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Tesla vs. Car Dealers: the Lobbyist Went Down To Georgia
McGruber writes The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) newspaper's Jim Galloway has an update on the behind-the-scenes battles over who can sell you a new car: "Traditional car dealers are in the midst of a legal fight to push Tesla, the fledgling California electric car company, out of Georgia. Never mind that metro Atlanta is one of the hottest markets for electric vehicles in the nation. Signs point to a parallel battle in the General Assembly. Last week, the National Automobile Dealers Association began trolling for sympathetic lawmakers. While Georgia dealers say they have "no plans" to revisit an anti-Tesla bill that failed last year, Tesla is preparing a defense. It has already hired one of the top lobbying firms in Atlanta."
The Georgia Automobile Dealers Association wields considerable influence in the state Capitol; the AJC determined that the Georgia Auto Dealers Association (GADA) had made over $600,000 in recent campaign contributions to state lawmakers. Despite those contributions, a bill to boot Tesla from Georgia mysteriously died during last year's legislative session. While no legislator would claim credit for killing the bill, Galloway noted that Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who presides over the Senate, drives a Nissan Leaf.
The Georgia Automobile Dealers Association wields considerable influence in the state Capitol; the AJC determined that the Georgia Auto Dealers Association (GADA) had made over $600,000 in recent campaign contributions to state lawmakers. Despite those contributions, a bill to boot Tesla from Georgia mysteriously died during last year's legislative session. While no legislator would claim credit for killing the bill, Galloway noted that Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who presides over the Senate, drives a Nissan Leaf.
All of us should have the right to lobby our legislators and legislatures.
Where it's a problem is when we have these professionals and big money behind them to effectively give them a larger voice than the rest of us.
How can one compete when you have to take time off of work to drive over, somehow get through security, and then get to talk to an intern; whereas the big money guys, get to take the actually politician out to an expensive meal, rides on their private jets and other attention getting things that are waaayyy beyond you or me?
And then there's the human nature thing. People take rich people more seriously than regular people. Got a billion bucks? Well, just having it makes your opinion more important even no money or favors are exchanged - because we are all primates and act like it when it comes down to it; bald ape.
And as a Georgia resident, I can assure you that our current politicians are all Hollywood Stereotypes. No one is called Boss Hogg - yet, though. You want material for a corrupt Southern Politician, come'on down here, boy!