Legalize Santa's Dollar Van For Hire

Libertarian Party of NY -- Press Release -- Legalize Santa's Dollar Van For Hire

LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF NEW YORK http://www.ny.lp.org/

“LEGALIZE SANTA’S DOLLAR VAN FOR HIRE TO REDUCE CONGESTION”. LIBERTARIANS ISSUE CALL FOR FREE ENTERPRISE IN TRANSIT

New York City, 12/18/06 “New York City would harass Santa if he carried passengers for hire in his sleigh,” says Libertarian Party of New York Chair Richard Cooper. Queens commuter and the 2006 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate John Clifton challenges the City authorities. “O Municipal Pharaoh, just let thy commuters go.” To reduce congestion, especially bad as Christmas approaches, the Libertarians urge that the City rely on free markets in transportation by abolition of the taxicab medallion system and legalization of the so-called gypsy cabs and dollar vans. These commuter vans, also known as jitneys, ply regular routes, competing with each other and the city-owned buses.

John Clifton is a social worker in Queens who champions free markets in transportation and puts his money where his mouth is. He rides the dollar vans and uses gypsy cabs, like many other minority inner-city residents ill-served by the regulated and tax-supported welfare state transit system. Clifton declares “The City calls it stealing when it loses passengers to the vans. Does Burger King “steal” revenue when it competes with McDonald’s? Busy outer-borough commuters want better service than that provided by the MTA.”

Cooper adds, “Urban, rural or suburban the best solutions and hope for Americans can be found with Libertarians. We stand for individual liberty, free markets and personal responsibility in order to promote a society that enjoys more justice, abundance, and peace.”

Additional information: The Institute for Justice www.ij.org has gone to court to defend commuter vans in New York City from the bureaucrats. The Reason Foundation www.reason.org and Heartland Institute www.heartland.org have published studies on the subject of free enterprise in transit.
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