Louche City Commissioner LEANNA FREEMAN heard local taxicab drivers, landlord Wolfgang Schau, Commissioner Todd Neville, Mayor Nancy Shaver and I speak against her plans to implement the anti-competitive agenda of SAX TAXI owner JAMES HOWARD to pass a law that would ban taxicabs older than ten years or with more than 250,000 miles on it.
Dull divorce lawyer FREEMAN yielded to facts and law at last.
Neville said the provisions were "somewhat arbitrary," stating that Casa Monica Hotel, "across the street," has "two vehicles for hire that are over 80 years old."
Mayor Shaver stated that she once drove a 300D with more than 500,000 miles.
Earlier, during general public comment, Wolfgang Schau spoke of a Mercedes taxicab in Hamburg that had more than one million miles and was more than 30 years old and rode like a dream.
FREEMAN looked down and looked pouty during the discussion, but conceded that the regulatory amendments met her goals.
There was no sign of would-be monopolist JAMES HOWARD or his erstwhile lawyer, JAMES GEORGE WHITEHOUSE, one of the satellites in ST. JOHNS LAW GROUP, owned by DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT.
HOWARD undisputedly intended to put all of the other taxicab companies in town out of business, as cab driver Thomas Strickland quoted HOWARD during general public comment.
During general public comment, I briefly pointed out that the ordinance would be an unconstitutional taking in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, wearing my fish tie because the ordinance is so "fishy."
While the unaltered taxicab ordinance passed on first reading, it will go to public hearing on July 11, 2016 where the two obnoxious provisions are likely to be deleted and defeated. Come join us.
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