SC

Uber Showdown In SC

LEGISLATION TO BE DEBATED AS GOVERNMENT DEADLINE DRAWS CLOSER …  || By FITSNEWS || A South Carolina legislative subcommittee will meet next week to debate Uber – the ride-sharing service this website has praised as representing “the very best of technological innovation, free market principles and environmental stewardship.” Founded in…

LEGISLATION TO BE DEBATED AS GOVERNMENT DEADLINE DRAWS CLOSER … 

|| By FITSNEWS || A South Carolina legislative subcommittee will meet next week to debate Uber – the ride-sharing service this website has praised as representing “the very best of technological innovation, free market principles and environmental stewardship.”

Founded in San Francisco in 2009, Uber recently launched in Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, S.C. – prompting the state’s Office of Regulatory Staff to launch a full-fledged war against the service.  Not only that, they launched an espionage effort seeking to infiltrate the service’s recruiting efforts.

“Spy state” much?

More troublingly, the S.C. Public Service Commission (PSC) ruled Uber was not allowed to conduct business in the Palmetto State – although it later “stayed” this unjust order pending the passage of legislation regulating the service.

That stay runs out this summer, though … meaning if lawmakers don’t agree on rules for Uber, the government ban would resume.

Sheesh …

How sad – yet how typical.  Here’s a private sector innovation providing a needed service to people and putting some extra money in drivers’ pockets.  Yet rather than embrace it – and its positive impact on our consumer economy – state leaders want to kill it (while simultaneously working to raise gas taxes).

Seriously … motorists don’t stand a chance in this state!

Government has no right to interfere in private transactions like this – no right whatsoever.  If a motorist wishes to use his or her vehicle as a taxi, that should be entirely up to them.  And this arbitrary deadline imposed by the PSC?  They had no right to block Uber in the first place – so why should they be allowed to hold service providers and users hostage like this?

Government is forcing the company to negotiate with a gun to its head … hoping to extract maximum concessions on behalf of itself and special interests like State Farm Insurance, which is lobbying hard against Uber.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: South Carolina has everything it needs to be competitive – abundant resources, natural beauty and hard-working (if not especially bright) people.

But as long as our state’s leaders insist on strangling – not supporting – our free market, then South Carolina will continue leading the nation in everything bad and bringing up the rear in everything good.

Anyway … for more information on next week’s Uber hearing (including those state lawmakers who will be rendering judgment on the issue), click the link below …

UBER HEARING (.PDF)

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25 comments

well-i-am into it March 13, 2015 at 1:45 pm

It is astounding that in this country it is right now almost impossible for a common man to monetize any service without the government jumping in with regulations and pricing out the common man. It was not like that when I was growing up. There was a sense of respect for citizens and and understanding that common folks need to make money to maintain a decent living and to climb out of poverty and up the ladder towards the great American dream….and not to have to go through the government and greedy investors who see an opportunity in an emerging market to make big bucks for themselves. After all, didnt UBER start as a disruptive technology/service? We all heard or obtaining permits to sell lemonade, didnt we? Jesus Christ! what is our country coming to?

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idcydm March 13, 2015 at 2:02 pm

Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms. ~ Aristotle

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Misstate March 13, 2015 at 2:39 pm

Common Man?? Uber has raised 1.2 billion dollars with a “B”
I think they will be just fine….
But common they are not.

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Think of the trust fund kids! March 13, 2015 at 3:45 pm

If Uber has to be regulated like their competition some multimillionaire will have to downsize on their dream mansion!

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Mr. Envious March 13, 2015 at 6:36 pm

I prefer to spend more on taxis rather than see someone become filthy rich by undercutting them.

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Former ORS Emplpyee March 13, 2015 at 2:00 pm

ORS is one of the most secretive and corrupt of any state agency in South Carolina. They actively set out to quash anyone trying to make money if it would cut into the business of one of their friends. The ORS employee, Dawn Hipp, who waged war on Uber would entrap drivers regularly and write them tickets.

You think ORS actions on Uber were inexcusable? Dawn has her interns scour craigslist looking for people offering their services as movers. They were then issued warnings to stop! If they didn’t they were also given tickets. Too bad for college kids trying to make an extra buck with their pick-up tricks, transporting used couches across town.

