Katy Grimes wrote a great piece about the attack on free market transportation over on Flash Report today:
This free market response to the heavily regulated, unionized and expensive taxi and shuttle industry, is brilliant. Uber, Sidecar and Lyft work beautifully, and usually flawlessly, unlike unreliable shuttle services, and sometimes hostile and unscrupulous taxi drivers. And it is significantly less expensive.
Some in the media have said consumers only care about the immediacy and convenience of the quick, easy-to-order rideshare car services, and not about who is driving, or if they have insurance.
Nothing could be further from the truth, according to the hundreds of California Uber, Sidecar and Lyft users I’ve talked to recently. Single women, married couples, older couples, college students, and couples on dates, say they love Uber because they feel safer knowing ahead who is coming to pick them up, and appreciate the ability to make the payment transaction, ahead of the ride using a credit or debit card, instead of cash.
Sprung out of the heavily regulated and very expensive, unionized cab and shuttle service industry, these new rideshare car services are the ultimate expression of a free market solution and innovation.
Grimes goes on to scold Republicans who voted WITH the taxi-cab cartel and against free market principles:
Being the party of less government, and full of free marketers, Republicans should own this issue. However, too many in the Legislature are supporting anti-rideshare bills AB 2293, and AB 612, would require ride-sharing companies to abide by extensive new regulations, and be the end of the innovative ride-share industry.
In San Diego, Senators Anderson and Wyland stood up for freedom. Every other legislator, including the usually conservative Brian Jones, and Diane Harkey, voted for the taxi-cab cartel and against freedom. That’s disappointing.