Readers sound off on carriage drivers' testimony, wildfire smoke and daylight savings 73%
By Voice of the People79%
7/21/2026, 7:00:53 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 34 faulty reasoning types, including Hasty Generalization, Biased Writer Voice, and Appeal to Emotion, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 38.8% saturation with 453 hits. Analysis detected 2,429 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,168 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 64.7% and a BS Rank of 73% (6,096 of 21,886 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 72.10% of the article peer group.
Why hold a hearing but refuse to hear us?
Whitestone: I’ve proudly worked in New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry for more than 22 years, and my father has dedicated 47 years to this profession.
We attended the City Council hearing on July 15 expecting a fair opportunity to be heard.
Instead, it was one of the most disappointing and disheartening public hearings we’ve ever experienced.
Many Council members left before hearing the testimony of the horse carriage owners and drivers whose lives and livelihoods are directly affected by this legislation.
Most troubling was that Council Speaker Julie Menin didn’t remain to hear our testimony.
After waiting hours to speak, many of us felt dismissed and ignored before we even had the opportunity to share our stories.
Intentional or not, the way the hearing was conducted created the impression that our testimony and perspectives had already been discounted.
It’s difficult to believe that a fair and balanced decision can be made when those most affected aren’t given the respect of being heard.
Our families, employees and horses deserve better.
We came prepared to participate in the democratic process in good faith, but we left feeling invisible.
The emotional toll this has taken on many of us has been overwhelming.
Honest, hardworking New Yorkers should never feel that their voices don’t matter.
I hope you’ll look into how this hearing was conducted and whether the public received the fair and impartial process it deserves.
Francesco Riccobono
Effectively silenced
Manhattan: It has come to my attention that in the recent hearing for Intro 943, the carriage horse ban bill, Speaker Julie Menin made up her mind prior to the hearing and then did not stay in the hearing to listen to the testimony of the carriage drivers.
In effect, they were silenced at the hearing, as far as she was concerned.
I think we have all had enough of those with power silencing voices they don’t want to hear.
Her conduct was not in keeping with a fair hearing.
It disregards our process and the voices of our citizens.
It’s unacceptable.
Please hold her and the City Council accountable.
Maria Lakis
Extreme reaction
Flushing: The fatal accident involving a horse-drawn carriage is heartbreaking.
It never should have happened.
Is the drastic measure of completely outlawing them the answer?
Many more people lose their lives every day across America from automobile, motorcycle and airplane crashes.
Should we also outlaw automobiles and airplanes?
Of course not.
We try to learn from every fatal accident to improve the safety of cars, trucks and airplanes.
Why should horse-drawn carriages be any different?
Think about it.
Martin Goldman
Keep it in the park
Brooklyn: I agree with Voicers Maurice DePalo, Diane Moriarty and Lisa Flanzraich.
Carriage horses should not be banned in NYC.
Instead, I believe they should be banned from city streets.
They could be housed in Central Park for all to see in a fenced-in pasture and barn.
My great-great-grandfather was a mounted NYPD officer who died in Central Park in an accident with a horse.
Patrolman Simon P.
McDonnell, Dec. 7, 1897, the 11th officer killed on the job.
Should we ban NYPD horses as well?
Of course not.
Horses are a historical part of the growth of NYC.
Keep them safe in Central Park.
Save the horse-and-carriage industry.
Greg Ahl
Still allowed
Jackson Heights: Re “Airbnb is committed to investing in NYC” (op-ed, July 19): The Daily News fact-checkers, especially for op-eds, could have done better.
The NYC code permits up to two Airbnb visitors as long as “the owner” is present.
Many of the people who need that Airbnb income can still legally participate.
Robert J.
Koenig
It will get worse
Manhattan: Thank you for your respectful nod to the blanket of smoke that enveloped our city on Thursday (“Hazy, hot and humid,” July 17).
As you noted, Mayor Mamdani said it was our “worst” day of smoke so far.
The word “worst,” by itself, enables my self-deception.
It allows me to put that day into the past, as in the rearview mirror — a “worst day” we’ll talk about nostalgically when our skies magically clear forever.
In other words, I find it hard to accept that our continued and increasing combustion of fossil fuels is barreling us into what’s clearly visible through our windshield: increasing heat, drier vegetation, more ferocious wildfires and yes, more and longer-lasting, lung-penetrating particulate matter (smoke) covering our cities.
I'm sure that none of your other readers suffer from this kind of self-deception.
Rachel Makleff
Weather or not
Manhattan: Re ” ‘Invaded by unhealthy air’ ” (July 17): Agreed, the forest-fire air pollution drifting into the U.S. is very unhealthy and tariffs should be imposed on Canada to compensate affected states.
Canada should not let their winds drift southward when wildfires are burning.
Had our government moved forward with President Trump’s plan to take on Canada as our 51st state, he never would have let this happen.
I.J.
Eisen
Air-quality enemy
Manhattan: President Trump once again displayed his unmitigated gall.
He blamed Canada for its forest fires that sent smoke to the U.S.
He stated that we were being invaded by “filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air.”
No president in our history has done more to assure that such poor air quality will persist here.
He has forced failing coal companies to maintain production, discouraged windmills in favor of fossil fuels, and reduced emission restrictions on diesel trucks.
He even pardoned eight men convicted of disabling pollution control devices on diesel trucks.
He is in no position to criticize Canada.
Jeffrey Nelson
Predictable
Brooklyn: If you reelect a multiple-indicted, lying con man to the presidency, who then installs a bunch of clowns to various cabinet positions, you get a clown show in practice.
Why the surprise or disappointment when the reality of the decision hits home?
Herman Kolender
Attempting to rig
Kew Gardens: Trump keeps going on about rigged elections, which has been debunked based on multiple investigations into elections and the voting process.
He will take the ability to vote away from so many people who can't get to the ballot box, who change their name through marriage, or numerous other reasons.
The real way to save America is to get Trump and his minions out of office.
L.
Duzant
On the warpath
Ottawa, Ontario: I was hoping that the protesters in Iran would stop saying the chant “Death to America,” but with the war still escalating, it's just a wish.
The chant is still going on and getting louder.
Peace efforts have been wasted.
The whole scenario is showing who is hitting harder and harder.
Now it seems like there’s no way out.
Pity.
Anant Nagpur
Meet in the middle
Oak Ridge, N.J.: Why the stupidity about the time change (“Daylight savings bill passes House, Senate future unclear,” July 16)?
Set the clocks a half-hour, not an hour.
Everyone wins.
Jim Heimbuch
Speakers
17speakers22%attributed speech916writer words
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100%flagged-word coverageKew Gardens
23 attributed words9.1% of attributed speech82% writer coverage
Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.
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Analysis
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