tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post2595323808381085530..comments2023-09-28T05:56:51.582-04:00Comments on Titanic Deck Chairs: Boston's Medallion MorassC. Augusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860759500684485756noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-80730367257251229622014-07-14T20:15:03.242-04:002014-07-14T20:15:03.242-04:00Could you talk about the independent contractor ag...Could you talk about the independent contractor agreement and issues in conjunction with your analysis? Your thoughts? Steve Chervenkanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-2583690191606746442010-02-16T18:40:17.975-05:002010-02-16T18:40:17.975-05:00PTD,
You must re-read the article because you app...PTD,<br /><br />You must re-read the article because you apparently did not grasp its essential points. As for "Pure Capitalism", you apparently subscribe to a Marxist view of it; therefore, I suggest that you read George Reisman's "Capitalism: A Treatise on Economics" carefully and completely, along with every book in its bibliography. Then you will have a correct Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-82823955259856080942009-12-24T17:35:04.638-05:002009-12-24T17:35:04.638-05:00When you talk about capitalism, are you talking ab...When you talk about capitalism, are you talking about pure capitalism or capitalism and democracy? Pure capitalism, using history, is enslavement. And the taxi industry is just that to thousands of drivers. I believe that the anti trust regulations and the labor acts, which democracy intervenes only after millions are enslaved, were enacted with good intentions. Pure capitalism without Workers Independent Contractor Associationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09327135938697402873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-14461427673600434072009-12-23T10:59:55.171-05:002009-12-23T10:59:55.171-05:00Thanks for the comment, PTD. While I agree that t...Thanks for the comment, PTD. While I agree that the original intent of medallions in most cities was likely to protect the markets for a certain class of small businessmen, and that the medallions eventually were consolidated under a few large companies, I detect that your concern is, to put it simply, "the virtuous little guy vs. the evil big guy."<br /><br />This is not to belittle C. Augusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05860759500684485756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-43168742648781317282009-12-22T17:51:21.501-05:002009-12-22T17:51:21.501-05:00You are on to a national problem. My research show...You are on to a national problem. My research shows that the medallion system was created to protect the drivers income during the depression. Then around 1980 it became a property right and was monopolized by a few. I believe that if it was investigated, every anti-trust law would be shown to be violated. It also is a hell of an investment because of the Independent contractor status , a tax Workers Independent Contractor Associationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09327135938697402873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-87546275895630978522008-06-27T16:40:00.000-04:002008-06-27T16:40:00.000-04:00I think you have hit the heart of the matter. Thi...I think you have hit the heart of the matter. This statement sums it up: "The benefits of capitalism far outweigh any bruises that some individuals tied to the state might receive."<BR/><BR/>There are risks inherent in any business venture. I do have a bit of sympathy for the businessman that tries to succeed in a hopelessly mixed economy. But the fact that the market he is in was created by C. Augusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05860759500684485756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-63284128883809592502008-06-27T16:24:00.000-04:002008-06-27T16:24:00.000-04:00Should slave masters have been compensated for the...Should slave masters have been compensated for the loss of their "assets" when slavery was abolished?<BR/><BR/>I have no sympathy for anyone who pays a coercive government for the privilege of having a forcibly restricted market for his benefit. But if one wants to non-coercively help such unfortunates, then one step might be to make their businesses and other property free of taxes up to the Burgess Laughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-8940807647748946192008-06-27T15:38:00.000-04:002008-06-27T15:38:00.000-04:00Thanks, Burgess!Softwarenerd, I was thinking about...Thanks, Burgess!<BR/><BR/>Softwarenerd, I was thinking about that, too. It didn't fit into the article, but I did wonder about "how exactly would deregulation occur?" One quick thought I had was that the government would essentially have to buy back the medallions at market rates. The problem with that is the that money used to buy the medallions is taxpayer money. The bill for that would C. Augusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05860759500684485756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-76100564508092144542008-06-27T15:14:00.000-04:002008-06-27T15:14:00.000-04:00I remember reading about a major city (I think it ...I remember reading about a major city (I think it was either Minneapolis or St. Paul) that recently decided to phase out their taxi-medallions over 5 years. They have been sued by some cab-owners, on the basis that the change in law constitutes a regulatory "taking".<BR/><BR/>The argument goes like this: a cab-owner has paid money (less than Boston's $300K, but still not a small sum) for the SNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03953992447839442060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1579705626818354150.post-70459292753751931462008-06-27T14:15:00.000-04:002008-06-27T14:15:00.000-04:00Congratulations for writing an intriguing article....Congratulations for writing an intriguing article. The subject matter is something you can see and deal with directly, but the conclusions you draw could apply to anyone, anywhere, and at any time. That integration of particulars and universals makes the article vivid and persuasive.Burgess Laughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com