Jeb! Uber! Startups!
Today, the Associated Press reports in the New York Times that presidential hopeful Jeb Bush gave ride-sharing "technology" a whirl during his visit to San Francisco.
Bush hailed an Uber contractor in a black Toyota Camry on his way to visit the SoMa startup Thumbtack, which is run by former aides to his brother George W. Bush.
The move at once signaled Jeb's support for Uber and its practices and served as a subtle troll of his rival Hillary Clinton, who questioned the "gig economy" in a recent speech recorded by CNBC.
"Many Americans are making extra money renting out a spare room, designing a website ... even driving their own car," said Clinton. "This on demand or so called 'gig' economy is creating exciting opportunities and unleashing innovation, but it's also raising hard questions about workplace protections and what a good job will look like in the future."
Jeb's timing may not have been ideal, as a California judge recommended yesterday that Uber be fined $7 million and suspended for 30 days for refusing to give the California Public Utilities Commission necessary information about their "business practices, including accident details and how accessible vehicles are to disabled riders."
Previously: Judge Recommends $7M Fine, Suspension For Uber Over Skirting California Regulations