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Word is coming out of Memphis that the city is considering new rules to pave the way for Uber and Lyft. While the Memphis Business Journal incorrectly states that the new rules would “legalize the services,” it really amounts to passing onerous regulations that might cause busybodied bureaucrats to stand down. Those bureaucrats—not a judge—are the ones alleging that the services are already illegal based on their drunken interpretation of city ordinances. Just because they claim it’s illegal doesn’t make it so. The taxi industry is crowing that Memphis should impose these new stringent regulations on Uber and Lyft to “level the playing field.” That’s akin to lighting your neighbor’s house on fire while yours burns to equalize the temperature. Passing these new rules is not the way to open the transportation market. If the taxi industry is concerned about the hurdles it must leap to operate in the city, it should push to deregulate the taxi industry, putting it more on par with these new rideshare companies. That’s the free market solution to this madness. – Justin Owen