How Not To Regulate The Economy – The Way California Regulates The Economy

California is the ultimate progressive state. California is thus the poster child for how a progressive world would be. You know, tens of thousands of homeless crapping in the streets of one of the centres of the global economy.

Or, of course, we can look at how they regulate business:

Perhaps, then, we should look to California as an example of how to address this. In January, Uber’s home state introduced a new law that seemed designed to end the sort of employment grey area that companies such as Uber inhabit.

So, what were the effects of progressive legislation?

But from its inception, AB 5 has seemed like an exercise in haste. Although attention has been on gig economy apps, the law threatened dozens of other jobs, from newspaper delivery people to truck drivers. Dozens of exemptions, from private tutors to dog groomers, were rushed into it at the last minute, a telltale sign of a poorly-thought out regulation.

And even despite this, jobs have been lost elsewhere. In December the digital media company Vox said it would cut hundreds of freelance writers due to the new laws, which say that submitting more than 35 articles in a year should qualify as employment.

And what about Uber and its gig economy brethren? Have they thrown up their hands and vowed to turn all of its drivers into employees? There is no sign of that; in fact, early signs suggest that responses designed to comply with the law will make things worse for everybody involved.

Ah, progressives. Screwing everyone by not actually understanding reality. Ah well, tant pis, they elected the fools.