For about two years, Uber has been operating its alleged “ride sharing” service illegally throughout Miami-Dade, picking passengers up and taking business from taxis a
nd causing a ruckus at County Hall.
And now that there is going to be a serious consideration of rules they might have to adhere to, the company has launched a full blown media blitz attacking the one commissioner who wants them to have the same regulations as taxi cabs.
Online and radio ads against Commission Chairman Jean Monestime, who has sponsored one of two ordinances up for consideration Wednesday (more on that next). They say that he is trying to take away “safe, reliable transportation options” and extra-income jobs in Miami-Dade.
And they are really, really misleading.
Listen up, Miami-Dade!
Jobs, transportation, and the future of our community are on the line in an important vote on Wednesday.
Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jean Monestime is taking us backwards with his legislative proposal against ride-sharing companies like Uber.
Commissioner Monestime is putting at risk flexible income opportunities that give so many of our friends, family, and neighbors the chance to earn extra income and support their loved ones by providing this valuable service.
If this bill passes, our community would no longer have access to safe, affordable, and reliable rides through the Uber app in Miami-Dade.
We must band together to send a clear message to Chairman Monestime to drop his attack on our jobs and access to transportation.
Monestime doesn’t want to risk losing income opportunities. He is the father of the county’s prosperity initiative and has long talked about income gap issues. All he wants is for the outlaw company to have some basic safeguards.
Another ad praises Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, who is apparently an Uber fan. Haven’t yet seen one calling Commissioner Esteban Bovo a hero, but it’s gotta be coming, because he has sponsored the other ordinance, which is a little more liberal (more on that next).
But will this Tallahassee style attack backfire on our county commissioners, who normally rally around each other when they get pushed up against the wall? Will they push back?
This has Brian Ballard written all over it. Ballard is Uber’s state lobbyist and this ad blitz is very much in the line of the Tallahassee-born attacks that tell us to hurry and call up our legislators now and tell them not to do this or to vote for that. Miami lobbyists buy you Miami Dolphins tickets and hire your family members. This is a Tallahassee-like campaign the likes I’ve never seen before, locally. And I’m not sure it’s gonna work.
And it shouldn’t work. Because it’s bullying. Monestime is not doing anything wrong. He is advocating for a very minimum amount of safety regulations because he wants to protect us, not because he wants to limit jobs or traveling options.
And because it’s setting a dangerous precedent.
If this works, if bullying the commission to get what you want is successful, what’s next? Can you imagine Odebrech running ads against commissioners that are going to vote against their bid for the next airport project? Or Jeff Berkowitz slamming those who might vote against another public subsidy for one of his private highrise developments?
This is the good corporate citizen that Mayor Carlos Gimenez wants in place, to close the gaps in his failed public transit system? Because that’s what he said at the Kendall Federation of Homeowners Associations meeting last week — that private companies like Uber and Lyft will be part of a larger transit formula for Miami-Dade.
Already, Uber has proven they are a bunch of outlaws who don’t care about the rules. Now, they are also bullies who are spending good money on a smear campaign against an elected commissioner, the board chairman, who has valid questions and concerns.
They should take that money they are spending on attack ads and pay the millions in fines they owe us instead.
As regulation looms, Uber goes mafioso with ad campaign added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
[…] Read related story: As legislation looms, Uber goes mafioso with ad campaign […]
Hello to all in Transportation !My Hat goes off to you Ladra: I enjoy your writing and knowledge of this topic:Transportation :Uber,Lyft,and all these so called ride sharing companies who have been trying to break in the Transportation Market here in Miami/Dade have been having issues on a number of fronts:By the way,They:Meaning ride sharing services are still not legal,the writing is on the wall though:As the Mayor said “this genie is not going back in the Bottle”yes Mr Mayor Gimenez,however let me give you this saying in reply “The cats out of the bag and it’s not going BACK in the Bag either”! UBER,Chip BALLARD Partners,Lyft/Jorge Luis lopez,They’re all tied to Miami/Dade County and it’s one big fat Orgy of friends and family with Mucho Denero ! So time to ask for public records on all lobbyist for Uber/Lyft from 2012 to Present,of course you can get that stuff from the clerks office,but when you try and get public records from “RER”Regulatory and Economic Resources Dept about Uber/Lyft stuff you get stonewalled and my requests by email gets forwarded to Miami-Dade Attorneys in Transportation to be screened and I never here from anyone,Hmmm,Sounds like Miami /Dade Attorneys are not open about the laws on citizen Bill of Rights as well as the Florida Sunshine Laws Either,anyway time will tell,All these drivers who have received citations still have their names listed for public records review,as much as the Mayor and his people have tried to protect them,Only time will tell :All the Law enforcement in South Florida is Correct :So only one hope :independent law enforcement in the Country :Justice Dept :Code :The Director”Comey”!# 1 Man in the FBI “
Drivers of taxis do not make more than Uber drivers and are also “modern slaves” if we follow Mr. Kamal’s exaggeration.
The people at risk from Uber’s legalization are not drivers or passengers… It’s the filthy rich owners of taxi licences (medallions) that are worried and funding this anti-Uber campaign!
Oops Mr. Prem I forgot links to post with the previous reply here they are:
UBER driver making $2.64/hr:
http://capitalandmain.com/latest-news/issues/labor-and-economy/uber-drivers-running-on-empty-0922/
Miami UBER driver making $4.32/hr:
https://pando.com/2015/01/26/dear-travis-a-miami-uber-driver-takes-exception-to-the-companys-rate-cuts/
Believe me UBER & Lyft drivers are no different than the Modern Slaves.
you must own a medallion because I can’t think of a better modern equivalent to the plantation owner than a medallion owner. Just like the owner of the plantation of the antebellum south, medallion owners don’t see that their world is ending. that a revolution in technology is going to end a way of life where they live off of the hard work of others that they exploit. Uber drivers get to drive their own cars and can quit if they choose. Taxi drivers, for the most part, work at the discretion of the slave master(medallion owner). It’s time to crush this crony capitalism where the privileged few with access with capital and the right connections have medallions. Bye bye to the old ways and welcome to the revolution
Mr. Prem looks like you are the only one who is making a lot of money working for UBER & Lyft. The following two links shows Tekele Gobena made $2.64/hr for UBER & Lyft and and another Miami UBER driver made $4.32/hour.
I can bet you make about the same too, perhaps $3.50/hr; but just like majority of UBER/Lyft drivers you don’t know how to deduct your expenses to determine your true income. Perhaps you too believe that the amount that UBER deposited into your account after deducting its cut is entirely yours without paying for gas, car payments, insurance and maintenance.
I am an old lady. I have to go to doctor’s appointments and I cannot always drive. If there is no licensed screened driver that I can trust with good insurance in case we have an accident How will I get to the doctor? I am too scared to go with an unlicensed driver with no real insurance, not the way people drive so crazy here
Taxis have been illegally over-charging customers for their entire existence. Decades of small regulatory apologetics bore few positive results. Most modern customers consider taxi cabs a nuisance industry in the county.
The ferocity with which Uber can attack commissioners displays only the animosity which already exists towards taxi cabs.
is this reply by Prem one of those Tallahassee type attacks against our commissioners the article was talking about?
For shame!
[…] Read related story: As regulation looms, Uber goes mafioso with ad campaign […]