Chicago Political War Causing Shortage Of Ride Share Vehicles?

I found the best way to write this article was in a question and answer format.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ASTRONOMICAL RIDE SHARE PRICES?

Q). Is your ride share driver's greed causing high prices?

A). No. Ride share drivers don't set the price. Rideshare companies do.

Q). So it's the ride share companies fault prices are high?

A). The ride share companies merely respond to supply and demand for
rides. The higher the demand and the lower the supply of rideshare
vehicles cause “SURGE”. If you are in a high demand area with not
enough rideshare vehicles, surge kicks in and ride share companies
use surge to entice more drivers into an area. You'll pay more, but
at least you get home (that's the theory, but since the lack of
drivers, you may not get a ride at all).

Q). What causes high demand?

A). Inclement weather pretty much guarantees greater demand. Snow, rain,
sub-zero temperatures have pedestrians summoning Ubers in greater
numbers. Most weekends as more and more people avoid risking a DUI
and take an Uber. If there's sporting events and conventions, you'll
see surge. Unfortunately, city violence is causing an increase in
demand and surge prices as more and more citizens are opting for a
safe ride in an Uber than enjoy a walk home from a restaurant or bar.

Q). Are unemployment benefits responsible for a lack of drivers?

A). Probably not. According to Lenny Sanchez from the Illinois Drivers
Guild, benefits vary from $100 to $484/week plus add-ons for
dependents and extra from the feds. It varies greatly, depending on
part-time vs. full-time, average earnings etc., factor in the benefit
amount.

Q). Are higher gas prices affecting availability?

A). I doubt it. I paid $35 for a fill up in January. Now I'm paying $50.
I don't believe higher gas prices have much of an impact. I'm
averaging $40/hour and might use half a tank of gas.

Q). COVID-19?

A). I don't fear it. It hasn't stopped me, but it may have stopped
others, especially those with vulnerable family members.

Q). What about Uber's treatment of their drivers?

A). Dealing with Uber Support is frustrating to say the least. However,
lately it seems Uber Support is responding faster to driver
complaints. The problem with Uber corporate is they tell drivers
they're “partners”, yet appear to stick it to them at every
opportunity. At one time, Uber drivers received about 80% of the
fare. Now it's closer to 50%. Unless you know what you're doing, you
won't make as much money as an experienced driver. Uber has and will
continue to lose drivers, but that's not the real reason there's a
shortage of drivers.

Q). Is unprecedented demand causing sky high prices?

A). First off, this isn't unprecedented demand. We're not even close to
being at full capacity, so you can count that one out. Right now,
Chicago bars are allowed 50% capacity. If you think prices are high
now, wait until everything opens up. Lightfoot is talking opening up
July 1st. Uber and Lyft's CEOs expect to see a severe shortage of
drivers in the fall as the economy recovers. It's mentioned in this
article https://www.wired.com/.../gig-companies-fear-worker.../

Q). Each of these impact the number of available drivers. But what's the
BIGGEST concern of drivers?

A). The answer is safety. Chicago's violence spread to the downtown, and
other areas not known for violence. The news media gave very little
coverage of the hundreds of youths causing mayhem downtown last week.
Out of that mayhem, another rideshare vehicle was carjacked. However,
social media revealed everything the news didn't. In addition,
smartphones have police scanner apps. I tune in to Zone 4 of
Chicago's 1st and 18th Districts. The Loop is the 1st district. River
North, Mag Mile, Cabrini, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast and
surrounding areas are in the 18th District. Those two districts are
now handling calls I rarely heard while I was a police officer.

Q). How do you feel about safety?

A). As a driver, it concerns me a lot. After listening to the police
scanner and a couple of feeds from Twitter on Saturday night, I
learned downtown went up for grabs, so it was DuPage County for me.
DuPage County has a no-nonsense State's Attorney named Bob Berlin
doing his job protecting the public. Do a carjacking out there,
you're not getting electronic monitoring or a low bond. On top of
that, after conviction, you're doing years. Even with a good State's
Attorney, there was a shortage of drivers out there last week. Not
because of violence. Many high schools had their proms. I was driving
kids home from Hinsdale Central's prom.

Q). Back to Chicago's growing violence. What's causing it?

