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Texas Legislature Clears Road For Uber and Lyft To Return To Austin (austinmonitor.com)
schwit1 shared this article from the Austin Monitor:
The Texas Legislature has cleared the road for Uber and Lyft to return to Austin on their own terms. On Wednesday, the state Senate overwhelmingly approved House Bill 100 on second and third readings, sending the statewide ride-hailing regulations to Governor Greg Abbott's desk for his signature. If Abbott signs it, as he is expected to do, the new law will preempt regulations City Council passed in December 2015 that both Uber and Lyft deemed too restrictive on transportation network companies such as themselves.
The new rules still require criminal background checks, but drop the requirement for fingerprinting. "We find it unfortunate that the 36 lobbyists deployed by the Silicon Valley giants were effective in convincing the State Legislature that there was a need to overrule the Austin voters," said a local ride-sharing company, which vowed to continue operating -- and to at least continue fingerprinting their own drivers. Houston's mayor complained the new statewide rules handed down are "another example of the legislature circumventing local control to allow corporations to profit at the expense of public safety."
The new rules still require criminal background checks, but drop the requirement for fingerprinting. "We find it unfortunate that the 36 lobbyists deployed by the Silicon Valley giants were effective in convincing the State Legislature that there was a need to overrule the Austin voters," said a local ride-sharing company, which vowed to continue operating -- and to at least continue fingerprinting their own drivers. Houston's mayor complained the new statewide rules handed down are "another example of the legislature circumventing local control to allow corporations to profit at the expense of public safety."
Republicans voting in favor of the interests of big corporations. How shocking...
"another example of the legislature circumventing local control to allow corporations to profit at the expense of public safety."
As opposed to taxi mafia bribing the legislature to profit at the expense of the public?
Uber might have its flaws, but they're strictly better than taxi corporations (for everyone who's not a member of the taxi mafia, doesn't profit from selling medallions/etc, and doesn't get bribes^Wcampaign donation from said mafia).
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
It's quite frustrating to read, multiple times, how state government continues to override local municipalities. Another instance is in regards to city fracking ordinances. It's also worrisome that Texas has done nothing to reduce the bribes...sorry..I meant to say campaign contributions and the conflicts of interests that exist in the state senate. God, I just sent can't get enough of small government!
Yes, Houston is a shit hole, but it seems to be transitioning away from oil and gas and into health care.
Having had a close-up look over the past year, I can attest that all of Texas is a shit hole and much of the shittiness comes from the state legislature and the governor's office. Audacious gerrymandering has turned the state into a one-party system that would make North Korea envious. There is inexorable change coming, though. The thing about gerrymandering is that it only works for a while and you start to get diminishing returns.
Unfortunately, that still won't do anything about the fact that Texas is one of the most physically ugly places on Earth. Geographically-speaking. I've never been anywhere less picturesque.
You are welcome on my lawn.
A government service(monopoly) would cost twice as much and work half as well.
State legislators continue to show that their concern for local government doesn't extend downwards from their own level.
The Federal level is too high, the city level is too low. The state level is just right: the "Goldilocks" level.
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
a government service is not a monopoly ffs because it is accountable to voters and doesnt work on profit motive. and ubers system of one car per passenger is eay less efficient than most public transportation, rhe waste and the overhead forced on the drivers is insanely wasteful and only operates at a loss and to the benfit of the upper class.
to drown in a bathtub comes to mind. My experience is that nobody's really opposed to the government telling people what to do; just so long as they already wanted to do it.
Me? I see strong governments as inevitable; so instead of hunkering down and trying to make it go away I'm with Bernie et al and want to make it do good. It's like fire or, hell, nuclear power. Once it's out there you can't put the cat back in the bag. Better to just take control of it.
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The thing about gerrymandering is that it only works for a while and you start to get diminishing returns.
Once you've gerrymandered yourself into place, what can displace you?
People move. Neighborhoods change. There's an election every two years. For example, some time back Texas had a law where you could only redraw districts every ten years. Texas realized that their safe gerrymandered districts were no longer safe. Passed a law saying they could have a "special" redraw (this is when Tom DeLay was in Congress, before he went to prison). The backlash saw a bunch of Republican districts flip to Democratic control. Not enough to take over power, but enough to scare them from trying that move again.
Texas is inexorably becoming a blue state. There are court cases to compel the state to use an independent commission to draw districts fairly. If those cases are successful, we will learn that Texas has actually been a blue state for a good long time, with the people being held hostage by a hostile government.
You are welcome on my lawn.
No municipal transit service can cover every address, unless the city is rich enough to afford dial-a-ride for all. That's why every municipal bus service tries to serve too many small stops, resulting in it being too slow for all but the poor and drunk to ride. Let's see ridesharing as a supplement to a transit system that runs fast enough for riders who get transported to and from the stops on it to actually want to use it.
The legislature didn't circumvent anything. They wielded the constitutional authority they have to regulate you as a subordinate political entity. If you want the sort of autonomy the states have against the federal government, then put forth a draft proposal for a state constitution that provides it.
Why do they call it a "hustle" in their ads anyway? "Hustle" is more commonly used to refer to a scam than to legitimate moonlighting.
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
You've never been to Houston, have you? I ask that because people who live here know it's a shit hole.
You are welcome on my lawn.
That's totally bananas!
Bananas!
"You should never doubt what nobody is sure about." -- Willy Wonka
What's a "taxi mafia"? Is that like... a mix of Taxi Driver with The Godfather?
Uber might have its "flaws" -- insignificant crimes, disrespect for the law and other illegal activity -- but at least it's not a mafi-- wait.
