Brian McQuistion, head of Metro’s Transportation Licensing Commission offended Council Members and Ethiopian cab drivers seeking to start their own cab company.when he made prejudicial comments about cab drivers as reported in a piece by Joey Garrison in today's City Paper. Below are excerpts from the article.
Multiple caucus members claim McQuistion said cab drivers, who tend to be minorities, would resort to crime, prostitution or drug-dealing if the cap on the number of cab permits in Nashville were increased and business among all cab drivers were stretched out.
He didn’t say they would become rogue. He didn’t say they would begin to do things like give rides without the meter being on. He said they would respond by going into prostitution and drug dealing. And we were shocked. We were shocked by his statement,” Maynard said.(Cab commission director's comments on drivers 'offend and shock' council members)The Council Members and cab drivers have a right to be offended. The bigger offense coming from the Transportation Licensing Commission however is the believe that the commission knows what the price of a cab ride or limo ride should be and that they know how many vehicles for hire should be allowed to exist in the city. While the prejudice against minorities is offensive, so is the prejudice against free enterprise and markets and the use of the Commission to fix prices and protect existing companies from competition.
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