A). In the short term, it's a lack of action from politicians.
Politicians will give you a “canned response” and say lack of
opportunities, jobs, good schools, etcetera, but won't touch the
subject of WHO is responsible. That's because the party responsible
is usually a fellow politician who is part of the Chicago Machine.

Q). But the question remains, who is responsible for the ever rising
violence in Chicago?

A). Toni Preckwinkle's former Chief of Staff, Kim Foxx. She's currently
Cook County State's Attorney. In addition to her, you have Chief
Judge Tim Evans, and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. All of them are
into the “catch and release” program of releasing VIOLENT
criminals right back out onto the streets. Their actions created the
disaster we are witnessing as violence grows in all parts of Chicago.
After last week's stabbing incident, do you really think the
Riverwalk will have more visitors next week?

Q). Why would politicians allow such violence to continue unabated?

A). That's the million dollar question everybody is asking and nobody is answering. You have
to look deep for the answer. By deep, you have to look at MOTIVE. Who
benefits from the State's Attorney's lack of response as city
violence deepens? Not the rideshare drivers and citizens. Certainly
not Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago. She's taking the political
heat.

Q). You just told us who DOESN'T benefit. Who benefits from the violence?

A). Lori Lightfoot's political enemies. In particular, The Chicago
Machine. If you want specifics, look at Toni Preckwinkle. Preckwinkle
and her Chicago Teachers Union minions became a thorn in Lightfoot's
side from the beginning of her term. Lightfoot screwed up by caving
in to the demands of the Teachers Union. Next up is Preckwinkle's
protégé, State's Attorney Kim Foxx. Is the State's Attorney's lack of
action against violent criminals part of a political war against Lori
Lightfoot? Awful as it sounds, you have to look closely at what's
going on in Chicago today: Criminals no longer fear law enforcement
or the State's Attorney. This is reflected by Chicago's growing
violent crime in ALL parts of the city. Lightfoot's taking the
political heat for the violence Kim Foxx created.

Q). Can you give an example of the political heat?

A). Look at the protest at Lightfoot's house in April. Thousands of
protesters demanded justice for an armed 13 year old shot by Chicago
Police in a justified shooting. The protesters wanted the officer criminally prosecuted.
Lightfoot isn't responsible for criminal prosecutions, she is
responsible for the day to day operation of the city. The person
responsible for criminal prosecutions is Toni Preckwinkle's protégé,
State's Attorney Kim Foxx. Yet, the protesters showed up at
Lightfoot's house. You know who else showed up at Lightfoot's house?
Toni Preckwinkle. Preckwinkle didn't speak, but her appearance at the
protest was a way of telling Lightfoot, “Kim Foxx is responsible
for rising crime in Chicago, but my political machine organized this
protest in front of your house, not Kim Foxx's.” Preckwinkle's
arrival at this protest resembled a conquering general at the steps
of the opponents castle. Talk about arrogance.

Q). Getting back to the lack of rideshare drivers and the resulting high
prices, who is getting hit hardest?

A). Everybody is getting hit. Even the suburbs on weekends. But, it's
even worse in the poorer sections. In particular, the south side of
Chicago. I'll be blunt, the south side isn't as safe as Winnetka. I
know, I worked in Pullman and Englewood as a Chicago police officer.
What's especially terrible for south side residents is many use Uber
to get to their work locations safely because Chicago's Mass Transit
System isn't safe. You're talking about spending more of the family's
income on transportation. Income better spent on the family. It's
tough enough financially on families as it is. Now the State's
Attorney creates widespread and growing violence putting an
additional financial burden on everybody. What the heck is Kim Foxx's
logic?

Q). Do you have an example of Southsiders using Uber instead of Mass
Transit?

A). Yes. I noticed late at night I was getting more pickups at the
Roosevelt Road Red Line stop for trips to the south side. Passengers
told me riding Mass Transit south of Roosevelt Road isn't safe on the
south side; they'd rather pay for an Uber to finish the trip for
safety reasons. Those passengers work low-paying service jobs. It's
not like they could easily afford to use an Uber. I have to be honest
with you, I felt bad for them.

Q). Regarding Chicago's Mass Transit System, what's the problem?

A). You have to go back to the Eddie Johnson era. As John Kass wrote,
there was a Mass Transit Commander under Johnson (no pun intended)
who did nothing to address rising crime on the transit system. Kass
wondered if she sat on her hands all day. If I remember correctly,
she retired and collected a pension shortly after Kass's article.
Anybody claiming the police don't care should understand Kass's
source were likely Chicago Police Officers fed up with an inept
leader.