All of this happens with the blessings of the agency head, Dukes Scott. ORS needs to be put under the magnifying glass! Ethical violations abound there!

I would hope Governor Haley would remove Dukes immediately given the embarrassment his agency had caused for South Carolina!

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Whaaaaat? March 13, 2015 at 2:25 pm

Hey, I give Ms. Hipp bonus points for being able to understand anything that comes out of Dukes Scott’s mouth!

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FastEddy23 March 13, 2015 at 8:16 pm

Good show! A whistleblower comes out … !

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Ed March 13, 2015 at 2:49 pm

Seriously, can someone explain to me the difference between Uber and taxi cabs as to why one should be regulated so heavily by the government and the other should not.

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Former ORS Employee March 13, 2015 at 2:56 pm

Ed, Dawn Hipp would be more than happy to tell you the difference. Her office phone is 803-737-0814

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sparklecity March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm

From what I understand Uber drivers may or may not be isnured to haul someone or something.
if the far right insists that bicycle riders on public roads should be insured than Uber drivers should carry commercial insurance and chauffer’s license

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Its bad if Haley wants it March 13, 2015 at 4:32 pm

I’ll be honest. I don’t know much Uber. I do know that if Haley is for it, i’m against it. Because, it obviously has nothing to do with benefiting SC’s residents, but rather lining some CEOs pockets.

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You're a Dumbass March 13, 2015 at 6:58 pm

Hey dumbass, YOU could benefit from Uber in your free time by providing rides to people. Have you ever been to Atlanta or some other exotic, far away town? They have Uber and it’s great.

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Mhorger March 13, 2015 at 7:11 pm

There is safety involved. Look at the news reports, kidnapping, dui, felons who made it through Uber background checks, Uber drivers bashing passengers with hammers, 6 yo girl killed by an Uber driver “Uber wouldn’t pay out by the way”. Yeah, the regs are there for a reason.

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Its bad if Haley wants it March 13, 2015 at 8:18 pm

Atlanta and other far away towns have a lot of shit that’s great, we could have and we dont. Your point??

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Protect me Uncle! March 13, 2015 at 5:04 pm

If gov’t doesn’t get their piece of the action, they put you out of business.

All gov’t to do is say it’s about “safety” and the sheeple fall in line and the agency can do whatever it wants to whatever private business. Our country is largely made up of pussies now.

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Mhorger March 13, 2015 at 7:10 pm

There is safety involved. Look at the news reports, kidnapping, dui, felons who made it through Uber background checks, Uber drivers bashing passengers with hammers, 6 yo girl killed by an Uber driver “Uber wouldn’t pay out by the way”. Yrah, the regs are there for a reason.

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FastEddy23 March 13, 2015 at 8:22 pm

A statistical anomaly: Taxi cabs kill more children than handguns do.

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Protect me Uncle! March 13, 2015 at 9:50 pm

Shut up pussy. If you are afraid then use a taxi service and stop telling other people what they can and can’t do.

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Safety? March 14, 2015 at 10:41 am Reply
Say imma bitch March 19, 2015 at 5:31 pm

Aw bitch, you’re a pussy too. You just have what they call computer confidence.

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Matt March 14, 2015 at 12:48 pm

What a waste of time, leave Uber (and its vastly improved business model which actually helps consumers) alone

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truthmonger March 15, 2015 at 11:05 am

While the concept of Uber is fine with me, I do believe they should be required to pass the same vehicle inspection that taxis undergo, as well as ensure that insurance requirements are met. Do that, and I have no issue. Think you should be able to ignore those because they’re inconvenient or too expensive? Oh, and ensure the background check Uber supposedly does meets the same standard as for taxi and limo drivers. Other than that, go for it.

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sanford March 16, 2015 at 7:02 pm

Ummm, it does. you are an idiot.

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truthmonger March 15, 2015 at 11:12 am

Here’s how that Uber “million dollar” policy works (or doesn’t): http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Uber-denies-fault-in-S-F-crash-that-killed-girl-5458290.php

Had it been my child, Uber would have been looking for new upper management…..screw courts.

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