Two weeks ago the Tampa Bay Partnership sponsored a conference on transportation in St. Petersburg that featured a panel regarding new technology. Sitting alongside state Representative Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) and Hillsborough County Commissioner Chair Mark Sharpe was a representative from Lyft, which, along with Uber, has been providing transportation in the Tampa Bay area since April, much to the chagrin of some elected officials in Tampa, along with virtually everyone in the cab industry. Yellow Cab proprietor Louie Minardi has been expressing his frustration about the unfairness of Uber and Lyft drivers coming into town and not playing by the same rules and regulations that cab companies like his have to abide by, and that frustration led to him to send a blistering letter on Monday to Stu Rogel, the CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership.
"I would like to express my complete disappointment in your organization, your leadership and your judgement," Minardi's letter begins, before accusing Rogel of being "irresponsible" in showcasing businesses that "you know are operating illegally." He also makes sure to mention that the Partnership accepts public funding, and adds that the Partnership placed Brandes and Sharpe "in the tenuous position of violating ethics and standards of conduct policies as well as their oaths in office."
Whatever impact that was supposed to have on Rogel, however, doesn't seem to have worked, as he says he has no regrets about inviting the two ride-sharing services to the summit. "He doesn't understand the Partnership's position on this," Rogel told CL regarding Minardi's letter."He thinks the Partnership has taken some position about Uber and Lyft as ride-sharing services. We haven't taken any position."
Rogel said the panel's focus was on how new technologies are affecting transportation options in the Tampa Bay area. He said that while his organization does receive public funds, none were expended on organizing the transit summit two weeks ago. "People paid a registration fee to attend, and our overhead costs were taken up by private businesses who wanted to support it."
Minardi concludes his letter by stating, "Simply put, you have leveraged public monies to support illegal business operations, validated breaking the law in Hillsborough County, and called into question the ethics of elected officials to support it. I believe you should publicly apologize to Commissioner Sharpe and Senator Jeff Brandes and retract your support of Uber and Lyft until they are in full compliance with the law."
But Brandes says the only who should be apologizing are the regulators who are enforcing a system that he says no longer makes sense in 2014.
"I don't see the point of the letter," he said. "It just shows how these types of old-line industries are trying to keep competition out. They don't want to compete on a level playing field."
Mary Kelley Hoppe, an aide to Commissioner Sharpe, said that her boss doesn't feel "one iota of ethical lapse or judgment lapse in being part of a panel discussion." She says that despite Sharpe's notable enthusiasm for the ride-sharing services, Sharpe actually has never ridden in a Lyft or Uber vehicle. "Mark is not encouraging people to ride Uber or Lyft," she emphasized.
Outside the transportation summit were a handful of Tampa cab drivers protesting Uber. Several veteran cab drivers told CL at the time that they felt that Uber and Lyft were playing by different rules than they were, since those companies have opted not to be certified by the county's Public Transportation Commission.
Brandes says that there should no longer be any minimum fares, minimum times to ride in a vehicle and no caps on licenses to own or run a cab in Hillsborough County. "If the argument is that they feel there's an unfair playing field, well, then let's make the playing field level, and let them compete. Ultimately, consumers will decide."
But Minardi says when the PTC attempted to cut the minimum fares and minimum times over the summer, neither Lyft nor Uber were interested in that compromise. And regarding those companies' insurance and background check policies that have come under severe scrutiny in jurisdictions across the country, Menardi says, "Whether you agree with the law or not, you follow it."
That's apparently why he decided to include in his letter a copy of an Oath of Office form given to all Hillsborough County elected officials to sign, something that Hoppe said she was personally disappointed by.
Minardi says that individual cities should be the ones to decide the literal rules of the road, but says that Senator Brandes and others would rather make such top-down decisions from Tallahassee. Considering the fact that the legislative session doesn't start for nearly another five months, it doesn't appear that the current status quo will change anytime soon.