many pedicabs out of business.
Pedicab owners rightfully see this as the second version of a bill introduced last year to ban pedicabs. If passed, Intro 331 would cripple the industry.
Intro. 331 would require one million dollars in insurance; compare that to $300,000 in insurance required by horse-drawn vehicles – which, as you many have noticed over the past few months, are much more prone to accidents.
Intro 331 would also effectively keep pedicabs out of all public parks and would give the Department of Transportation the authority to ban pedicabs from certain city streets (the area right by Central Park, perhaps?).
Don’t let the horse-drawn carriage industry win!
Please call and write (click here for a sample letter) your Council Member immediately and ask him or her to support Intro. 75 to regulate pedicabs and to oppose the Administration’s new bill, Intro 331. To find out who your Council Member is, call us at (212) 889-0303 or visit http://www.humanenyc.org/. Thanks.
Vegan Bakery in Danger of Eviction
Anyone who has strolled down St. Marks Place recently can attest to the obvious changes that have taken place in the neighborhood over the past decade.
The building that housed Coney Island High went condo years ago, and chain stores like Quiznos keep showing up.
Now, Whole Earth Bakery & Kitchen--another neighborhood mainstay--may soon be evicted.
"The landlord has refused to renew my lease," said owner Peter Silvestri. "We’ve been here since 1991. The neighborhood has changed significantly over time."
When Peter took over the store (which had been a vegetarian cookery since 1982) in the early 1990's, things were quite different.
"There was a full-fledged riot going on in Tompkins Square Park," he said. "It was an occupied neighborhood."
Now, Peter is being forced to close on May 31, as his ten-year lease expires. But we’re not giving up yet!
Peter’s already collected more than 2,000 names on a petition to save the store. Now, Council Member Rosie Mendez (D-Lower East side), whom LOHV-NYC endorsed last year, and John Phillips, LOHV-NYC’s Executive Director, have also written letters to the landlord asking him to renew Whole Earth Bakery & Kitchen’s lease. Please consider joining them and write a letter of support.
Letters can be sent to:
Mr. Lomis J. Grossman, Jr.
Mr. Ronald S. Friedman
130 Saint Marks Place, L.L.C.
c/o Gibraltar Manager Co. Inc.
150 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591
You can also fax your letter to: 914-631-6243
Thanks for supporting humane businesses!