W.F.P. opposes de Blasio’s horse-carriage ban
The Working Families Party has come out against a ban on horse-drawn carriages, putting the group at odds with a signature campaign promise of Mayor Bill de Blasio.
City lawmakers should “consider a fair compromise” to protect “this iconic industry” and “hundreds of middle-class jobs” wrote the W.F.P.’s New York State director, Bill Lipton, in an August 8 letter to city lawmakers, which was first reported by the Daily News.
“We stand in solidarity with horse carriage workers who play a pivotal role in generating millions of dollars in revenue as one of the top three tourist attraction[s] in the city,” wrote Lipton, a close ally of de Blasio.
The pro-business message from the W.F.P. is a boost to the industry, which has been fighting the proposed ban since it emerged as an issue during the Democratic mayoral primary last year. De Blasio has reiterated his pledge to do away with the industry, though the promise has yet to take shape in the City Council.
Horse-carriage drivers are represented by Teamsters Joint Council 16, which is a member of the W.F.P., and recently proposed a list of compromises to the administration.
Teamsters Joint Council president George Miranda said in a statement, “The time is now for City Hall to find a solution that preserves the horse-drawn carriages for New York City.”