Opinion/Column Archives

Taxi drivers are owed giant apologies by so many groups, it’s hard to keep track any more.

I have read so many ridiculous, misguided, inaccurate and plain pathetic media articles about Uber in the past 4 years, I am at risk of becoming inured to the lunacy. I’ve lobbied politicians and pleaded with cops. I’ve debated family members and friends. I’ve pestered media members until they ran away from me.

Their minds are impenetrable; people want so desperately to believe you can get something for nothing, you can’t overcome their magical thinking.

We should never give up thinking skeptically, though, and challenging the lunacy; because what happened to taxi drivers could happen to anyone in any industry. The corruption and massive breach of business and political ethics that have infected the vehicle for hire industry can – and will – affect EVERY industry in future. Uber’s business model and philosophy is a cancer that must be removed from commerce.

Cabbies, unfortunately, have been the canaries in the coal mine. I’m so sorry.

Opinion/Column Propaganda Watch Ride Hailing news Taxi industry news

Don’t close the Uber Files! The spectacle continues right here, right now, today in Toronto

July 14, 2022 Rita Smith

Clearly, the Uber Files offer a platform for politicians to issue sweeping statements about how perfectly fine their behaviour was 10 years ago. But here’s where doubts creep in: their behaviour wasn’t perfectly fine then, and this story didn’t end 10 years ago. It’s happening right now, today. What if the Uber Files are nothing more than a cue for Uber and the politicians that enabled it to claim they are putting the past behind them and lull everyone back to sleep?

In Toronto, for example, Uber’s influence over the law didn’t end when Mayor Tory brought a motion to Council which offered ridesharing companies preferential rules, generously handing them a massive competitive advantage.

Uber’s influence is still as plain as the nose on your face in, for example, the situation occurring right this minute as Toronto’s Licensing division is lackadaisically moseying along in its third year of attempting to roll out a training program for Vehicle for Hire (VFH) drivers.

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What caused Tracey Cook to change her mind about Uber?

July 14, 2022 Guest Contributor

by Harvey Spiegel. Q.C. Superior Court Of Justice Toronto,Ontario, Retired On Nov. 18 2014, at a press conference announcing the City’s application to restrain all Uber operations in Toronto, Tracey Cook, the executive director of Municipal Licensing and Standards Division

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Drivers demand accountability from Uber, governments, unions and policy makers after latest scandal

July 13, 2022 Guest Contributor

“I am not shocked at what has been revealed by the Uber Files. I experienced that everyday so why would I be surprised?” said Ejaz Butts, General Secretary of The International Alliance of App-based Transport Workers (IAAWT).

“If there is anything I feel on reading all the details it is simply that I am also now appalled by the number of people who participated and continued to participate in this criminal violation of the rights of workers and ordinary people.”

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Dutch-Canadians warn Farmers about nitrogen control measures, government over reach

July 12, 2022 Rita Smith

Road Warrior News has polled Dutch-Canadian citizens and Farmers about the protests currently underway in Europe and found they are shocked and surprised current events in the Netherlands. Dutch Farmers have used their tractors to blockade highways and the airport, and one photo indicates they even towed away the Prime Minister’s private jet.

As they have since the earliest days of the protests, which have now spread to nations including Italy and Poland, the Dutch Farmers point to the Canadian Freedom Convoy as their inspiration.

Opinion/Column Ride Hailing news Taxi industry news

The Uber Files: what do they mean? Do they mean anything at all?

July 11, 2022 Rita Smith

Today, Monday July 11, 2022, the Taxi/Ridesharing world is abuzz with information and comment on “The Uber Files,” published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

I am reading as fast as I can, and have received phone calls from numerous associates who have various interests in the files. Taxi, Ridesharing, Insurance, Finance, Government Relations, Lobbying, Media – everyone who has watched the Taxi/Uber scenario play out for a decade has an opinion on what the Uber Files mean for business and politics.

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Elvis: it’s worth the money to see it in theatre

July 10, 2022 Mike Murchison

The movie is fast paced, spanning the life, milestones, stresses, joys and heartbreaks of the most famous entertainer to walk the earth.

The story for the most part was accurate, down to the details of the wardrobe, which was expected, having the technical assistance of many of the people who served with Elvis on this “rocket to eternity.”

The portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker by Tom Hanks is nothing short of brilliant, and it left me with the idea that I had just witnessed, as a fly on the wall would have witnessed, what went down in some very critical periods during the relationship of Parker and Presley.

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Politicians are standing in the way of affordable energy

July 6, 2022 Guest Contributor

But we also have any number of other policies and legislation implemented and supported by the federal government to discourage or prevent exploration and development of Canada’s abundant oil and gas resources. These are resources that, if exploited properly, would make energy in Canada more affordable for all. The Trudeau/Singh cabal don’t want them exploited though. They want them locked in the ground.

The surest way for them to do that is to make it nearly impossible to build pipelines: the lack of new pipeline infrastructure in Canada means we can’t move more oil and gas – either within Canada, to the US, or to our coasts to go abroad. Existing pipes are full, so producers can’t produce more to put in them. But the market wants more product.

Guest Contributions Opinion/Column

Trudeau’s plan “to get beyond fossil fuels” is as scary as it sounds: McTeague

July 5, 2022 Guest Contributor

Transition from what? Transition to what?

Daring to ask what we are transitioning from prompts a lot of anger, for it dares to question the premise that what we have is bad. Key to just transition thinking is that everything past is a problem. This lends weight to the sense of urgency for transition to something good. And what will good be? Incredibly, the goal is a country – and a planet – where people don’t use fossil fuels.