Uber Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees, Labor Board Says

Post by torstenvl » Thu, May 16, 2019, 9:28 PM UTC

gwright wrote: post #348

torstenvl wrote: post #342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All government policies are redistributive. Capping payroll taxes is redistributive. A lower income tax rate for capital gains is redistributive. Limiting recovery for wrongdoing is redistributive. Limiting "lemon laws" to a small number of days and only for brand new cars is redistributive. Corporate liability shields are redistributive. Establishing slavery was redistributive, and abolishing it was redistributive.…

I'm having a hard time parsing your comment. You seem to be equating "redistributing wealth" with "any government action". It is certainly true that almost any government action changes something and thus can affect the economy in general but that doesn't mean those two phrases are interchangeable. For me, your formulation is just confusing. You are also throwing up a straw-man argument of "unfettered capitalism". Ad…

Post by gwright » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:30 AM UTC

torstenvl wrote: post #351

gwright wrote: post #348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm having a hard time parsing your comment. You seem to be equating "redistributing wealth" with "any government action". It is certainly true that almost any government action changes something and thus can affect the economy in general but that doesn't mean those two phrases are interchangeable. For me, your formulation is just confusing. You are also throwing up a straw-man argument of "unfettered capitalism". Ad…

It's not a particularly subtle or difficult point. Every time the government touches anything having to do with money, it has a redistributive effect. For example, if the government limits who has standing to sue under environmental statutes, and decreases enforcement, it redistributes wealth from the poor who were using a natural resource to any company that may have polluted or depleted it. The comment to which I w…

Post by gwright » Fri, May 17, 2019, 12:51 PM UTC

whack wrote: post #354

gwright wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think there is some ambiguity here as to whether you are defending redistribution as a means to an end or as an end unto itself. To clarify, if you assert that a proper role of government is to provide a basic safety net for all citizens, then you could follow that up with the idea that some revenue is required to meet that goal and that might include "forced sharing" -- taxes of some sort. On the other hand if you…

"Providing a safety net for all citizens" is really just wealth redistribution. So too is progressive taxation (as opposed to flat taxes), which is something you're presumably in favor of.

Post by Jommi » Sat, May 18, 2019, 4:55 PM UTC

standardUser wrote: post #320

paxys wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure where you are getting your data from. They are still cheaper and more reliable than taxis pretty much everywhere.

I am getting my data from paying for taxis, Ubers and Lyfts on a regular basis. Of course rideshares are more reliable - and better across pretty much every possible metric! - but they are no longer cheaper across the board in the metro areas I have used them. Sometimes they are cheaper, sometimes they cost more, and in both cases we are now expected to tip.