# Stupid bipartisan idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 29, 2016, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379 "2016-08-29T09:26:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/1 "2016-08-29T09:26:17Z")
> **[Massachusetts to tax ride-hailing apps, give the money to taxis](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-massachusetts-uber-idUSKCN10U1ST)** > > Massachusetts is preparing to levy a 5-cent fee per trip on ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft and spend the money on the traditional taxi industry, a subsidy that appears to be the first of its kind in the United States. Massachusetts will tax Uber and Lyft, and transfer the money to taxi companies. Charlie Baker, a Republican, really should know better, but I guess many Republicans are still pro-business rather than pro-market. and Democrats, whatever happened to embracing change and technology? Consumers love it, the companies love it, since when did protecting obsolete industries become important? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/2 "2016-08-29T09:37:45Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > since when did protecting obsolete industries become important? Amtrak on line 1, sir. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/3 "2016-08-29T12:58:14Z")
Amtrak isn’t under competitive pressures. Amtrak exists because no one really wants to do passenger rail. I’m not sure government should be subsidizing Amtrak either, but it’s not really the same case. Now if some high tech company found a way to steal all of Amtrak’s customers by offering lower prices, then that would be equivalent, and I’d say, “Oh well, I guess Amtrak is screwed.” That’s how the real world works. But government doesn’t live in the real world, they believe you can keep reality at bay with legislation. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/4 "2016-08-29T13:48:09Z")
Great thread title, with real lasting potential. Bipartisanship is the ultimate threat to individual liberty in a two party system. Monetary policy Entitlement policy Foreign policy All largely bipartisan nightmares. And no, Amtrak should not be subsidized. There are many better ways for people to get around. It simply subsidizes suburban dwellers. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/5 "2016-08-29T15:48:50Z")
Amtrak is subsidized in part because a functioning rail network in the United States is in our strategic military interests. Taxi service? not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/6 "2016-08-29T15:57:27Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-massachusetts-uber-idUSKCN10U1ST](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-massachusetts-uber-idUSKCN10U1ST) > > Massachusetts will tax Uber and Lyft, and transfer the money to taxi companies. Charlie Baker, a Republican, really should know better, but I guess many Republicans are still pro-business rather than pro-market. and Democrats, whatever happened to embracing change and technology? Consumers love it, the companies love it, since when did protecting obsolete industries become important? Vehicles providing rides for people for a fee is an “obsolete industry”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/7 "2016-08-29T16:02:19Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > And no, Amtrak should not be subsidized. There are many better ways for people to get around. It simply subsidizes suburban dwellers. How so? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/8 "2016-08-29T18:43:37Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Vehicles providing rides for people for a fee is an “obsolete industry”? :dubious: For set fees having no relation to what the market price of a ride is, using set supply that also has no relation to market demand. What Uber and Lyft have done is prove that the demand for ride service is much higher than the taxis to support it, which is why the taxi industry is in trouble. Supply was too low, prices were too high, and they were completely unprepared to deal with a company that would provide such services the way the public actually wanted. ---
**Author:** ![TheStake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@TheStake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheStake)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/9 "2016-08-29T18:48:11Z")
This is just Uncle Sam coming to take his piece of the pie. Uber was a genius and innovative idea that revolutionized easy cheap travel. I don’t know how many times the wife and I decided not to go out to a bar, because taxi’s take to long and cost to much. I think that instead of taxing uber, the taxi conglomerates should lower prices and bring change to the way they operate, to remain competitive. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/10 "2016-08-29T18:56:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Vehicles providing rides for people for a fee is an “obsolete industry”? :dubious: Are you actually dumb or just pretending to be to mock adaher? ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/11 "2016-08-29T19:02:05Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Amtrak is subsidized in part because a functioning rail network in the United States is in our strategic military interests. Taxi service? not so much. Military? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/12 "2016-08-29T19:08:11Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > How so? Can’t we pick him up and drop him off from street corner to street corner by Drone? Think of it as one Heck of a really fun Claw Machine game. “Dammit, I almost got **WillFarnaby** to his destination before he dropped. Anybody got a Quarter…?” ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/13 "2016-08-29T19:11:37Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Military? Yes. Trains move US military equipment every day. If the need should ever arise that we need to move MASSIVE amounts of military equipment trains will bury the capabilities of the US’s private semi-trailer fleet. What it will take, however, are trains and track in good condition. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/14 "2016-08-29T19:11:39Z")
That is a very dumb policy, just because Adaher was the one posting it doesn’t automatically mean it should be defended. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/15 "2016-08-29T19:26:51Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > That is a very dumb policy, just because Adaher was the one posting it doesn’t automatically mean it should be defended. In case this is directed at me- what? ---
**Author:** ![Debillw3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Debillw3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debillw3)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/16 "2016-08-29T19:33:12Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > That is a very dumb policy, just because Adaher was the one posting it doesn’t automatically mean it should be defended. I don’t see anyone defending it. In fact, of all the comments here, most aren’t even talking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/17 "2016-08-29T19:39:13Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Amtrak isn’t under competitive pressures. Well, they are competing with the gigantically-subidized highway system, and all the intercity surface transport options that depend on that. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/18 "2016-08-29T19:48:37Z")
Yeah, this seems dumb and strictly a political bone thrown to taxi companies. Something that would have made more sense to me would be to use that money to buy back the medallions that taxi companies have bought. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/19 "2016-08-29T20:25:14Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Yes. Trains move US military equipment every day. If the need should ever arise that we need to move MASSIVE amounts of military equipment trains will bury the capabilities of the US’s private semi-trailer fleet. What it will take, however, are trains and track in good condition. Amtrak doesn’t really matter one way or the other though. CSX and commercial freight companies are what matter and their business model is actually solid. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379/20 "2016-08-29T20:27:36Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Yeah, this seems dumb and strictly a political bone thrown to taxi companies. Something that would have made more sense to me would be to use that money to buy back the medallions that taxi companies have bought. Yeah, I don’t like bailing out people for really bad investment decisions either, especially since in places like New York those medallions were often given away by lottery, not auctioned. The best way is just to put taxis under the same regulation as Uber and Lyft and let them sink or swim. That might be impossible though, since if taxi companies are anything like my local taxi companies, running them has always been more about political connections and rent seeking than actually running a sound business. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-bipartisan-idea-of-the-day/764379.md?page=2)