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Prop 22 is not a problem created by Uber, it's a response to the problem created by the legislature through AB5. They passed a bill that would effectively hamst

Prop 22 is not a problem created by Uber, it's a response to the problem created by the legislature through AB5. They passed a bill that would effectively hamstring rideshare companies and other independent contractors while providing carve-outs for 50+ other businesses, and these companies are now using the process to pass a proposition that will undo this. Of course they are trying to do it in a way that maximally benefits them, but it needs to be borne in mind that they did not make the first blow. The assembly did. Both Assembly Bills and Ballot Propositions are a part of California's legislative framework. In fact Ballot Propositions are the purest expression of the will of the people, and hence supersede legislative action. Given how extensive lobbying is in the US, it's not like assembly bills are pure and unsullied while Prop 22 is tainted by Uber's blood money. The problem in America is that instead of the government providing safety nets, affordable healthcare etc. to all its citizens, it forces these things onto an employer-employee relationship, with no regard for financial fundamentals. CA is a giant state with no realistic public transport options for the vast majority of its population. Services like Uber and Lyft aren't merely 'luxuries' for its people, they provide a necessary service for many of them, without which their lives would not merely be inconvenienced but often be drastically affected. It's just not possible for Uber to be profitable while being affordable to a similar number of people and treating all its drivers as employees. The second and third order effects of these are all negative for the people of California. Employment law should be about removing highly coercive situations, but other than that, adults should be allowed to provide a service in return of a payment without getting embroiled in byzantine regulatory requirements.

salamimonger 6y ago
>CA is a giant state with no realistic public transport options for the vast majority of its population. Services like Uber and Lyft aren't merely 'luxuries' for its people, they provide a necessary service for many of them, without which their lives would not merely be inconvenienced but often be drastically affected. Agreed. I am from LA and as a poor person, for the majority of my life (when I am on my own and without friends/family), my only choice was to walk or take the bus to places. When Uber came along, the idea of paying less than $10 to get a ride completely changed the game for people like me. Now we can actually be on time to important appointments that are too far off to walk or take public transportation reliably. And if we are running late, that's less than $10 to get to work on time, which is arguably worth it even if you were working the shittiest minimum wage job in CA, since minimum wage here is above $10. For us poor folk without cars and the money to pay for car insurance, the ability to call an Uber gave us freedom and choice beyond walking, cycling, and public transpo, which are a joke in a lot of situations - without having to rely on the good will of family and friends.

salamimonger 6y ago

>CA is a giant state with no realistic public transport options for the vast majority of its population. Services like Uber and Lyft aren't merely 'luxuries' for its people, they provide a necessary service for many of them, without which their lives would not merely be inconvenienced but often be drastically affected. Agreed. I am from LA and as a poor person, for the majority of my life (when I am on my own and without friends/family), my only choice was to walk or take the bus to places. When Uber came along, the idea of paying less than $10 to get a ride completely changed the game for people like me. Now we can actually be on time to important appointments that are too far off to walk or take public transportation reliably. And if we are running late, that's less than $10 to get to work on time, which is arguably worth it even if you were working the shittiest minimum wage job in CA, since minimum wage here is above $10. For us poor folk without cars and the money to pay for car insurance, the ability to call an Uber gave us freedom and choice beyond walking, cycling, and public transpo, which are a joke in a lot of situations - without having to rely on the good will of family and friends.