How New York City earned its reputation for being tough on tech

While they say they welcome the high-paying jobs and innovation that tech can bring to the city, they’re cautious to make sure those gains are enjoyed by a wide swath of New Yorkers, rather than a smaller number of highly skilled technical workers.“I’ve spoken to political leaders on the West Coast about what the tech industry has done to places like San Francisco,” said New York State Senator Michael Gianaris, a leading figure in opposition to the Amazon deal. These politicians, backed by the city’s strong labor unions, grassroots community, and political organizations — plus a growing progressive arm of the Democratic party on these issues — will likely only see more support in their efforts to set rules around the industry’s expansion.This has been a headache for the fast-moving, California-based companies looking to expand their office presence and consumer market in New York City. We could do the same thing tomorrow in New York if there was the same serious political interest,” said Lehane.Ride-sharing companies like Lyft and Uber have similarly run into a wall in their negotiations with the city.After the city implemented a wage floor for drivers in December, Lyft and another ride-hailing app, Juno, filed a lawsuit with the city over the implementation of this rule, saying that it would benefit Uber, the larger competitor in the market. Supporters, like the Machinists’ Union affiliate Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), which represents more than 70,000 app-based drivers in New York City, argue additional costs are worth it to give drivers in the city a living wage in New York City, where rents are increasing twice as fast as wages.“Regulations on the tech industry can make sense,” wrote Lyft spokesperson Campbell Brown in an emailed response to New York’s approach to regulating ride-hailing. “I wouldn’t say New York is worse than any other city, but I think they’re being more cautious, and I think that’s reasonable,” said Phil Jones, senior director in the East Region for Lime, about politicians’ approach to regulation in the city.Ultimately, whether it’s e-scooter companies like Lime or home hosting like Airbnb, New York City and tech companies are stuck in a standoff.The city needs tech to diversify its economy away from the financial sector and offer New Yorkers affordable access to the tech services they want.