DA Confidential

We're the law, and we say your competitors have more clout than you;

The district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles on Thursday delivered letters to Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and Sidecar Inc. accusing them of violating California business law following a joint investigation. The regulators threatened an injunction on their services if they don't make certain changes.

One of those changes to make the ride-sharers violate California law?

George Gascón, the district attorney of San Francisco, and Jackie Lacey, his counterpart in Los Angeles, allege the startups are misleading customers into believing they screen out drivers who have ever committed criminal offenses. The companies perform regular background checks, but by law cannot exclude people from becoming drivers if they were convicted of a felony more than seven years ago.

Also, stop offering such valuable services to customers;

The regulators are also asking the San Francisco-based companies to end their car-pooling services, all launched earlier this year, which allow passengers to share rides with strangers for cheaper rides. Those services violate a section of the public-utilities code which prohibits transportation providers charging multiple people for the same ride, the district attorneys say.

Iow, pretend that this isn't the 21st century, continue with the old tried and true. Progress need not apply. This is California.

What would a self-serving politician be without the BIG LIE;

"We value innovation and new modes of providing service to the public; however we need to make sure that the safety and well-being of consumers are adequately protected in the process," said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón.

Why the consumers can't make that decision for themselves goes unexplained.