Uber, but for GOP hypocrisy
Andrew Moylan, the executive director of the R Street Institute—a conservative think tank that works extensively on issues involving transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft—said that since the RNC rolled out its pro-Uber rallying cry, there’s been no discernible change in how the party’s legislators have handled policymaking on their issues.
“There hasn’t been any consistent ideological trend that we’ve been able to identify just yet,” he said.
He added that there’s a broad national policy trend of tightening rideshare regulations for customer safety purposes—for instance, mandating driver background checks and barring these companies from hiring sex offenders…
…One bill would have made Uber drivers get the same licenses as limousine drivers, a standard Moylan described as “problematic.” Republican state Sen. Rick Jones expressed concern about surge pricing; Michigan Daily reported that the state’s taxicab drivers think it’s unfair that Uber can charge extra when demand is high, but they can’t.
…R Street has a scorecard that rates cities on their transportation policies (www.ridescore.org), and Moylan pointed out that the comparative blueness or redness of a city doesn’t say much about its rideshare-friendliness.
Washington D.C. and Minneapolis, bastions of liberal policymaking, both get A’s.
But even-more liberal Portland, Ore., gets an F.
Indianapolis, a comparatively red city, gets good marks, while oil-rich San Antonio gets a sad D-.
There’s one dot of light for the RNC and rideshare advocates: Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin signed legislation this month implementing statewide regulations that Uber and co. don’t seem to hate.
Moylan noted that Walker is following a few other governors in passing statewide regulations that preempt city and municipal rules.
…Uber advocates aren’t complaining about the RNC trying to reach kids by talking up transportation policy. But Moylan added that their stance hasn’t had discernible policy results.
“As an effort, I think it was largely an email list building exercise,” he said.
