Re:California Labor Bill, Near Passage, Is Blow to Uber and ...
by cletus on Tuesday September 10, 2019 @11:40AM
(#20929407)
If we really cared about traffic in NYC we'd stop subsidizing private vehicle ownership by giving away half the street space to free parking.
Likewise, the proposed congestion pricing schemes in Manhattan should be punitively taxing private vehicle ownership, not taxis of the equivalent.
Re:California Labor Bill, Near Passage, Is Blow to Uber and ...
by ctoth on Tuesday September 10, 2019 @11:32AM
(#20929316)
"reduces traffic" is an interesting way to say that as a sighted person you can drive your own car whenever you want where ever you want, but as a blind person I will have to have my possible transportation options externally limited.
Re:California Labor Bill, Near Passage, Is Blow to Uber and ...
by heliodor on Tuesday September 10, 2019 @10:41AM
(#20928742)
Trade is an essential ingredient for a functioning society. Just because quantity is fixed and prices are high shouldn't mean the solution to the negative side effects is to just do away with the whole thing.
As a thought exercise, what should we do about land ownership? Should we have quotas and a lottery system as you suggest is appropriate in such scenarios of fixed inventory and high prices?
The worst part of the medallion system were the title transfers. Quotas and a fair lottery system can be ok, and can even be in the public interest to reduce traffic. However, letting the medallions go to auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars creates perverse incentives that squeezes small players out of the market or force them into crippling debt.