Posted on 08/31/2014 5:13:27 PM PDT by EveningStar
From the start, little has been typical about Tesla Motors' plan for a $5 billion factory to make batteries for a new generation of electric cars.
It's not just the project's massive scale, the cutting-edge technology, or even the bonanza of 6,500 good-paying jobs.
It's how Tesla is deciding where to build.
Through a series of unusual plays, Tesla has five states bidding up subsidy packages to land the coveted plant. The winner is expected to offer the luxury car-maker publicly financed incentives exceeding a half-billion dollars.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Democrats love to hand out taxpayer cash to companies they like while having high taxes on everyone else. GM, Solyndra just to name a few.
I’m not the one sounding like a Democrat
Here’s how I look at it. Musk, and Tesla, are building a real product that is evidently quite good, and being bought by thousands. If the government is providing a subsidy... is that right? No. Would you refuse it?
It’s not GeronL that sounds like a Rat.
The government should not be picking winners and losers, big government does that, not conservatives.
All by using political lobbying to get around rules and taxes that everyone else has to abide by.
I don’t condemn him for exploiting the political system as much as I do us for allowing government officials to remain in power while dolling out favors to whomever “pays to play.”
I just don’t fawn over Musk’s business acumen or technical prowess, knowing that his success is enabled by feathering the right political nests, namely Democrats.
All i know is that the guy has created REAL products (Pay Pal, Space X, Tesla). He’s an industrialist. We need more like him.
Do know the test to see if a company is building a real product that is quite good?
It makes a profit.
Handouts are not profit.
Yes I probably would refuse it.
that’s cool..I am just saying it’s a great car.
Tesla has already paid back the Government loan. Grouping them with failed Solyndra is not accurate.
Now they just want massive tax breaks from states.
The government gave a Tesla a loan, Tesla paid it back because the consumers are buying the cars. Meanwhile, other electric car manufacturers are not so fortunate. The Volt is not selling, and Nisan Leaf numbers are not as originally predicted.
if the states don't want to play, they don't have to. No one is making them negotiate. But the states are falling over Tesla because they WANT the jobs, future income, tax base etc from all the economy generated by the employees, and the cars that Tesla will be selling.
Which states will get the massive pollution from making the batteries?
Then all businesses should get the same deal.
You sold a 68 Cuda because of the Bailout?
The Bailout was 40 Years after the Car was Built.
Oh, you must mean the Federal Loan Package that Iacocca got, but that was long after 1968. My B-I-L had a K Car.
What years were the Vettes. I assume Vertex was a typo.
Any business building a factory in another state goes through this, not just Tesla. For example, Boeing -- WA started to tax them out of existence and NC said: "Come over here."
I don't see the problem. This is capitalism 101 -- Elon Musk wants the absolute best deal for his company -- he has already proven that he can build a better mouse trap -- his electric car is faster than a 12 cylinder Aston Martin, cheaper than an Aston, with 260+ mile range (farther than an Aston) on a single charge.(*) His challenge is to sustain the interest -- he's got a lot of dragons to slay -- the entrenched car manufacturers, the oil industry, the car dealers' association, to name but a few.
Tesla would not be in the position of needing a gigafactory if it were not selling cars. Right now, the waiting list for a new Tesla is 4 months.
His Tesla cars sell, whereas the Volt does not. States are tripping over themselves to woo his gigafactory to their boarders -- the added revenue from those 6,500 employees -- housing -- food --- etc, etc is quite significant.
(*) Current record on the Telsa Model S is approx 500 miles on a single charge.
Sams 5 and Dime and Ma & Pa’s Shop will pick up the difference
all private companies play the card they’re dealt. They’re all going to take whatever incentives a government give them. Do not put your hate on Tesla, but the political/economic system we live in
Yes, and as a taxpayer you are buying luxury cars for the well-off. The car has over 400 hp. It is complete and utter overkill for what an electric car is supposed to be (saving resources not wasting them).
Musk has done some good things as an entrepreneur. But his rooftop solar and electric car companies are taxpayer-milking scams. I suppose you could say we need to take the good with the bad. But there is nothing good about buying luxury cars for wealthy people using taxpayer money. Nor is there much good coming out of putting “power plants” on people’s roofs and charging the public full retail price (12-14 cents) for power than is worth wholesale (about 4 cents).
Not really. He has proven he can take the concept of an economical alternative to gas transportation and make it less economical than gasoline. His electric cars use vast amounts of fossil fuel to manufacture and to run, and we taxpayers subsidize them as if they are somehow better. But they are not.
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