De Blasio Likens Uber to Walmart in Fight Against App
The battle between New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Uber is heating up, with de Blasio and his allies latest tactic involving a comparison between the nimble ride share app and the bulkiest of big box retailers: Walmart. The New York Times reports that at a rally at City Hall in Manhattan yesterday one protester held a placard saying "Uber is Walmart on wheels!" The mayor drew a connection between the two companies last weekend in a Daily News op-ed, writing "We wouldn’t let ExxonMobil or Wal-Mart or any other corporate giant operate in New York City without basic rules in place to protect the public." Uber, meanwhile, has attacked de Blasio in TV ads and app messages as beholden to the taxi and limo lobby. The tussle stems from a City Council proposal to cap Uber at 1% vehicle growth per year. City officials have claimed that the explosive 60% growth in for-hire vehicles since Uber's 2011 debut has slowed traffic across the five boroughs. [NYT]
