Why I'm regulating the 'sharing economy': An Italian MP explains An Italian MP co-sponsoring Europe’s first legislation on “sharing economy” platforms tells us the bill ensures casual labour isn’t hit with swinging, punitive taxes. Professional services are already covered by existing legislation, says Stefano Quintarelli, an MP Italian Parliament for the Scelta Civica (“Civic Choice”) …
The concern isn't the existing barriers to entry that give cab companies a defacto oligopoly. No, we should be worried that a set of new market entrants can become monopolies and must regulate them before they even get close.
It's insane that this covers for reasonable among progressives and conservatives alike. None of us are free anymore to pursue our own interests, only to act as a herd of prize-winning dairy cattle for the state, producing tax revenues without objection. #whoisjohngalt
*Gack* so much Randroid bollocks in so little space. If we were to squeeze you would we get pimple puss or gun oil?
Companies like Uber couldn't exist without a strong central government. What they want is all the benefits of road infrastructure and centralized zones which people want to travel into and out of. Zones that are mostly regulated against lawlessness, and where there drivers can operate without fear of being hijacked and robbed. They can operate without a centralized banking system, or without a regulated communications system. Uber don't work out of Mogadishu for a reason.
Companies like Uber couldn't exist without a strong central government.
So says you, but there's no evidence to this either way. Pure conjecture.
What they want is all the benefits of road infrastructure and centralized zones which people want to travel into and out of.
This is like suggesting that Youtube wants your Internet bandwidth while you pay for it. Don't be absurd. They and their subcontractors have to pay taxes the same as anyone to fund that infrastructure. I'm not sure about Europe, but the US there's a gasoline tax to cover most of the highway/road expenditures.
I suppose you've forgotten about toll roads. Where's the big Uber conspiracy there?
Zones that are mostly regulated against lawlessness, and where there drivers can operate without fear of being hijacked and robbed. They can operate without a centralized banking system, or without a regulated communications system. Uber don't work out of Mogadishu for a reason.
Actually, Uber doesn't operate out of Mogadishu because they don't have the Internet infrastructure to support much of anything. That's the top requirement for any company like Uber. The other important elements that you mention apply to any organization, for-profit or otherwise.
Firstly the only country that has ever followed Randian rules is Somalia.
Secondly YT benefits from government regulations regarding net neutrality, the amount of of subsidy that tax payers give to Google is staggering.
Thirdly YT needs a strong central government. When a French ISP filtered out Google Ads where did Google go crying to - yep that's right the French gubmint - make them unfilter our ads.
Fourthly neither gasoline tax nor tolls pay for the road infrastructure. There are far more miles of roads than there are toll roads.
fifthly Mogadishu has a thriving mobile telecoms access. Internet access too. Well until Al-Shabaab forced the largest provider to shut down.
"Living here in the Eurozone you realise their economies are very much command economies, lots of rules and regulations. They will fall behind the US and UK because they simply cannot restructure fast enough."
Mentioning the US and the UK in the same clause is a bit of a joke. When you take the churn out of the GDP, the UK is a relatively poor country, much poorer than the US per head of population.
But also, you appear not to know the difference between a command economy and a regulated economy. They are very different. California and Massachusetts (to take two) have highly regulated economies. They are also two of the highest GDP per capita places in the world. In Switzerland there are also lots of regulations, and they are not exactly poor either.
A command economy is one in which the State lays down what shall be produced and sold. The former Soviet Union did this, but lack of regulation - environmental, product standards and so on - led to very poor business decisions.
And then you have China, which has had high growth in some areas, along with a lack of regulation leading to environmental crisis, health scandals and a reputation for some very poor products. But when Chinese products are made to tightly regulated standards - like getting FCC approval - they can be very successful. The iPhone is as much a Chinese success story as Apple's.
It seems to me that Uber doesn't really care how much tax it's drivers pay. It only cares how much tax Uber pays, and it would prefer to pay none. Since I'm paying for all the other infrastructure Uber is using to make a profit (roads, traffic lights etc.), I'd prefer them to contribute, and the only way to get them to do that is to have them pay tax where I live.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
