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By Eric Bush
Last week, bureaucrats in New Jersey handed Uber a $650 million fine, insisting that Uber drivers should be considered employees, not independent contractors. This is just the latest attempt to regulate away opportunities for hard-working Americans looking to get ahead.
Democrats – ranging from Andy Beshear to Kamala Harris – have repeatably insinuated that people who drive for Uber, whether it be to take their kids on vacation or pay a few bills, are actually victims. God forbid someone might voluntarily provide a useful service while enjoying the fruits of their labor! Ironically, Harris’s now defunct campaign racked up more than $14,000 in Uber expenses – hope she tipped!
This war on the freelancing is a favorite tactic of the left. Well-meaning democrats insist Uber drivers be considered regular employees instead of contractors, which would require Uber to provide drivers sick leave and health care benefits, not to mention pay a slew of additional payroll taxes. But the effect is higher fares, fewer trips, and diminished opportunities for the nearly one million Uber drivers. The reality is that Uber is not an employer. It’s a platform which connects independent drivers with riders and takes a small cut. Unlike traditional employees, Uber drivers don’t have scheduled shifts – they can work whenever they want or not at all – and they provide their own vehicles and gasoline.
On a recent trip, I rode with a Bangladeshi-immigrant who came to this country with nothing more than a strong work ethic. Driving for Uber may not be his American dream, but for him it’s a rung on the ladder towards achieving it. This man is not as a victim, but an embodiment of the hard work and grit our country has long valued. Through costly regulations, Democrats put a harness on innovative companies like Uber and the creativity of would-be entrepreneurs.
Eric Bush is a McConnell Scholar in the Class of 2020. He is studying finance, political science, and Chinese at the University of Louisville.