How Government Kills Innovation

Here is a good example of how government kills innovation instead of enhancing it. There is a local transportation company called Ubercab, here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its innovation was that you call the company with your iPhone app, which automatically tells Uber where you are based on your GPS co0rdinates. A slick black limo then pulls up, takes you where you want to go - and then drops you off. No money changes hands, as the entire trip, fare and tip, are piad for by your credit card on file with them. So you think, wow, pretty cool, interesting idea, very innovative.

Until of course they got a cease and desist order from both the San Francisco Metro Transit Authority & the Public Utilities Commission of California, accusing them of operating without a license. Trouble is that everything UberCab was doing was completely above board, all the drivers were licensed, and they had done nothing to break the law. Nevertheless, they were served and said "So what? We aren't breaking any laws, so we are continuing to operate as we see fit" All they did was remove the word "cab" from their name, now they are simply Uber. Good for them. But you see, the moment theres a new innovative way of doing anything, the establishment tries to shut you down.

So much for encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.