In New York City and other jurisdictions dominated by the paleo-Left, Uber and other ride-hailing services have presented the question: “How do we shoehorn these new technologies and business models into our existing monopolistic regulatory regime?” You put Sandinista Bill in charge of things, and that’s the kind of third-rate thinking you get.
The town fathers in Sarasota, Fla., should be congratulated for understanding that the real question is the reverse, and acting accordingly:
Sarasota city commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to abandon their months-long quest to regulate ride-hailing services such as Uber and, at the same time, decided to strip existing regulations on taxicabs, in a surprise move that animated a standing-room only crowd.
In Australia this week, there’s a taxi strike to protest Uber; if the taxi monopolists had any brains in their heads, they’d be having a sale instead of a strike.
In any case: Well done, Sarasota.
For a whole lot more on Uber et al., plus an awesome piece of classic National Review cover art, see here.