Some City Council Members got "purrs" while others got "growls" on the 2007 City Council Humane Scorecard, released today by the League of Humane Voters of New York City (LOHV-NYC). In the scorecard, LOHV-NYC examines the 51 Council Members' records on animal welfare issues--such as pet-friendly housing, wildlife protection, humane education, etc.--and grades them on a scale of 0 to 100. For the first year ever, LOHV-NYC's Scorecard will also track individual Council Members' funding of animal-friendly (and un-friendly) projects."Animal lovers will howl when they find out that Speaker Christine Quinn and 9 other members of the City Council are getting zeros on our City Council Humane Scorecard," said John Phillips, LOHV-NYC's Executive Director. "Many New Yorkers care deeply about animal welfare. Our City Council Humane Scorecard will shed light on politicians' voting records and hold them accountable to their constituents."
Six Council Members got perfect scores on this year's Humane Scorecard, including Council Members Rosie Mendez, Gale Brewer, Helen Foster, Annabel Palma, Tony Avella and Hiram Monserrate. Ten got a failing grade of 0, including Council Speaker Christine Quinn - who LOHV-NYC credits with blocking numerous animal welfare bills - and Council Members Maria Baez, Leroy Comrie, Dennis Gallagher, David Yassky, Erik Martin Dilan, Mathieu Eugene, Simcha Felder, Domenic Recchia and Vincent Ignizio.
Manhattan Council Members came out on top again this year, with an average score of 64%. The Bronx was not far behind with an average score of 60%, nearly double what it was last year. Queens came in with 41%, Brooklyn with 39% and Staten Island with 20%, down from last year's 27%. The average score for the Council as a whole was 47%, up from 38% last year.
What You Can Do
1. Pledge to vote only for candidates for office who support the welfare of animals. You can sign the pledge online at www.humanenyc.org/pledge.htm.
2. Meet with, write or call your Council Member (the number is listed next to his/her name on the scorecard page) and urge her/him to co-sponsor all of the animal protection bills in the scorecard. If your Council Member is already doing well on the scorecard, call to say "thank you." If your Council Member is one of the three supporting the carriage horse driver's rate increase (detailed in the scorecard), call and politely express your disappointment. Need help finding out who represents you? Call LOHV-NYC at 212-889-0303.
3. Please donate! This is a massive, groundbreaking project and we need your help! We plan to distribute 100,000 copies of our 2007 Humane Scorecard in 2008--but the cost is great! Please donate online to help defray the cost of mailings. You can also send a check or $0.41 stamps to LOHV-NYC / 151 First Ave., Ste. 237 / New York, NY 10003-2965.