November, 03 2020, 11:00pm EDT
Prop 22 Is an Egregious Display of Corporate Power
The American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement in response to the passage of Proposition 22, a California ballot initiative backed by dominant rideshare and food delivery apps that absolves the companies of any responsibility to their workers and writes into California state law a minimum wage
WASHINGTON
The American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement in response to the passage of Proposition 22, a California ballot initiative backed by dominant rideshare and food delivery apps that absolves the companies of any responsibility to their workers and writes into California state law a minimum wage as low as $5.64/hour.
"Prop 22 passed because some of the world's wealthiest corporations spent more than $200 million deceiving voters so that they could strip their workers of the basic protections all working people need and deserve," said Morgan Harper, Senior Advisor at the American Economic Liberties Project. "Prop 22 is not just the most expensive ballot initiative of all time. It is also an egregious display of the ways dominant corporations use ill-won profits to entrench their power, shape public discourse, influence government policy, and avoid accountability. But coming from dominant and dangerous companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Postmates, it's not a surprise."
"Since they were established, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Postmates have done all they can to exploit the workers who make their services possible. From ignoring legislation like AB5 and misclassifying their drivers as 'independent contractors' to brazenly plunging into market after market with zero regard for local taxi and limousine service regulations or emergency delivery fee caps, these dominant apps have shown time and again that breaking the law is a fundamental feature of their business model," added Harper. In the days and weeks to come, we encourage policymakers and enforcers to investigate the practices of these corporations to protect workers and small businesses."
The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America's system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.
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Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) brought the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act—which would prohibit the federal government from forcing journalists and telecom companies to disclose certain information, with exceptions for terroristic or violent threats—for a unanimous consent vote.
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Trump has picked Harmeet Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. She has stated that it must be "made unsafe" for hospitals to provide trans care, and frequently shares Libs of TikTok posts. She intends to target trans people in blue states. Subscribe to support my journalism.
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— Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com) December 10, 2024 at 8:14 AM
Reed continued:
Dhillon's most prominent work includes founding the Center for American Liberty, a legal organization that focuses heavily on anti-transgender cases in blue states. The organization's "featured cases" section highlights several lawsuits, such as Chloe Cole's case against Kaiser Permanente; a lawsuit challenging a Colorado school's use of a transgender student's preferred name; a case against a California school district seeking to implement policies that would forcibly out transgender students; and a lawsuit against Vermont for denying a foster care license to a family unwilling to comply with nondiscrimination policies regarding transgender youth.
Reed also highlighted Dhillon's attacks on state laws protecting transgender people, as well as her expression of "extreme anti-trans views" on social media—including calling gender-affirming healthcare for trans children "child abuse."
Last year, The Guardian's Jason Wilson reported that the Center for American Liberty made a six-figure payment to a public relations firm that represented Dhillion in both "her capacity as head of her own for-profit law firm and Republican activist."
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