Uber vs. Portland: Who's right?

Kari Chisholm

On Friday night, Uber announced that it would start offering rides in Portland -- without completing negotiations with Portland over licensing, insurance, etc. On Monday afternoon, the City of Portland filed a lawsuit asking a Court to order Uber to stop operating.

I don't know about you, but my social media feeds have been raging back and forth -- with progressives coming down on both sides. A pair of sample posts:

UBER GOOD
So... what do I hate more? Uber's shady business practices or bureaucratic red tape that restricts a necessary public good? In this case, it's the latter. Thank goodness for disruptive technology.

UBER BAD
Until Uber and ALL OTHER mini-cab services are willing to comply with negotiated union wages and rates and guarantee both wages and health/welfare on the one side and passenger safety on the other side I am no go.

Here's what Commissioner Steve Novick -- who runs the Portland Bureau of Transportation had to say:

If Uber thinks there should be no maximum price on what they charge Portlanders, they should make their case to the Portland City Council. If Uber thinks taxi companies shouldn’t have to serve people with disabilities, they should make their case. If Uber thinks taxis should not have to have proper insurance in case of a crash, they should tell us why we should allow that.

And here's what you'll find on the official Support Uber Portland petition:

The bottom line is this: Drivers deserve an opportunity to earn a living and Portlanders deserve a safe, hassle-free transportation option. And we will fight for you to have that right until it’s a reality.

I see merit in both sides of the argument. So, dear readers, I want to hear from you. Is Uber a good or bad thing? Is the way that Uber entered the Portland market an acceptable or unacceptable approach? Is the City's lawsuit an appropriate response or no?

Talk to me, folks.

By Kari Chisholm Dec. 09, 2014