Money Can't Buy It
Money Can't Buy It
At least not always, not yet.
Funny how disruptive businesses hate any type of regulation, ain't it?
Originally shared by M Sinclair Stevens
Politics: Austin Citizens Slap Uber and Lyft
I wake up completely surprised by this turn of events. We Austin voters have defeated Proposition 1 which let Uber and Lyft write their own rules about regulating themselves.
The companies poured millions of dollars into influencing the electorate and, perhaps, in the end the very hard sell was what began to make people suspicious: they are the Walmart of this generation.
"It was spending on a scale that had never been seen in Austin politics, as Uber and Lyft singlehandedly funded the pro-Prop 1 campaign group, Ridesharing Works for Austin, to the tune of $8.6 million, campaign finance reports showed. That’s more than seven times the previous record of $1.2 million, which was set by Adler in his 2014 mayoral campaign."
“You can elect governors in other states for that much money,” Butts said. “We set an example for the rest of the nation: Stand up to these guys.”
"Butt’s anti-Prop 1 campaign, which raised less than $200,000, was outspent nearly 50 to 1."
"On average, Uber and Lyft spent $223.15 for each of the 38,539 votes they received."
After the city passed regulation for Uber and Lyft last fall, the companies campaigned hard to get enough signatures to force the proposition on a ballot. For weeks, one couldn't walk around Austin without being accosted by homeless men, not asking for change, but pushing the petition in one's face.
After the Proposition got on the ballot, the onslaught increased. Daily I'd get glossy flyers in the mail telling me that the City's regulations were no better or no more stringent (that is no more able to protect consumers) than the companies' own.
If that were so, why were they spending millions to overturn those regulations? Hmmm
Then the attack changed to a warning cry of "government takeover". But perhaps the other citizens of Austin, like myself, are more suspicious of corporate malfeasance than government oversight...we being the government, the government of the people.
Finally, we got the big crybaby act. If you don't let us write our own rules, then we're going to leave Austin. We'll show you. We're going to make an example of you.
Well, goodbye then. And no tears shed. I'm sure in this land of startups and venture capitalists that there are many ready to take your place in the hole you'll leave in the market.
It must be a pretty good market if you'd spend millions of dollars on this election.
Unfortunately for Austin, the companies are already off to the capitol. Once again, as so frequently happens in Texas, local governance will be wrested away by the state
At least not always, not yet.
Funny how disruptive businesses hate any type of regulation, ain't it?
Originally shared by M Sinclair Stevens
Politics: Austin Citizens Slap Uber and Lyft
I wake up completely surprised by this turn of events. We Austin voters have defeated Proposition 1 which let Uber and Lyft write their own rules about regulating themselves.
The companies poured millions of dollars into influencing the electorate and, perhaps, in the end the very hard sell was what began to make people suspicious: they are the Walmart of this generation.
"It was spending on a scale that had never been seen in Austin politics, as Uber and Lyft singlehandedly funded the pro-Prop 1 campaign group, Ridesharing Works for Austin, to the tune of $8.6 million, campaign finance reports showed. That’s more than seven times the previous record of $1.2 million, which was set by Adler in his 2014 mayoral campaign."
“You can elect governors in other states for that much money,” Butts said. “We set an example for the rest of the nation: Stand up to these guys.”
"Butt’s anti-Prop 1 campaign, which raised less than $200,000, was outspent nearly 50 to 1."
"On average, Uber and Lyft spent $223.15 for each of the 38,539 votes they received."
After the city passed regulation for Uber and Lyft last fall, the companies campaigned hard to get enough signatures to force the proposition on a ballot. For weeks, one couldn't walk around Austin without being accosted by homeless men, not asking for change, but pushing the petition in one's face.
After the Proposition got on the ballot, the onslaught increased. Daily I'd get glossy flyers in the mail telling me that the City's regulations were no better or no more stringent (that is no more able to protect consumers) than the companies' own.
If that were so, why were they spending millions to overturn those regulations? Hmmm
Then the attack changed to a warning cry of "government takeover". But perhaps the other citizens of Austin, like myself, are more suspicious of corporate malfeasance than government oversight...we being the government, the government of the people.
Finally, we got the big crybaby act. If you don't let us write our own rules, then we're going to leave Austin. We'll show you. We're going to make an example of you.
Well, goodbye then. And no tears shed. I'm sure in this land of startups and venture capitalists that there are many ready to take your place in the hole you'll leave in the market.
It must be a pretty good market if you'd spend millions of dollars on this election.
Unfortunately for Austin, the companies are already off to the capitol. Once again, as so frequently happens in Texas, local governance will be wrested away by the state
I wonder how many of the city's voters in the last ten years have taken a cab - and if the ballots reflected those choices. Of course, the last paragraph can easily be adjusted to reflect federal control of the states and communities. I'm not sure money buys one's brains (or vote) as much as societal pressure with the accompanying media circus - whether local or national.
ReplyDeletethey love the high prices cabs charge, so you don't blame them.
ReplyDelete