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Law /Rights /Governance
A Victory in D.C.
Travis Kalanick's Uber helps city dwellers get rides on demand in luxury cars, and he wants to launch a cheaper service, one closer in price to taxis. But Washington, D.C., Councilmember Mary Cheh proposed a law that would have imposed a price floor on such services -- and effectively prohibited the new service.
So Kalanick fought back: He called on customers to email the D.C. Council -- and one council member said he got 5,000 emails about the issue.
One Man's Loophole
As the SEC produces yet more regulations, the New York Times gives us a striking quote:
One man’s loophole is another man’s livelihood.
The speaker is Bart Chilton, a Democrat on the SEC who advocates regulation and opposed this regulation for having, in a Times blogger's words, "loopholes wide enough for Wall Street to exploit."
Congress Snuffs Out a Legal Niche
Here comes the government, like some red-white-and-blue monster, crushing people’s livelihoods and aspirations almost without noticing: a typical political horror story.
NYC Businesses Fight Soda Ban
Over last week's holiday, New York businesses continued to advocate your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of a very large Coke. It's good to see them fighting back, but a spokesman for Mayor Michael R.
Prosecutor Accused of Retaliating for Speech
A businessman was accused of "structuring" cash deposits of his income from farmers market sales, and now the federal prosecutor who took his money is accused of retaliating against the businessman for protesting to the press:
Russia Incarcerates Almost 3 Million Businessmen, Ombudsman Says
It's "hard to find another social group persecuted on such a large scale" as businessmen, says Boris Titov. Ayn Rand, of course, called big-business men "America's Persecuted Minority," but as bad as things were for American businessmen in her time, and as much worse as they are today, Titov is ombudsman for business rights in a country where things are even worse: Over the past decade, he tells the BBC, "Russia has imprisoned nearly three million entrepreneurs, many unjustly."
Abacus Deal Still in Court
Remember the Abacus case against Goldman Sachs that the BRC's Roger Donway said involved a "moral counter-revolution"? Well, Goldman is still facing litigation over that deal: a judge recently refused to dismiss a lawsuit by people who'd bought Goldman stock.
Must Netflix Tailor Movies for the Deaf and Blind?
A deaf person and two deaf-advocacy organizations are suing Netflix for making movies available for instant online viewing without providing closed captioning. Failure to provide captions -- which may cost hundreds of dollars per movie -- is a form of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, they argue. (H/T Walter Olson.)
Don't Expect Health-Law Uncertainty to End Soon
Among the challenges businesses face as a result of President Obama's health-insurance reform law is uncertainty. But even if the Supreme Court puts an end to that law, the Wall Street Journal notes, it won't put an end to the regime uncertainty surrounding health reform.
Texas Messes with Google
Along with Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and the European Union, the state of Texas has been investigating Google for possible antitrust violations.
