Jackson Jambalaya

They gave free rides to the polls and told the peoples to vote for Mr. Priesly? Does that qualify as vote buying?

The only repercussion I can think of involves what we know as a taxi cab today being extinct tomorrow.

In San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, it has already happened.

I'm sorry if have a choice to catch an affordable ride in a car other than a ragged out 98 Lincoln or Crown Vic i'm gonna take it. It's called competition buddy step up your game or get out of the way. the days of charging folks ridiculous rates are coming to an end.

Someone made this comment. One word at the end ruined it so I'm posting the rest of the anonymous comment:

80 to 30 to 40%... Somewhere in there. Uber provides fairness, simplicity and transparency. Maybe Gene Sandifer should work for uber so there are more hinds county tagged uber drivers. We could use more inarticulate cabbies trying to rip us off and provide free rides for political gain.

Deregulate taxi cabs to make it fair

The attitude of that cab driver is likely one of the reasons people opt for other providers.

Gene Sandifer doesn't know how markets work. Good luck Gene... You're a relic.

seems everyone loves government monopoly or regulation when they are on the inside of the protection. uber is reality, my experiences have been at least better than cabs in other cities. not sure we have enough short haul traffic, maybe when the rodeo is in town etc.

I could say the same thing about all these Hinds County Tags that I see in Pearl and Brandon, working at McDonalds and Wal-Mart. The truth of the matter is I don't blame them. I'd want to work in a safe area too.

what an A$$! he thinks he is entitled to what exactly? and why? no way i would get in the car with him.

regarding 10:12's comments about taxis & San Francisco, a little background: Last month, Yellow Cab, a co-op and the biggest taxi service in San Francisco, announced they plan to file for bankruptcy. As a co-op, Yellow Cab is owner by about 300 shareholders and has 530 medallion holding drivers. The population of San Francisco is just under 1 million people, with several million others in adjoining communities. It has been estimated that there are an average of 16,000 or so Uber cars driving around San Francisco every week. Yellow Cab has been plagued by large accident judgments against them, most recently 8 million awarded to a passenger who became partially paralyzed after her cab wrecked into deadlocked traffic @ 60MPH. Sounds to me like when prices go down and the "rent-seekers" are exposed for what they are, there suddenly becomes 50 times more business. And just because you drive a cab or have a medallion doesn't mean you are a safe driver

He's an idiot for even wanting to keep driving cabs. He would make at least 2 or 3 times as much as an Uber driver!

People should learn something from the fool. People expect favors for their votes in Jackson. Looks like they get them.

11:02 exactly. That's what a few of the speakers said last night. There are two different ways to level the playing field.

Every other business is having to compete with the new digital age. Excuse me if I don't feel sorry for cabbies.

I recently changed jobs and travel a good bit now. I started using Uber after my kids suggested it. You won't catch me in another cab as long as Uber is available, nothing but positive experiences. A colleague and I traveled to the same conference recently same day different flights. His cab ride to the hotel $70, my Uber ride $27.

@12:49 PM, link?

Supervisor said just that. Lower the costs and regulations on the cab companies. The cabs don't want a level playing field. They want zero competition. On a level playing field they would not last long.

Just checked "Mr. Preisly's" campaign finance report. Can't find any in-kind contribution from Mr. Sandifer. If he was giving free rides to the poll from his business, then that should have been reported.

Jackson cabs are extremely slow and usually nasty inside. Not to mention there is a surcharge for crossing the county line. I have used Uber in San Francisco, New Orleans and Jackson and they are always punctual, clean and the drivers are very professional. As long is Uber is available I will never call another cab.....

@ 1:49 PM, Lazy?

I think we should do the same thing to everything that is regulated:

1) Prescription pills? Make Rx available by phone in Canada and Mexico to avoid local high costs of pills;

2) Pharmacists? Get rid of em. Sign up on line, have a Rx, get the pills....be done with these people.

3) Engineers? Who needs em? lets get on line and have all sorts of things designed by folks who may or may not know what is going on.

UBER is awesome for what it is.

It is also taking jobs from people who legally invested in a structure which required them to make sacrifices...which UBER does not have to make. It is inherently unfair and should have some checks put in place.

Nope 3:06 PM, I already ran the words you plagiarized as your own research in a search before asking for the link. You are a fraud.

So no free market for wine sales, but free market for transportation - hmmm.
Just sitting here waiting for my taxi to take me to the liquor store, or a could call uber and get my wine at a grocery store faster and cheaper.

Those comments, hand motions and body language definitley show anger. Would you or anybody you care about want to be in a vehicle with him? Hell no! That's exactly what people are frightened about!

3:11

There is some validity to your comments. However, you have no understanding of business or a market.

There were plenty of companies who made the "jump" to computers too early in the 70s, 80s who ended up going under because of the high cost of the technology. They were right-- just too soon.

Should they have been bailed out because they were right about computers being important in the future--just too soon? Is that fair that they were right and yet still failed?

No. You are putting your blame in the wrong place. It is not UBER who is unfair. It is the fact that taxis are an outdated model, and that our "bold, new" city has extremely limiting entry requirements for taxi companies. They need to figure out a creative and safe way to deregulate taxi companies and not punish an innovative new way of transportation like UBER.

To the cabbie at 3:11

Sure.

The stockholders of all those 'regulated' pay-phones would rather someone have protected them from the wireless onslaught but... industries change.

3:11 - you clearly have no trouble getting your prescriptions filled. Do you really think your example is relevant to this topic? Get a clue!

The Council adopted TNC regs by a 3-1 vote tonight. Uber should be here to stay now. Priester issued a draft cab ordinance that should be on the agenda in two weeks to level playing field. Good night for Jackson.

In that public hearing, at the end Mr. Priester said exactly what Supervisor Morgan said. Leveling the playing field does not have to mean increasing costs on Uber drivers. It might mean lowering costs on tax drivers. Now, whether taxi drivers can survive even on a level playing fields remains to be seen. But just this once, maybe free market capitalism survives in Jackson.

And he was exactly right. If Jackson runs out Uber, don't think for a second that people won't use that in the airport argument.

They already are.

Wait til you see the Tyra Dean clip. Totally clueless.

Sounds like Mr Prielsey has some explaining to do as well...free rides if you vote for Priesley?
Perhaps we need a further investigation...

Jackson shows guts. First time I can recall in a long time. All you city counsel bashers need to thank them. Or at least ride an uber. Its only $5, just do it to show support.

Hey, watch the end of the public hearing. Priester did not waiver even though the cab drivers acted like thugs all night. Give him some credit. Uber would survive without Jackson, but it will thrive with Jackson on board. Glad to see it.

BTW, not sure where Foote was with his free market speech. He made Priester do all the heavy lifting.

There is a free market for wine sales. All you have to do is pay the fee for a permit and pass the background requirements (such as no felony). Then invest your own money in inventory. Pretty simple. State issues the permit and your competitors are not on the committee approving the permit.

There is NO free market for wine sales.

The State is the wholesaler and a liquor store can only sell what the wholesaler (the State) provides. Even if you obtain a license, one can not simply order any product for sale that they want and the State does not stock every available item.

Requiring a State-contracted arrangement is the very antithesis to free market.

Good point. I was looking at it from the other end in terms of retailers looking to sell. Wholesale side is a different story.

There are several single car cabs working in Jackson. You just have to find out who they are. Cars are their personal cars, clean and in good condition. Driver is nice, friendly, clean, and honest. Costs is much cheaper than a cab.