That’s a lot of hay!
The animal rights group NYCLASS has spent millions of dollars over the past decade as part of its campaign to ban horse carriages in New York City, according to records reviewed by The Post.
New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, in its 2024 tax filing, reported spending $1.272 million in the 2022 calendar year including $744,547 on ads and promotions and $261,000 on lobbying lawmakers, records show.
The group spent $634,000 in 2021 and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in prior years dating back to 2015.
News of NYCLASS’ big spending came as the group commissioned a poll released Monday that claimed 78% of voters support Ryder’s Law, which would ban horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric alternatives, relocate horses to rescue farms, and provide job-transition programs for current drivers and repla.
The legislation, supported by Mayor Eric Adams, is named after a horse, Ryder, that collapsed and died in 2022.
But the bill has stalled in the City Council because of opposition from the union-backed industry.
“They are a bunch of hypocrites,” said Transport Workers Union president John Samuelsen, whose union advocates for the carriage drivers, and also is now spending vast sums to save the industry.
The TWU recently commissioned its own poll claiming that regular Central Park-goers support the horse carriages.
“They haven’t spent a dime to provide any actual goods or services that would benefit horses. Not a single bale of hay or even a carrot.”
He contends NYCLASS is “obsessed with dehumanizing carriage-horse drivers by falsely portraying them as evil animal abusers, just so real estate developers can put them out of business and build more hotels and high-rises on the West Side of Manhattan, where the stables are located.”
“This is about money and greed,” Samuelsen said, “not the horses.”
NYCLASS defended its spending, with a spokesperson saying it funds other animal protection programs as well pushing to ban the horse carriage industry.
“NYCLASS has rescued New York City carriage horses discarded and sent to slaughter by the same rich owners John Samuelsen is lying for, and we’ve passed numerous laws that have saved thousands of animals,” said NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant.
She referred to Samuelsen as a “bully” who attacks anyone who wants to end horse abuse.
“He bragged about wasting $1 million in union dues on vicious AI attack ads to threaten officials and silence advocates. Samuelsen isn’t fighting for workers; he’s protecting the wealthy carriage bosses who exploit them and their horses for profit,” countered Birnkrant.
“Horse carriages are a dying, obsolete business being shut down and replaced in cities around the world, and 78 percent of New Yorkers, along with every major mayoral candidate, support Ryder’s Law to ban them.”
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