Photo: Stock Connection/REX USA.
Just two days after Bill de Blasio was sworn in as New York City's 109th mayor, all eyes are on the leader to see how he will handle his new role. Faced with the first blizzard of the season, and an ambitious list of initiatives and goals for the city, de Blasio has got a lot on his plate. But, his first move isn't quite what we expected.
At a pre-inauguration press conference, the mayor talked about his plans to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park. “We are going to quickly and aggressively move to make horse carriages no longer a part of the landscape in New York City,” de Blasio explained. “They are not humane. It’s over.”
It's an interesting and surprising decision, and one that is being met with criticism. Some wonder why ending this decades old tradition seems to be de Blasio's highest priority. Others fear it will result in hundreds of local carriage drivers losing their jobs. But, de Blasio asserts that his plan to replace the horse-drawn carriages with electric vehicles will provide jobs for current drivers.
It will be interesting to see what's next on the mayor's agenda, but for now, it appears he has some snow to finish shoveling.
(The Daily Beast)