Political arena

Sounding off on horse-drawn carriages

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Upper Manhattan Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez’s concern for traffic is not limited to cars and pedestrians. The chairman of the City Council’s Transportation Committee recently chimed in on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to ban horse-drawn carriages, which is gaining steam this week.

All year, Mr. Rodriguez, whose district includes part of Marble Hill has strongly advocated traffic safety measures such as reducing the city’s speed limit and toughening punishment for hit-and-run drivers.

He took a street-level view on the mayor’s proposed ban this week. 

“Horses should not be forced to share our city’s congested roadways alongside ambulances, trucks and buses,” Mr. Rodrigeuz said in a statement. “Too many preventable incidents have already occurred and it’s time for New York to step up and ban this inhumane treatement of our horses, like other cities have already done.”

Mr. de Blasio’s proposal has drawn cheers from animal rights groups and outrage from one of Central Park’s most visible industries.

But Mr. Rodriguez noted the new bill would help the people poised to lose their jobs, through training classes and a waiver on license fees to drive the city’s new green taxis.

“We at the Council have made sure that while advocating for the the rights of our animal friends, we have not forgotten the potential human impact of this legislation,” Mr. Rodriguez stated.

Rangel does soul-searching

Following the recent announcement that the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown will not be indicted, Rep. Charles Rangel added his voice to the host of politicians and others with passionate views on the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.

The congressman, who rose to power during the Civil Rights movement, called for the country to acknowledge ongoing race-related problems and to achieve unity across different cultures.

“It was not a Ferguson problem. It’s an American problem,” the congressman said on the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday. “I would humbly suggest the first thing you do is to acknowledge, acknowledge that you have that problem.”

“The fact is that all of us collectively would know that whether you’re black or brown or yellow, whatever the complexion is, that the greatest benefit and asset that we have as a nation is that we bring in all of these cultures together to build the greatest nation on earth,” he continued.

Engel touts Obamacare

Rep. Eliot Engel, who has joined other Democrats in staunchly defending President Barack Obama’s signature law, touted a Tuesday report that credited the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for saving lives and healthcare costs.

Mr. Engel’s office quoted the Department of Health and Human Services report as finding, “in 2013 alone, the reforms of the ACA have helped achieve 800,000 fewer hospital-acquired conditions, 35,000 fewer patients dying in hospitals and $8 billion in healthcare saving.” 

“As this new report shows, the Affordable Care Act is significantly improving the quality of health care for all Americans, yet Republicans continue to call for the complete repeal of the ACA,” Mr. Engel said in a statement. “Instead of posturing to score political points, we should all be working together to successfully implement the health care law.”

Tech threat warning

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is keeping his eye on misuses of consumer technology.

In his latest warning, he pointed out smart TVs and other devices with cameras that hackers have reportedly used to spy on American homes.

In a Sunday statement, Mr. Schumer cited accounts of Russian hackers accessing cameras in thousands of private homes and uploading the material to websites such as www.insecam.cc, which authorities have since shut down.

“Popular items on our shopping lists this holiday season include ‘smart’ television, webcams and baby monitors, but rather than adding convenience and security to our homes, these devices roll out the welcome mat for potential voyeurs, robbers, blackmailers and other criminals,” the senator stated.

He called for measures such as making manufacturers require consumers to automatically set a unique password when installing such products. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to look into the matter and develop new safety and security standards.

Mr. Schumer’s calls follow his October warnings against what he described as a plague of GPS trackers being secretly placed on vehicles.

Claiming it is easy for people to use the devices to blackmail others, the senator introduced a bill that would make it illegal for people to covertly place GPS trackers on vehicles.

Ydanis Rodriguez, horse-drawn carriage, Charles Rangel, Ferguson, Eliot Engel, Obamacare, Schumer, Political arena, Shant Shahrigian

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