Category: Corporatism

Uber continues to innovate while the old models continue to strangulate.

Here’s a good comment on how to move forward (as if the city could get its act together)

It is very simple.

UBER is not a new phenomenon – this type of transit is popular in eastern europe, particularly former soviet republics. Its called a “marshrutka” there.

Basically its a private transit that fills the gaps left by official city transport. Not as cheap as city transit, not as expensive as taxis. And it works.

Toronto needs to adopt this model rather then fight it.

1) Deregulate taxi industry. Remove fees, surcharges, most rules, plate limits – everything. Being a taxi driver should be very very simple: clean driving record, a car, insurance – and thats it. No need for special cars or rules. This will allow cabbies to compete – some companies will fail, others will spring up.

2) Work with insurance industry to launch a special type of car insurance for these drivers. its not rocket science – just basic liability with premium adjusted for higher time spent on the road. Thats it. Nothing special.

3) Deregulate TTC, let them launch their own variant of UBER. I see NO reason why TTC cant attract private drivers to drive on ad-hoc routes on a subcontractor basis. Copy uber’s app, call it something snappy, give drivers a framework, and let the market set price and schedules and routes. TTC takes a smaller cut then UBER of course. Let TTC compete with taxis. And everybody wins. Pressure is taken off crumbling street cars and overcrowded subways, public is given flexibility they need.

4) if roads and traffic jams are the problem – BUILD. NORMAL. ROADS. Key word – BUILD. Politicians waste time, while population and density keeps on growing. If council cant agree – sweep them away, put normal people in there that CAN make normal decisions.

Pools of SUVs, minivans and other high-occupancy vehicles waited at locations in Liberty Village, the Distillery District, Fort York and CityPlace.

Source: Downtown commuters test the waters on UberHop | Toronto Star

Another good article on how the cab industry is full of parasites who hurt drivers first and then fares.

The corruption goes back to 1957 – let’s hope mayor Tory lets uber drive a stake into and cut the Gordion knot that is the Toronto taxi cartel.

On the streets of Toronto, there’s a story that’s gone on for way too long – the dirty dealings behind the cab business. But things are changing. Let’s have a look.

Source: How Uber is ending the dirty dealings behind Toronto’s cab business – The Globe and Mail

The useless MSM misses the point again.

Uber-protesting taxi drivers aren’t stopping traffic to win us over, but so we can see their pain.

Source: Frustrated by cabbie protests? Good, that’s the point: Cole | Toronto Star

It’s hard to understand why VW would fall on its own sword-they admitted they “faked” emission tests with a software switch. So why would they turn themselves in?

Is this a case of being occupied with outside board members who were told to sabotage VW? Was this an engineered coup-d’etat?

My guess is yes. The TDI clean diesel is probably the most efficient clean engine ever made. It has ability to be a market changer, and American car companies are not willing to take the chance that Americans might catch on and overcome their long standing aversion to noisy, smelly, and low torque views of diesel engines.

Better to bring out this old news of car companies (yes, all of them) “cheating” on their emission and mileage tests and nip the world’s #1 automaker in the bud before it takes off.

After all, Germany is occupied by America for a reason. Why would people think their big car companies are any different?

Ontario launches investigation of Volkswagen Canada and Audi Canada over international scandal involving diesel cars emissions

Source: Ontario VW owners could be forced off road without clean-up | Toronto Star

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/22/volkswagens-ceo-survived-a-corporate-coup-can-he-survive-an-emissions-scandal/

Canada has a public bank,  but it only borrows from private banks.  Who knew?

“Once a nation parts with the control of its currency and credit, it matters not who makes the nation’s laws.  Usury, once in control, will wreck any nation.”

    —William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, 1935

Powell River, BC.