In an ironic twist, the day after Earth Day, this coming Monday, Speaker Christine Quinn will try again to destroy the pedicab business in NYC. Mayor Bloomberg recently stopped Quinn after he vetoed a bill she forced through the Council by a vote of 38-7. Quinn needs 34 votes to override the Mayor, meaning we need to convince a few more to vote against the bill this time. LOHV-NYC allies Rosie Mendez, Tony Avella and Annabel Palma were among those who voted against the bill back in February.
This may be our last chance to save this green animal-friendly industry (remember - the pedicabs provide much-needed relief for the horses in Central Park)! Please take action!
Call and write your Council Member right now and urge him or her to stand in solidarity with environmentalists and animal advocates and vote against the pedicab bill, Intro. 331-A, on Monday. If you need to find out who your Council Member is, call us immediately at (212) 889-0303.
Talking points:
1. Intro. 331-A is not only a bill to regulate the pedicab industry. The industry intself has been calling for regulations for years. By capping the number of pedicabs allowed to operate, it is, in effect, a ban. Council Member Alan Gerson had a much fairer bill, Intro. 75, but Quinn killed it.
2. Intro. 331-A requires 2 million dollars in insurance, far more than taxis and horse-drawn carriages. This is patently unfair.
3. Intro. 331-A bans electric-assisted pedaling for drivers. Electric-assist motors allow drivers to work for longer hours and make more money. The motors use less energy than a hair dryer. There is no good reason for them to be banned.