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Prop 1 failed and both Uber and Lyft have announced they will suspend service on Monday morning. What will it take to get them back or find a replacement? How can the Tech community best support this process now and in the future?
Why did Prop 1 fail?
Prop 1 failed because Uber and Lyft totally botched the campaign and pissed everyone off. I do not believe this was a mandate for fingerprint-based background checks — it was an emotional response to bullying tactics and aggressive campaigning. People just didn’t like the way they handled it.
A Vote against Prop 1 was not a mandate for fingerprints, it was a call to come back to the table and negotiate a compromise instead of overturning City Council.
Most people I have talked to about the issue recognize that TNC’s are probably safer mile-for-mile than Taxis and that there is no evidence either way showing that fingerprint-based background checks will make a significant difference.
Some don’t understand why fingerprinting is such a big problem for TNC’s and think they shouldn’t make such a fuss about it. Others believe that it’s easy to build to a competing service (I disagree) and that someone else will come to take their place.
Most of the people I’ve talked to who voted against Prop 1 weren’t concerned about fingerprinting — they were just annoyed or offended by Uber’s tactics. They didn’t like the threat of “our way or the highway,” the additional changes to the regulation, the aggressive advertising, or the robocalls and text messages. They didn’t like how much money they were spending and the feeling of them “buying the election.” They were mad at Uber and wanted to punish them for behaving poorly.
How do Uber and Lyft come back to Austin?
There are basically two scenarios that bring Uber and Lyft back to Austin. I have no doubt they will be back eventually — the question is how long does it take and how does it happen.
- works out a compromise. This could happen fast or could take months. Mayor Adler issued a statement today making it clear that Austin is open to working things out with Uber and Lyft but won’t depend on them as our only option. Uber and Lyft won’t agree to mandatory fingerprinting because it breaks their business model and then there would be a ripple effect across other cities and states. City Council is committed to having fingerprinted drivers available to our riders. In order for this to be resolved, Uber and Lyft need to come to the table and talk about their options with Mayor Adler.
- State Law overrides City Law. The Texas Legislature goes into session in January and I expect that TNC laws will come up for discussion. A State Law would supersede City Law and create one standard to follow all across Texas. Approximately 30 other states have adopted statewide laws similar to the ones that have been working great in Austin since 2014. I don’t see anything fundamentally different about TNC’s (or Taxis) in Austin, Dallas or Houston so it makes sense to me that we would just decide it once for the whole state — hopefully leveling the playing field with Taxis at the same time.
Changing the tone of the conversation
Many people I talk to in the Tech community are angry on both sides of the debate. They are angry at the tactics Uber and Lyft used. They are angry at how City Council responded. They are scared about losing their job or trying to figure out if they now need to buy a car.
City Council is angry too, and so are many other local community organizations and media outlets. They are offended at how Uber and Lyft behaved and how members of the Tech community defended them.
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There are a lot of things about Silicon Valley that we want to emulate, but the relationship between Tech and the rest of the community is not one of them.
Bad attitudes and egos are what got us into this mess and only cool heads and open arms will get us out of it.
This can’t be “us versus them.” I’ve seen a number of people on social media attacking the Mayor or individual council members and I really discourage that. I know you’re angry — but let’s focus on the issues and not question other people’s intentions.
I have been in communication with the Mayor throughout this process and while I didn’t agree with his ultimate position on Proposition 1, I never for a second questioned his intention or motivation. He is the most business and Tech friendly option for Mayor we have. I know Mayor Adler is committed to doing the best for Austin that he can and as our Mayor I am committed to doing everything I can to help him be successful.
Same goes for the rest of City Council — I may not have agreed with Ann Kitchen on this issue, but I want her to be successful as our City Council representative and I can do a better job influencing her if she sees me as a positive influence rather than someone working against her.
Uber and Lyft may have gotten us into this mess, but it’s up to us to get us out of it. We need to be having a positive, productive, proactive discussion with city leaders so we can be part of the solution instead of just reacting and complaining after something we don’t like has already happened.
I encourage you to join me in supporting Mayor Adler and the entire City Council in their efforts to address Austin’s TNC challenge in a productive way moving forward.
What can you do now?
Join the Austin Tech Facebook group where we are gathering members of the Tech community who care about local policy and want to be part of the solution. Join this group so that you know when to vote and understand the important issues that affect the Technology, Entrepreneurship & Innovation community.
Register to Vote and then exercise your right. Proposition 1 was decided by a margin of only 10,000 votes. Your vote really does count! Find the closest place to your home and work where you can vote using this (not so easy) website.
Contact your City Council representative and Mayor Adler and tell them why you want them to find a compromise that brings Uber and Lyft back to Austin as soon as possible.
Encourage Uber and Lyft to come to the table with City Council and work on a compromise. The haven’t exactly been the easiest to work with — if they had made some different choices they probably wouldn’t be pulling out of Austin tomorrow and we wouldn’t have mandatory fingerprints in Austin. The Mayor and City Council want to find a solution that keeps TNC’s operating in Austin but there can’t be any more ultimatums.
Get involved in public service! We need more people involved in the city who come from the Tech community and realize the many positive benefits that Tech brings to the entire Austin community. You can run for City Council, the Austin Independent School District Board or participate in one of the City Council Committees. The filing deadline for new candidates is August 22.
Participate in Leadership Austin programming, especially Emerge and Engage. Leadership Austin is the best way to learn about how our city works and develop your own network of leaders across every different part of the city. We need more Tech community leaders in Leadership Austin creating connective tissue with the rest of the community. Talk to
, Gerardo Interiano, Mellie Price or I to learn more about Leadership Austin.