Why Brow Commissioner Missed Uber Vote

 

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

 

Broward Commissioner Lois Wexler wants you to know:

She didn’t duck the Uber controversy by walking off the dias late Tuesday night.

Wexler pledged that she would be voting on ride sharing when it comes back to the commission in the fall for two more votes.

“I will be there for those votes,” she vowed.

 

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Lois Wexler

 

Her office received four e-mails as of 11 a.m. complaining that she was not on the dais for the vote.

“I left at 10 o’clock (p.m.),” she said, noting the first commission meeting started at 10 a.m.. “I had had enough for the day.”

The vote Tuesday was to ask the county attorney to draft a new ride sharing ordinance. Wexler called that vote “routine” and “technical.”

The commission still faces a vote to schedule the new ride-sharing governing ordinance for a public hearing and a second vote on the ordinance itself at a later date.

Wexler said she did not know how she would vote. But she seemed to be leaning against relaxing the requirement that drivers be fingerprinted, which Uber has demanded.

Since there appeared to be five commissioners (out of nine) who want to ditch fingerprinting, Wexler’s position may not matter.

She explained her position this way:

Broward taxis today have a set number of drivers, many who do the job fulltime. Uber wants to have unlimited thousands driving with many part timers.

Wexler said fingerprinting was good method to check whether any of those thousands of part time drivers had criminal records.

“I’m concerned… It may be next year or in five years, but I believe there will be repercussions due to safety,” she predicted.

“I am not a dinosaur. I use a smart phone,” she said “…(but) Uber’s line in the sand is they don’t want the county to have the names of drivers…I’m not comfortable with that.”

After a long career at the School Board and more than a decade on the County Commission, Wexler said the storm over ride sharing was not an issue that unduly disturbed her. In a not so-suble shot at Commissioner Stacy Ritter, who said the Uber fight was disturbing her sleep, Wexler said:

“I’ve been doing this a long time. This is not one that keeps me up at night.”

Wexler is term limited out next year. Ritter, who is backing Uber, is running for re-election.

 



14 Responses to “Why Brow Commissioner Missed Uber Vote”

  1. Kevin Cerino says:

    This has nothing to do with passenger safety and everything to do with protecting the taxi cab company owners.

    Passenger safety was not an issue until Uber came to town and started cutting into the taxi business.

    If safety was an issue, why did the county allow people with criminal records for kidnapping, armed robbery, and sexual battery drive cabs?

    http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-whos-driving-me-20150408-story.html

  2. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    Five County Commissioners don’t want finger
    printing of people offering rides to the public? Only crimmunals n creeps could be for this position. What mental defect do these five clowns suffer from? Oh who is the Uber lobbyist or lobbyists?

  3. anyoneelse says:

    Someone needs to run about Ms. Stacey Ritter. Nuf said.

  4. Sam says:

    No company willingly hires criminals to work for them & risk others getting harm & them sued.

    they are not going to build a global business & profits so they can be sued out of business.

  5. Enough says:

    You don’t walk out on a commission vote. That’s just unprofessional.

  6. WHAT.. HUH? says:

    @COUNT …. crimmunals? Really? Go learn how to spell and then come back…

  7. Count L F Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    Long time civil rights attorney and writer Sam
    Ffields has championed the underdog n underprivileged for decades so his comments have to be considered even if Republican Alexander Hamilton not Democrat Andrew Jackson started us on the patronage road when Hamilton was first secretary of the Treasury BUT tell me why Biscayne Bay n Young Republican President and Tea Partier Kevin Cerino would have any credibility to talk about working class taxi drivers! Tea Partiers don’t research an issue n give us FACTS they give us FANTASIES! Mr Fields gives us rationale positions whether one agrees with him or not as above

  8. City Activist Robert Walsh says:

    First of all the photo of her is very nice. She wants level two background checks. She is not in the majority and understands this. I liked the fact about the 1% of Uber’ gross coming to the county($). I also like the fact that they will pay us almost 500g for the past year etc, for going into the port/airport. LIke she stated pass, doesn’t pass this is not one of her priorities. She doesn’t need Uber’ money. She clearly will tell you she is done next year etc. I also liked Beam Furr take on all this. Lastly to point out Comm.wexler left early, Mayor Ryan wanted to postpoe the meeting until Sept 1. And Comm>lamarca is peeved because Uber won’t come back until Sept 1 etc, when they coul d have turned the apt. back on after the meeting. Uber will eventually prevail. Although I think the commissioners Wexler included are showing Uber etc. that you play (fares ) , you pay..

  9. Old Timer says:

    Lois Wexler should get into the information age … it made a lot of sense to hear that Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, does not have one retail store.
    Would someone please ask Lois what’s wrong with the free-enterprise system. Why is she protecting an unnecessary monopoly?

  10. L. F. Graf Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    Old Timer does not purchase the same items I get from Amazon – books – or he would know while Amazon does not have a stone n mortar retail book store it acts as their agent so that in reality for the items I buy there in fact is a retail store involved.

  11. wally&pepe says:

    I never saw such arrogance in my life. Stacy Ritter disagreeing with Bogen and LaMarca saying she doesn’t have to do what her constituents want because it’s a republic not a democracy and if we don’t like it, vote her out. I will gladly take her up on that next year. Clearly the residents of Broward overwhelmingly want Uber back. I am so touched that they’re so concerned about my safety… and now they can butt the hell out. If they’re THAT concerned why don’t they focus on all the uninsured civilian drivers out there. Or here’s a novel thought: upgrade Broward county transit because our public transportation SUCKS hence the success of Uber! Last but not least- Lois could have hung in there for one more hour. What if ALL the commissioners had that attitude??

  12. City Activist Robert Walsh says:

    #11 You are right about the buses. As far as why she stated that basiccly she will not vote etc. how you tell her to vote. Whats funny she was never for Uber. She was waiting on a California ruling as if Uber could be an independent contractor status. Cali ruled. Uber lost. Where is Comm.ritter, not a mention of that. I thought that Cali ruling was important fact. She brought it up weeks ago. I thought that ruling would give her more leverage. Then Uber got smart and hired Mr.Mosocowicz(Ritter’ neighbor-inciendently that whole drama w/ her father you should have minded your own business(same w/ top cop next door to Chief adderley in Plantation-(yes).) Anyhow Uber will be back on Sept 1(you’ll see). County will get their share.(if it sticks and no more surprises county will get 1% of gross and over 500g(3.50 per entrance etc to port/air) retro to when Uber started . Level two background checks are not necessary and level 1 will suffice(I mean come on-I don’;t think Charlie Manson will be picking you up anytime soon. And enough w/ the public weighing in. We have heard pros/cons for months now. We know who is for it/against etc. There should be no more hearings on this. Comm>larmarca is right Uber should have turned that app. on Wed.am. Thank you Chip. Lamarca ha s been for Uber from day one(no flip/flop, no mucho busy body neighbor(Moscowicz) could sway his vote…

  13. Disgusted says:

    follow the money…..it is the Democratic way here in Browierd.

  14. Omer Keks says:

    She didn’t duck the Uber controversy by walking off the dias late Tuesday night. Wexler pledged that she would be voting on ride sharing when it comes back to the commission in the fall for two more votes.