Statement from Councilman Sal DiCiccio on Phoenix Raising Fees on Uber, Lyft Rides at Sky Harbor Airport

By Sal DiCiccio —

The politicians at the City of Phoenix today passed another huge tax increase – and this one specifically targets the little guy, the independent small business owner trying to make a living.

“You are the little guy, you are the hard workers. This is your business. You’ve done everything you can to try to grow it. This is just the first step of many that are going to try to take away your business. You will be told constantly that this is being done for the best interest. It’s not being done for the best interest. It’s a money grab – because that’s what the government does.

You’re going to need to fight it. You’re going to need to do everything you can to stop this,” said Councilman DiCiccio addressing the contingent of Uber and Lyft drivers who showed up to protest the tax increase.

DiCiccio then continued to address company representatives, “Unless you work together with your drivers, and protect your drivers…and defend them, the work they are doing, then you guys might as well hang it up. If you don’t, you’re going to be run over multiple times.”

DiCiccio also noted impacts on ride share users who don’t have time to wait for a bus or the money to pay for expensive terminal parking. “Someone rushing to get to the airport doesn’t have time to wait to for three buses and the light rail to get them to the Sky Train, and lots of people can’t afford to park at the airport – especially after we also gave the Airport carte blanche to raise parking rates today as well. Politicians can claim they are doing this for the “little guy”, but it’s the very people they claim to be protecting who will be hurt by these tax increases,” DiCiccio added after the meeting.