In a move that shows the true nature of the state and regulations, the Manchester aldermen voted 10-3 recently to require UBER to obey their “Vehicles for Hire” ordinance which requires background checks, drug testing, and other bureaucratic nonsense. The lie of regulations is that they exist supposedly to protect you, the consumer. However, they actually just protect the established businesses in the given field. In this case, the old-guard cab companies are being protected from the innovative upstart. Regulations keep poor people poor, by making it near-impossible for them to go into business for themselves.
Despite the now possible threat of Manchester police targeting UBER drivers, heroically, UBER has announced they will continue to operate within Manchester and will likely give legal assistance to any drivers the city gang cites for violating the gang’s precious “code” (“Vehicles for Hire” is section 118). It looks like UBER is ready to go to court over this, as has been their tradition in other cities.
Of course, a free place to live would allow anyone to contract with anyone they like for a ride somewhere. The taxi companies should also be free of regulations, not just UBER. Allow the marketplace to come up with standards, if they are necessary. The cab companies will need to be free of regulatory burden to effectively compete against the nimble new competitor, UBER.
UBER’s argument, as I understand it, is they are not a taxicab company, for which all the regulations are written. UBER does not own any of the cars that its users end up riding in. UBER merely facilitates a smooth transaction between the rider and driver. It’s a matchmaking company. The next step, which may have even UBER worried, is to decentralize ride-sharing even further, to where no company is needed to make the connections between rider and driver. That actually is being worked on now, and it has a terrible name, LaZooz, but the technology is already here (and based in cryptocurrency like bitcoin) – it’s only a matter of time and software development, and participants.
For now though, UBER and other ridesharing competitors like Lyft, are innovating in a way that expands consumer choice, increases service available overall, drives down price, and rewards entrepreneurs. No wonder the city gang wants to stop them! They disrupt the current good ol’ boys network. (more…)
One month of treasure hunting. What have I learned? • Penn J. Loses a bunch of weight. So does W • NH hands free law. Doin it for the kids • No douchebags in Kroger. Open carry welcome • Grand Theft Cantwell • Political, Spirtual, Revolutionary Hip Hop • Can’t escape ALDI • Interstate 60 movie review • Signs everywhere! • Darryl, Rapsher, and X join.
Good news! The Keene Sentinel’s Martha Shanahan has a comprehensive article up describing last night’s FOP committee meeting where all five city councilors on the committee voted to table further discussion on the proposed parking fine & rate increases indefinitely, apparently.
I wouldn’t expect to see this back on the table until after the council election this fall. Thank you to Dorrie O’Meara and the good people who signed her petition as well as the courageous business owners in downtown who spoke out against this.
Of course, no city councilor really seems to know what to do about parking, though the answer is simple: turn over ownership of all spaces to the property owners adjacent to them. Then, let the property owners decide on their own the best way to handle the situation. The big lots could also be sold to the highest bidder. Then, the city’s parking department could be abolished entirely.
Further, there has been much discussion in town about a panhandling ordinance, that were it to be enacted, would violate free speech and be struck down at great cost to the city’s taxpayers. However, if you take my parking suggestion to the next logical step, and also cede the sidewalks to the private property owners adjacent to them, that turns them into private property and if a private property owner doesn’t want panhandlers, it’s fully within the owner’s rights to have them removed.
Private property solves parking issues and panhandling issues. I wonder if any city councilor is brave enough to suggest it?
A lack of sunshine did not deter the roughly forty individuals who were present for the annual 4/20 celebration at the New Hampshire state house. Multiple outlets captured video and photography of the scene, including a feature published this morning in the Concord Monitor. Attached below is the Monitor article by Nick Reid. For full raw coverage from Fr33manTVraw, check out this playlist.
A group of activists exercised civil disobedience yesterday by smoking marijuana on the steps of the State House and decrying the war on drugs through a megaphone.
At 4:20 p.m. on April 20, the unofficial pot holiday, about 30 participants huddled away from cold rain under the awning at the front of the State House while the event organizer, Rich Paul, kicked things off.
“We smoke these in remembrance of lost liberties,” he called out, “and in hope for a day when the people do not fear the government, because the government fears the people.”
This week, business owners, liberty activists, and a former city councilor all came out to speak against the recently (again) proposed parking rate & fee increase proposal from the city staff. Almost all speaking at the hearing encouraged the FOP committee members to reject it. After over an hour of speakers, the committee voted 5-0 to put the matter on “more time”, which means it’s coming back for another hearing in two weeks.
If you care about freedom and helping the people who work and shop downtown Keene, please mark your calendar to come out and speak against the proposal on April 23rd at 6:30pm at the city council chambers, 2nd floor at 3 Washington St. Here’s a facebook event for it.
Downtown merchants and their customers are already paying enough! We are forcing our community to shop at the BIG BOX stores and dine out with their families at CHAIN restaurants because they offer FREE parking. Some view this increase as a segway to pay for a new parking garage but even after it is built the cost will stay the same to park downtown. The folks who live in the apartments above the storefronts need to park out front to unload groceries, carry in and out their laundry or simply to run up to their apartment to just grab something quickly and have to pay a meter to do the simplest chore. Our diners complain constantly and often have to run out in between their meal and shopping to put more money in the meters. Customers of the local stores are often complaining because they cost so much already and if not paid quickly the fine increases dramatically. Please sign below so I can personally deliver this petition to the City and show them that we are against this increase.
![uber-app[1]](https://i0.wp.com/freekeene.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/uber-app1-300x146.jpg?resize=300%2C146)
In a move that shows the true nature of the state and regulations, the Manchester aldermen voted 10-3 recently to require UBER to obey their “Vehicles for Hire” ordinance which requires background checks, drug testing, and other bureaucratic nonsense. The lie of regulations is that they exist supposedly to protect you, the consumer. However, they actually just protect the established businesses in the given field. In this case, the old-guard cab companies are being protected from the innovative upstart. Regulations keep poor people poor, by making it near-impossible for them to go into business for themselves.
