As had been reported by the financial publication, Paul Koretz, who serves on the L.A. City Council, has referred to both Uber and Lyft as "bandit cabs with apps." "Other [members of the council]," as Forbes noted, "have responded to reports of safety concerns over driver screenings." Separately, the business expense management company Certify reported that one of those companies, Uber, accounted for 54 percent of all rides among its clients in L.A. alone, Forbes said. In an interview with Forbes, an unnamed Uber spokesperson was sanguine toward the company's prospects. "It's not a rejection of approval. It's an opportunity for the city council to weigh in," the spokesperson said. "We welcome a conversation with the members of the city council, and we look forward to picking up passengers at LAX." In the article detailing the possible snags at LAX, Forbes reported that the Los Angeles Times found that since 2013, as many as eight L.A. taxi companies collectively spent $595,500 to lobby Los Angeles officials.