Waiiiit.
Illegal activity... That's what the mafia does! But the mafia does it in an organized fashion... Like a corporation. But they do it while operating above the law.
And Uber doesn't operate above the law. It just changes the law. Like in a South America banana republic. The Uber States of America banana republic.
But really, you guys, it's the taxi mafia! They're out to get us! RUN! With your feet! Because Uber is just as shitty, if not shittier, than getting a cab!
"You should never doubt what nobody is sure about." -- Willy Wonka
It would be trivial to implement a municipal transit service that works just like Uber. Trivial. Cities complain about lack of revenue and then throw away millions of dollars of the easiest revenue possible to private companies.
Uh, it is definitely a red state despite your wetdreams. Statewide, Trump got 53% of the vote compared to Clinton's 42%.
It certainly is, but the young are far bluer in each generation, due to improved access to information. They've grown up around things like out-of-the-closet homosexuals and even if they are still opposed to the whole idea, they've seen first hand that it doesn't lead to the end of civilization as we know it. That's changing things despite your wetdreams.
Of course, their board of education continues to attempt to compromise education sufficiently to preserve the state's redness, and that really has slowed down progress, but they can't prevent it forever. For one thing, there's just too much money in Texas. They actually have something to lose.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I'm pro free market, and pro-uber, but I'm opposed to bigger governments having the authority to override local governments.
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
a government service is not a monopoly ffs because it is accountable to voters
Bwaaahaahaahaa!!
Yeah, "accountable" like the NSA, CIA, FBI, DoJ, IRS (hi Lois!), the Veterans Administration, etc etc etc.
How many in the NSA have been or likely will be held accountable for withholding vital information about critical vulnerabilities in essential US infrastructure?
And you expect accountability in a government-run taxi service!? Are you insane!?
Government is not the solution, government is the problem. It's the reason the current taxi system sucks so bad that Uber and Lyft have a viable market in the first place.
Strat
Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
Oh. I see. They only love it when the Federal Government is instituting something they disagree with. Then it's all "States' rights!" and "Founding fathers!" But when it comes to conservatives imposing their will, they don't give a shit about the will of local political majorities.
How convenient for them.
/. cut off (shortened) my title without any indication while writing it. It was:
But. But. But I thought conservatives LOVE/cherish local control.
I wish one could edit posts as can be done in other comment systems.
When it comes to the federal government, states should have more power. When it comes to local government, states should have more power. This seems perfectly straightforward, consistent, and exactly what any reasonable person would expect a state government to believe. Why are you confused?
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Yes. The ad is intentionally misleading, in that it is the drivers who are being hustled by Uber.
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
Which fails to address the main issue one iota: Why can't the companies even (be) bother(ed) to identify the drivers for the sake of safety?
The shortsightedness of the average tech moron is astounding to observe. Then again, it's not like long hours in front of a computer offer any perspective on life at large...
Except that can't either because it costs too much. Hint that's what Uber is after government subsidies....
Maybe there's a clue in the first word of "States' Rights".
Austin is a drop of Liberal society in a sea of rednecks and is surely better able to govern itself than a bunch of hicks representing other areas.
Ah, a bigot.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Having had a close-up look over the past year, I can attest that all of Texas is a shit hole
Please spread the word to all your friends in California!
I don't think you have to worry. Nobody who lives in California wants to move to Texas.
You are welcome on my lawn.
As anybody with even a slight familiarity with Uber and Lyft knows, this argument about criminal checks vs fingerprinting is really about illegals trying to earn a living.
Illegal immigrants and people on student and tourist visas with no U.S. work permit go to Uber, undergo a "criminal check"and drive for a living. A criminal check finds nothing because the person has no record at all. A fingerprint check to NCIS would show the person doesn't match the ID or is a visa-overstayer.
None of these companies use the Federal secure ID system to see if the prospective "contractor" has a right to work in the U.S. They already know the answer. Cheap illegal labor is at the core of the Uber business model.
Either the Texas legislature is full of really dumb people or they are the usual country club Republicans who want cheap, docile servants. I live in Texas. They may be lazy but they aren't dumb. Illegal are dirt cheap and don't talk back like American Blacks do.
If Uber had to depend on American drivers they would be so short of drivers they would have to raise driver payments and prices- which would drive them out of business in short order..
For the record I know people working for Uber on the "sign up new drivers" end and they live on bonuses and commissions. They know the score and that the drivers are not legally allowed to contract with Uber. This is just like the Wells Fargo scandal- employees are given financial incentives to get results and management looks the other way.
Also the number of Uber "drivers" who seem to be working 23 hours/day would suggest they are "hot bunking" the cars and IDs- three guys using one car and one ID.
This is a scam. Yo, Justice Department; subpoena the "criminal check" records from Uber in one city as a test and see how many of the drivers are using real names and are here working legally. Then use the usual conspiracy charges to work your way up the Uber chain to see how far the scam goes.
by mega corps. That's what "Small enough to drown in a bathtub" means. It's why it took our Federal Government stepping in to make the Civil Rights movement happen.
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to understand there's a difference between socialism and fascism. There might be hope for you yet kiddo.
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Corporations can also be problematic, often times FAR more problematic. Things like regulatory capture are at their root corporate corruption, not government corruption. In any event, approaching the question of whether government or corporate control over some resource and/or market from a dogmatic "government is the problem!" attitude betrays ideology, not intellect.
Are there any government regulations prohibiting innovation in the taxi market? Then what is your basis for making the claim that "government is the reason the taxi system sucks"?
This comment is my opinion and does not represent an official position of Donald Trump or others I do not work for