Q) .Did the new commander address rising crime?

A). It didn't matter who the commander was because by this time, the
damage was done. Criminals are like wolves, once they find an easy
feeding ground, they don't leave unless something bigger or badder
comes along. In the wolf's case, a bigger and badder wolf. In the
criminal's case, dedicated officers and a State's Attorney willing to
hammer criminals. But now there's a much more serious problem. Repeat
offenders repeatedly released on electronic monitoring or low bonds
are committing crimes on the Mass Transit System. Part of the terms
of bond is you can't violate the law while out on bond. Yet, Chief
Judge Tim Evan's crew of Cook County judges constantly give repeat
violent offenders electronic monitoring or low bonds. Worst of all,
State's Attorney Foxx has her office not protecting the public.
Instead, Foxx repeatedly claims “Criminal Justice Reform'' must go
on as the city experiences violent crime. Forget about rideshare
surge prices. Foxx's failed program has a more serious problem: a
growing body count.

Q). Why isn't Kim Foxx not taking appropriate action? This is a crime
she's putting residents through.

A). As in all crimes, there's motive. In this case, you have to look at
the Preckwinkle vs. Lightfoot Political War. We all know Preckwinkle
hates Lightfoot. But why? The answer is Preckwinkle is the
chairperson of the Cook County Democratic Party. She has a lot of
political power in that position. But if she was elected mayor while
holding that position, she'd be The Boss. Lightfoot's blowout win
humiliated Preckwinkle. Preckwinkle doesn't just want to wreck
Lightfoot's mayoral term; she wants to wreck Lightfoot. Preckwinkle's
loss revealed Preckwinkle is a lot more politically vulnerable than
everybody thought. The Chicago Machine wants the 5th Floor office at
City Hall. The question I have is this: Is Toni Preckwinkle
instructing Kim Foxx to release violent criminals back out on the
streets to politically damage Lightfoot? If not, what plausible
reason is there?

Q). What do you think the answer is?

A). As I said before, you have to look at MOTIVE. Both Foxx and
Preckwinkle repeatedly state “Criminal Justice Reform'' must go on.
I don't know their thought process, but how can rampant violence with
a body count act as reform? It defies logic. I haven't heard either
one of them give a rational explanation. I'm sticking with the
growing violence in Chicago isn't from incompetence. It's from the
Chicago Machine camp of Preckwinkle/Foxx. This Preckwinkle vs.
Lightfoot Political War is a lot more than astronomical ride share
prices. It has a growing body count. I'd like to see Foxx and
Preckwinkle explain that to the moms.

Q). Returning to surge pricing, what do you think will happen?

A). In the short term, rideshare demand may decline because of the
violence. Talk to rideshare passengers. They're waiting longer and
paying more. At some point, high prices and the fear of violence may
keep residents inside. If nobody goes to restaurants, you will see a
drop in rideshare demand. On the other hand, State's Attorney Foxx and Preckwinkle may realize voters are onto their political shenanigans and follow Bob Berlin'slead in DuPage County. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart might object. He's another Social Justice Warrior committed to emptying Cook County jail and releasing criminals back into society. Chief Judge Tim Evansmay wake up and smell the coffee and remember he's an elected official. The good news is Preckwinkle, Foxx, Dart and Evans can be voted out of office.

Q). They're Chicago Macine candidates. Do you really think they're vulnerable?

A). You better believe it. If a snowstorm in the 1970s gave Chicago its
first female mayor, moms losing kids will turn on the Chicago
Machine. Preckwinkle, Foxx, Dart, and Evans would be pariahs in
Chicago. They'd be politically destroyed.

Q). Let's say Foxx, Preckwinkle, Dart, and Evans, decide to go tough on
criminals and violent crime is severely reduced. Demand would
increase, right? According to the ride share CEOs, there's going to be a shortage
of drivers in the Fall. What can they do?

A). Every driver says, “Pay me more!” I'm averaging close to forty
dollars an hour. I'm not complaining. But I cut back my driving
because of safety concerns. Let me repeat, safety is the main concern
to drivers. The cars we drive are used by our families. If we lose
our lives driving rideshare to city violence, our families suffer.
Once the safety issue is addressed, the market will dictate how much
Uber will pay drivers.