Category Archives: 2019 issue

LEGE TREND. Lawmaker calls for Review of Ride Share State Law. Where. What. Why. & Why Now?

Where: South Carolina

What:  State Representative Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston is calling for all business to be treated fairly

Why: All transportation service companies, including taxis, should have the same rules to play by, sich as:

  • same insurance requirements
  • same licensing fees
  • muncipal caps

Why now? Now we have the data about ride share

Statehouse Report | NEWS: Lawmaker wants Uber, Lyft regulations to be reviewed for fairness

TREND. Congestion Pricing. More Government Affairs Spending.

Congestion pricing initiatives in local governments saw Uber announce $10 Million in spending.

  • $1 Million is dedicated to fighting NYC’s congestion pricing

Is this a reaction to anything? Yes studies that say ride share increase congestion in cities

Daily Mail | Uber plans to spend $10 million lobbying for new ‘congestion pricing’ taxes on drivers in cities across US

EV Fleets. What does research say about them helping with EV numbers?

According to new data analytic rubic by National Association of State Energy Officials and Cadmus, government fleet incentives are the least helpfulw ith EV policies because:

  • no evidence demonstrates that it improves EV adoption
  • fleets are usually too small to make an impact by visibility

 

Utility Dive | New tool helps states identify EV policies that work, and those that don’t

 

Lege TREND. Disguising a Gas Tax Bill for Transportation in a School Finance Deal. Here's How:

Where:  Utah

The legislative compromise: The Utah Legislature and Supports of Increasing School Funding made a deal that would:

  • put a 10cent gas tax question to the voters and then require legislative implementation after the vote
  •  the Legislature in exchange:
    • froze the state basic property tax rate for 5 years
    • created a new tax rate for the weighted pupil unit thereby creating a $292 million increase in education funding.
    • if the gas tax is approved, funds would be divded like this:
      • 70…

Lege TREND. Local Voters Approval for Ride Share Taxes? 4 Opposition Arguments.

Voters in San Francisco in November 2019 can vote wehter to approve a 3,25% tax onn ride share. Thanks to AB 1184 ( 2018 | CA) .

The Heartland Institute offers reasons to oppose a ride sahre tax:

  • San Francisco cost of living is already high enough
  • Termites. “Taxes such as this one are like termites: They eat at the foundation of the community,”
  • Taxes drivers. Drivers may get stuck paying the tax
  • self-sabotaging regulation

Heartland Institute | SAN FRANCISCO VOTERS TO CONSIDER TAXING UBER

TREND. 6 Reasons California is talking about scrapping its High Speed Rail

 

  • not feasible financially 
  • not feasible politically
  • its a costly failure, it’d be cheaper if California bought Southwest Airlines and flew Californians around
  • High Speed Rail project is a net greenhouse gas producer
  • The questions outweigh the answers, we need tangible gains from the project
  • let’s ask voters, again

Sacramento Bee | Should California Scrap its High Speed Rail?

Local TREND. Scooter Pilot Program. 7 points from San Antonio.

San Antonio, Texas pilot program for scooters will require scooter companies to:

  • be permitted
  • pay fees 
    • annual permit fee of $500 as well as $10 per scooter
  • no scooter cap on scooter numbers nor on companies
  • require data sharing of where scooters ar epicked up, dropped off and used to help city planners
  •  required to have a San Antonio-based fleet manager
  • 2 hour maximum for companies to address reported parking issues
  • 1 hour maximum for companies to address scooters  in restricted…

Activist TREND. 5 Anti Eminent Domain. Anti High Speed Rallies in Texas.

5 High Speed Rail opposition rallies are planned in Texas concerning the “ill-conceived Texas Land Grab Project”:

6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16 — Truman Kimbro Center, 111 West Trinity Street in Madisonville

•5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23 —Jewett Civic Center, 111 Robinson Rd. in Jewett

•6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov.  8 — Grimes County Expo Center, 5220 FM 3455 in Navasota

•6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 — House Estate, 15743 House Road in Hockley

•6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19 — Ellis County Women’s Building,…

6 Opposition Points. Letter to the Editor. Texas High Speed Rail.

A person who:

  • owns property in Leon Co. 
  • is not directly impacted by Central Texas Rail 
  • has been the fundraising chair for Texans Against HSR

Opposition rational:

  • how Texas Central agents treat people
  • critically flawed Federal Railroad Administration’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement
  • bad for our natural resources
  • bad for communitites
  • no need for the project
  • no financial viability 

Navasota Examiner | Letters to the Editor – TAHSR