4 ms·

Or pulling up the ladder. Either way, it’s a very common tactic, and undoubtedly part of the motivation.

Spooky23 6y ago
It’s also a defensive play. If Trump loses, companies like Uber will be facing a regulatory reckoning for things like unemployment insurance. (Some states are paying gig workers UI or pandemic relief) Better to control the narrative than just wait.
- toyg 6y ago
  > If Trump loses, companies like Uber will be facing a regulatory reckoning for things like unemployment insurance. That's... wishful thinking. Such a reckoning will certainly not come under Trump, I agree; but it's not a given that it will happen under Biden. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that it will not, at least for the first 4 years.
- LunaSea 6y ago
  Right, because there was no Democrat president before.
  - Spooky23 6y ago
    Inform yourself before engaging in snark. It's not a democratic/republican issue. It's a current POTUS vs. responsible leader issue. The problem that we're facing are novel. To my knowledge, the US has never used unemployment to provide benefits to non-employees. UI is an insurance based program and always has been -- the business model is to loan money to the state programs during an uptick, which then gets recovered through UI premiums. Chances are, changes are coming that will erode the free ride that "employers" of Uber have been enjoying. The states are broke and facing big increases of UI premiums. Once the door opens, it's hard to close. People will start looking at things and asking awkward questions about things like Medicaid and SNAP expenses associated with gig workers, etc.
    - engineer_22 6y ago
      I think Parent's comment still stands. Obama did not make UI for gig workers a priority either. I agree there are some changes that need to be made. Government response to pandemic economic crisis has been "print money!". But how that money trickles down right now appears to be through the Robin Hood app!

It’s also a defensive play. If Trump loses, companies like Uber will be facing a regulatory reckoning for things like unemployment insurance. (Some states are paying gig workers UI or pandemic relief) Better to control the narrative than just wait.

toyg 6y ago
> If Trump loses, companies like Uber will be facing a regulatory reckoning for things like unemployment insurance. That's... wishful thinking. Such a reckoning will certainly not come under Trump, I agree; but it's not a given that it will happen under Biden. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that it will not, at least for the first 4 years.
LunaSea 6y ago
Right, because there was no Democrat president before.
- Spooky23 6y ago
  Inform yourself before engaging in snark. It's not a democratic/republican issue. It's a current POTUS vs. responsible leader issue. The problem that we're facing are novel. To my knowledge, the US has never used unemployment to provide benefits to non-employees. UI is an insurance based program and always has been -- the business model is to loan money to the state programs during an uptick, which then gets recovered through UI premiums. Chances are, changes are coming that will erode the free ride that "employers" of Uber have been enjoying. The states are broke and facing big increases of UI premiums. Once the door opens, it's hard to close. People will start looking at things and asking awkward questions about things like Medicaid and SNAP expenses associated with gig workers, etc.
  - engineer_22 6y ago
    I think Parent's comment still stands. Obama did not make UI for gig workers a priority either. I agree there are some changes that need to be made. Government response to pandemic economic crisis has been "print money!". But how that money trickles down right now appears to be through the Robin Hood app!