Yes, I&#x27;m well aware that case law is hodgepodge of arbitrary restrictions. And again, unless I misinterpreted him, jdminhbg was asking if there is a consistent <i>moral</i> principle rather than a bunch of arbitrary <i>legal</i> rules cooked up by politics at various times.<p><i>Now, whether non-medallion owning contractors ought to be a protected class I cannot say, but I can say that such a designation will not come from facile calls for consistency in determining members of a protected class.</i><p>You are quite right that moral philosophy and other rational processes are not a way to appeal to the mob. Cheap slogans (&quot;make America great again&quot;), tribalism, flattery, shared sense of danger an shared enemies are far more effective. That&#x27;s one thing (actually the only thing) I like about Trump - he isn&#x27;t even pretending that there is any substance to politics. Definitely shines a light on the fallacy of democracy.