Ras Baraka
#BlueFriday
Today’s #BlueFriday honoree is the Director of Public Safety in Newark, Anthony Ambrose. Leading a police force in any major city is a huge undertaking. In a dangerous city like Newark it’s especially trying. Decades of failed leadership and increasing crime have hurt local residents. I’ve often talked about solutions that go back to successful models of city policing from the past couple decades. Looks like the team in Newark are starting to make some headway.
Rent Free In Baraka’s Head
Hmm… Livin’ in Ras Baraka’s head rent free? Yesterday I spent a good part of the morning discussing the incredible disservice that the Newark Mayor was doing to his residents by denying them job opportunities and affordable transportation. Seems that instead of interacting in a constructive conversation about how to make the cab industry more competitive, the mayor chose to double down and attack the one company that is looking to help thousands of Newark residents lift themselves out of the tough economic circumstances that currently surround them. Uber is a safe, efficient and affordable alternative to current transportation options in Newark. The company is poised to help people on the consumer and entrepreneurial sides of the equation. They should be encouraged not attacked. The regulations and fees currently in place should be reduced for competitors like cabs in order to truly level the playing field for all. Instead, Baraka decided to attack Uber and continue the narrative of half truths and fear tactics in order to get his way.
Check out my interview with Uber from yesterday:
And here is the Mayor’s ignorant response to the overwhelming number of calls he received from our listeners:
Decide for yourself and then call him to let him know it’s time to #FreeUber (973) 733-6400.
#FreeUber
The showdown is coming next week. Newark city government taking on Uber with regulations and fees that will likely drive the entrepreneurial giant that has revolutionized local transportation out of the city limits. Uber is a rideshare program that empowers drivers to use their own cars to serve as a less expensive and app driven service that I call, “the car service for the rest of us.” Background checks, insurance and cashless transactions driven by an app on customer’s mobiles phones all add up to a hugely successful business model that has changed the way many of us get around in cities and the suburbs.