If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the Democrat nomination, it might greatly behoove President Donald Trump to run campaign ads pointing out that the former VP supports AB5, one of the most disastrous, job-killing bills in recent American history.
Signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom last September, this piece of legislation has left thousands of state residents, including numerous single mothers and individuals with disabilities, without a source of income.
Nevertheless, Biden made it clear in a tweet posted Saturday afternoon that he stands in full support of this widely panned, catastrophic union-backed law:
I support #AB5 in California, which will give workers the dignity they deserve in the workplace. I agree with @transportworker that we can’t let corporations undermine basic rights by adding these exemptions to ground-breaking legislation. https://t.co/bouzgRLBU7
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) March 7, 2020
As of noon Sunday, the tweet boasted a growing ratio thanks to over a thousand Americans — many of them self-identified liberal Democrats — shocked by his support of a bill that’s cost them, their family and/or their friends everything.
Thanks to the former VP’s support for AB5, some of the Twitter users even admitted they were mulling voting Republican for the first time in their lives:
Look:
I am 53 years old and have never, NEVER!, pulled a voting handle for a Republican. And I will weep if I have to do it now. But I have to protect the livelihoods of me and my Independent Contractors. Please research and reconsider.
— Michael Towe (@Michael_Towe) March 7, 2020
@JoeBiden I was so looking forward to voting for you. Now, I’ll vote for you, but vote Republican at every other opportunity. I can’t let AB5 become the law of the land. #unionMember #HatesAB5 #NoDemocraticSuperMajority #noLongerADemocrat #noPartyRepresentsMe #heartbroken
— Sandi Buehner (@SandiBuehner) March 8, 2020
My mom either loses her income, or is forced to move out of CA to keep a 30 year career as an independent contractor, due to AB5. She’s 6th gen Ca born. You just lost our votes. For the first time in my life I voted red. I felt sick to my stomach.#RepealAB5 #DemsAgainstAB5
— Leina caldwell (@Leina1redngold) March 7, 2020
PLEASE reconsider your support of this terribly written law @JoeBiden. #AB5 takes away work from independent writers who CHOOSE to work for themselves & not be slaves to corporations. This is BY FAR my biggest reason to not vote for you. Support freedom for workers. Talk 2 @cafwu
— Rob Kachelriess (@rkachelriess) March 8, 2020
Well, then I guess I just im not voting democrat suddenly… what the actual heck… Mr Biden, have you looked in #AB5 or have you been told about it by the union people?
— Jamma Tardif (@jammatardif) March 7, 2020
COME ON. I want to vote for you, man. You’re supposed to be the sane one. Don’t put independent contractors out of business. We’re not exploited workers. We’re business owners. #IRSnotABC #NoPROAct
— Jen Hubley Luckwaldt (@jenniesmash) March 7, 2020
#AB5 has been devastating to the disabled and their families. Flexibility is needed when dealing with chronic illness, too.
Freelancing offers:
– less physical/ emotional stress
– less wear and tear on bodies
– elimination of challenges getting to/frohttps://t.co/q1TdYX6VZw— AndiHK (@AndiHK) March 7, 2020
: @JoeBiden @DrJillBiden I implore you to look further #ab5 it’s the first time in my life that I voted for republicans on the down ballot of our primary. In part thx fo @KevinKileyCA and work he’s doing to repeal this awful law. It’s esp. hurting women/seniors #ab5stories
— Leah (@Leah_Cevoli) March 7, 2020
The tweets go on for days and days.
All this trepidation exists over AB5 because it’s utterly destroyed California’s gig economy.
Drawn up by state legislator Lorena Gonzalez — a nasty Democrat woman who’s lobbed profanity at AB5 critics and is known for mocking her own constituents — the bill’s made it virtually impossible for Californians to earn a living as freelance contractors.
While it was originally designed to target Uber and Lyft, both of which rely heavily on freelancers for their work model, it’s affected nearly every industry, including those dominated by women.
“[I]ndependent contractors are now suffering, particularly women who are stay-at-home moms and chose the independent contracting lifestyle because they needed the flexibility,” Evie magazine reported after the bill went into effect in January.
“Many women need the freedom of being an independent contractor because they have a loved one they need to care for at home or they have a disability.”
Because of AB5, companies that used to provide these women with work must now either hire them as full-time employees (and thus pay bundles in added overhead costs), drastically reduce their workload (as an example, the law prohibits freelance writers from producing more than 35 pieces for a single client per year) or just hire contractors from other states.
As a result of the law, countless women are now completely out of luck:
Kathryn relied on freelance income to supplement her fixed retirement income. Now, she won’t be able to pay her bills or afford to live. #AB5 is taking its toll on retirees, single parents, students and families. #AB5stories pic.twitter.com/YpE6vZYsxj
— Andreas Borgeas (@SenatorBorgeas) February 26, 2020
#AB5stories, Mary: “I am a legal transcriptionist and lost my job with SpeakWrite almost 3 weeks ago because of #AB5. I depend on this income to supplement my Social Security benefits and help pay for my insulin as I am a diabetic and the cost of insulin is constantly rising.”
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) February 29, 2020
#AB5stories, Jan: “I’m an older woman in a small county and can’t find employment outside of online teaching jobs. One company already announced they’ll no longer contract with CA teachers. I care for a disabled husband. I’ll lose my home if I can’t work for these companies” #AB5
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) January 18, 2020
Is this how #AB5works? These are the real #AB5stories: Termination letters, contracts cancelled. We can’t let AB5 go national, we can’t even let it continue here in California. Too many industries are hurting pic.twitter.com/ot2ZBLFIPP
— Angelic Girl (@aairal) February 3, 2020
Can we stop putting women, disabled, elderly, and minorities out of work with #AB5?
Why are you hanging up on people?#Ab5stories pic.twitter.com/7yLgE9um5Q
— Faces of AB5 (#PROAct is #AB5) (@Ab5Of) March 5, 2020
Thank you for speaking up for middle class families, women, single moms, minorities, seniors, veterans, ppl w/ disabilities/invisible illnesses etc in CA who are being harmed Badly by #AB5.
Pls continue to raise awareness about our #AB5Stories ??https://t.co/mGR1GFjFX6— Jeff #AB5Hurts My Family (@beefy_jeffy) February 29, 2020
As noted by the latter Twitter user, the bill has also affected minorities, seniors, veterans and those with disabilities. For more examples, visit AB5 Stories.
Despite all these tragic stories, Biden still supports AB5, suggesting that either he’s as mentally incompetent as his critics claim, or he simply doesn’t care about the lives this law has ruined.
Either way, the president would be a fool to not loudly highlight Biden’s support for AB5 to the public at large.
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Vivek@bizpacreview.com
V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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