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Tesla Wants Texas Auto Sales Regulations Loosened
An anonymous reader writes Tesla decided not to build its new $5 billion battery factory in Texas, but the company still wants to sell its electric cars directly over the Internet there. The automaker hopes that the possibility of future investment in the state will be enough to overcome the Texas Automobile Dealers Association lobby and change dealership laws. From the article: "Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla's vice president for business development admits that getting the law changed won't be easy. 'Does the fact that we didn't site the factory there complicate things? Absolutely,' O'Connell said. 'But we're going to be doing a number of big battery factories in the coming years and we're going to need new vehicle factories as well, and there's a certain logic to doing those in Texas.' He didn't elaborate, but added that the state may not be so attractive if current sales regulations stand. 'If we're banned in Texas, why are we investing billions of dollars here?,' O'Connell asked."
The good Texas conservatives are committed to fight unnecessary government regulation and would never... Oh, wait.
Namely paying the workers less.
Less than Nevada? Not likely. Tesla certainly pays it's geeks competitively in Silly Valley, though I hear the hours are long. They make a high-margin product anyhow, and need quality more than 1% cheaper wages.
Texas is a great legal climate for business, which is one reason so many people are moving there. But state and local politics anywhere is hugely influenced by car dealers, as they have larger advertising budgets and more name recognition than state senators. Tesla can't even bribe/contribute their way to victory here, because an owner of a large dealership chain can so easily oust a state rep. OTOH, bringing a ton of new jobs, or even finally offering a car for sale that wasn't a rich boy's toy, could change things - give the Texas voter a reason to actually care.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Except when they aren't.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Maybe because the parties realigned? Why is that so hard for people to freaking understand? All the old Southern Democrats (like the Texas Democrats) BECAME TODAY'S REPUBLICANS! Read some history, look at their positions. It's so easy to understand and comprehend.