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Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

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Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#551
post #394

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>I live in Austin and sometimes I think if I really need a major procedure it would be just simpler to drive to Mexico it is amazing what a Free market would bring right? Instead in the US we have this flawed belief that more government is what we need to solve healthcare never understanding that Government is the source of the problem

So, what should be free market? Maybe we should get rid of army and hire mercenaries? FBI, police, taxes, what else can be replaced?

I dont think you really want me to answer that question...

That said..

>> taxes

This can never be free market, and some taxes (aka income taxes) is just unethical theft

> FBI, police

Should be funded in a variety of ways but absolutely could be privatized

https://reason.com/video/dont-abolish-the-police-privatize-t...

> Maybe we should get rid of army and hire mercenaries?

That is a little more tricky and would require an analysis of what we think the proper role of the military would be, but there are several proposals that replace the standing army (which is unconstitutional anyway) with something like the national guard controlled by individual states not the federal government

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#552

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would be a positive force as it would reduce overcrowding of the local market and ensure work and pay for drivers. The Uber and Lyft driver pool is too large for reasonable pay for demand by nature. Something really important in an economy, is security of work and pay. For those who are on the schedule they can depend on their job to be able to live. For those who would not be on the schedule (due to demand) Tha…

And yet, Uber and Lyft have reduced drunk driving rates, provided mobility to thousands of people who otherwise may not have it, and generally made life easier for millions, if not billions, of people around the world. It's almost like one can enrich themselves while helping others.

Nothing is stopping a regulated Uber/Lyft from doing this without underpaying workers. Minimum wage laws exist for a reason, after standard IRS tax deductions Uber and Lyft pay WAY under minimum wage.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#553

We had this same thing happen in Austin when Uber and Lyft pulled out after having a hissy fit about fingerprinting and background checks and not parking in the bus lanes. As soon as they pulled out half a dozen alternatives sprung up that paid better (I always used Ride Austin, a not-for-profit). If you're a rider just take the bus, bike, or get any other cab service (seriously, they all have apps now and they maint…

This could not be further from the truth. As someone who was driving full-time in Austin when this happened, I can absolutely say this hurt both the drivers and the passengers.

The apps were extremely buggy for both drivers and passengers causing missed rides, multiple drivers showing up to the same rider, etc. Fasten paid the best, but it still would only be marginally better if not the exact same as I was making with Uber or Lyft.

As far as what happened in Austin, there were absolutely no good replacements and us drivers (at least the ones I talked to) were very happy when they returned.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#554

We had this same thing happen in Austin when Uber and Lyft pulled out after having a hissy fit about fingerprinting and background checks and not parking in the bus lanes. As soon as they pulled out half a dozen alternatives sprung up that paid better (I always used Ride Austin, a not-for-profit). If you're a rider just take the bus, bike, or get any other cab service (seriously, they all have apps now and they maint…

Your comparison makes no sense.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#555

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I live in Austin and sometimes I think if I really need a major procedure it would be just simpler to drive to Mexico and get it done there. This even has a name: Medical Tourism.

I wonder if medical tourism provides a capitalist solution to the healthcare problem in the US. Could it be cheaper for a health insurance company to pay for flights to and from other countries along with procedures in those countries? There are a lot of non-emergency medical issues which can be serviced this way. In the long run, such insurance would drive down the price of traditional health insurance as well as th…

This employer is already doing that (and pays some of the savings out to the employee/patient)...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/business/medical-tourism-...

Though, I'm not convinced that's the "correct" solution from a broad societal perspective.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#556
post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's an anti-moonlight clause, I think it's saying that you can't do what many drivers do now, which is sign on to both apps and wait for a ride to come in, then sign out of the one you're not serving. If you're an employee on the clock, you can't be on the clock for two different organizations at the same time.

>you can't be on the clock for two different companies at the same time I mean, I don't see why not. Would create some inefficiencies. But I don't think there is a law against that.

Can you expand on how that would work? Would you get minimum wage from each one?

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#557

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Ridesharing' (Which is a hilarious term for the simple fact that the ride is not being shared, the driver is not intending to go to your favorite bar. ) isn't a 21st century situation or solution. It's not a profitable or a good force in an economy, it does not pay a reasonable wage for anyone to live on, it is not environmentally friendly unless done in large quantities of people,(which is called a bus). Ridesharin…

> it does not pay a reasonable wage for anyone to live on, Why is the purpose of a wage to live on? Many uber drivers drive part time for fun or extra pocket change. The existence of thousands of uber drivers -- who in my experience, have all been quite reasonable, nice people -- seem to directly contradict your claim that it does not pay a 'reasonable wage'. Clearly, it does for those invested parties.

What about this example? 'Driving For Uber, Sleeping In Her Car' (VICE News): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9abrZwnPThE

> The existence of thousands of uber drivers -- who in my experience, have all been quite reasonable, nice people -- seem to directly contradict your claim that it does not pay a 'reasonable wage'. Clearly, it does for those invested parties.

Maybe we can leave it up to the academic researchers and labor rights organizations? Why do you make a claim and link to no sources, please could you provide your sources?

Here are some sources I found:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/11/precariat-global-clas...

https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/gig-economy/2016/08/25/for...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/29/gig-economy...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/aug/31/the-new-resist...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/20/high-score-...

> Why is the purpose of a wage to live on?

This isn't a serious question is it?

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#558
post #479

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a 3rd classification isn't enough. employment is a spectrum just like gender and policies need to reflect that. politicians are so stuck in the old binary way of thinking

Please don't do this here.

Do what?

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#559
post #49

The move seems to be specifically in response to the recent court order: > Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman ruled Monday [August 10, 2020] that Lyft and Uber's thousands of contract drivers should be given the same protections and benefits under labor law as other employees of the ride-hailing companies. > The judge said Uber and Lyft have refused to comply with a California law passed last year that was supposed…

Interesting how cities are being allowed to violate the same by not holding their own taxi services into account[0] that they regulate thereby letting them skirt the law. This is likely because these companies tend to put good money into local political campaigns. This law is impacting people outside of Uber and Lyft but those two are highlighted because it thwarted the lock down many municipalities had over cab comp…

This is what I don't get about the outrage against Uber/Lyft. Where is the outrage against regular taxi companies? They were using contractors long before and still are. Not to mention the corrupt medallion systems.

Re: Rideshare operations are being suspended in California

#560

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone in the USA can walk into an emergency room to get treatment - the public is paying for that through high hospital fees and direct subsidies. Instead of waiting for someone with the flu to develop pneumonia and go to the ER because he can't breath, it'd be much cheaper to subsidize his visit to a primary care physician that he can go to before he needs a hospital. To relate a personal experience, I have a relat…

Okay, so it looks like I didn't actually miss anything in your arguments. I think it's fair of you to point out that there are certain scenarios in which healthcare is not paid for by the person getting it and everyone else ends up paying for it indirectly. I also think it's fair of you to point out that it's handled in such a way that it creates a byzantine system that ends up costing us all a lot more than it shoul…

It would have been more accurate if I had said "voters in the US are paying more than what it would cost to provide healthcare for all".

But the point remains -- voters don't want to pay for it, but they are already paying for it, many just don't realize it because when they pay $500/month for healthcare insurance, they don't see the $900 that their employer is paying or the public subsidies to hospitals.

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