Mayor de Blasio is in California this week trying to raise funds from tech industry bigwigs, but nefarious cab company Uber is trying to sabotage his efforts because he won’t let it do whatever it wants. Crain’s reports that due to de Blasio’s support of Taxi and Limousine Commission’s recommendation that car-hailing apps be regulated, which would allow the struggling taxi industry to compete with Uber, tech titans are lobbying against de Blasio, saying that he hypocritically claims to support innovation while stifling it in practice.
Julie Samuels, executive director of Engine, a tech industry lobbying group, told Crain’s,
“It appears the administration is talking out of both sides of its mouth here—on the one hand, courting the tech and startup community while on the other sending a strong message that that community is not welcome here in New York,” Ms. Samuels said in an email. “It’s really a shame, because New York has made such great strides bringing startups here, but policies like this proposed TLC rule will only have the opposite effect.”
Tech industry press outlets like Crain’s, Quartz, and Business Insider have all criticized de Blasio for supporting the taxi industry, from which he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, giving tech companies platforms to push their agendas. This writer, however, supports neither Uber nor yellow cabs and endorses a combination of public transportation and biking. #BanCars.
(Photo: Kenny Louie)
