We the People Petition on Tesla Motors

[Curt Renz]

Please understand that the petition was only a request to support a business model, i.e. the direct-to-consumer sales and service of manufactured products. It was not a request for support of alternative energy development in general or electric cars in particular. However, it was unfortunate that the petition did mention a specific company, which may have made it difficult for the White House to respond forcefully.

When questioning or writing a politician, I suggest you make it clear whether you are primarily discussing a business model or an energy program. Perhaps the two concepts might best be covered in separate letters.

 

[Auzie]

Not sure why people are so disappointed in the petition response.

Dealership battle may be a disappointment for consumers, but it is not a serious threat to Tesla. It is a nuisance with the significant marketing benefit. The battle puts Tesla in the spotlight as a good guy. The battle, for as long as it is unresolved, rallies consumers behind their preferred model, on Tesla's side.

 

[FANGO]

Jackl, you seem to be angry that Obama is not leading on climate change. While obviously more could be done, he has been talking about this issue for a very long time. It's somewhat ludicrous to me that that is the reason you would pick to be angry at him.

Auzie and curt, I agree with your last few posts. Lets be rational here, people.

 

[djplong]

I got the response this morning. The line that actually said something basically said "it's up to the states" - presumably because franchise laws are state-based. The Administration is catching enough flack for being "an Imperial Presidency" (the complaint usually coming right after the same person complains about the Administration not doing anything) so that may be an area they don't want to tackle yet.

If the Gen III was in full blown production, there might be a bigger push. After all, right now, Tesla is viewed as a Rich Man's Car - and there's the fact that the populace is generally opposed to Tax Breaks For The Rich - and $7500 (or more in some states) coming back from the government could be a PR problem if it got huge. Now, that same amount of money for a car that the *middle class* can, by and large, afford - that's a different fight.

 

[AlMc]

Robert B: Move the response to the WH petition to the WH petition thread?

Curt; Thanks for your insight and letter. I will cut and paste and send to my federal reps and Joe Biden, who once he became VP does not personally answer my notes anymore. He has forgotten his 'First State' roots.

Auzie: I have also made more money during this administration than the last but the response is still tepid, at best. Whether it was because the petition was too focused on TM or not.

Fango: Not sure people are being irrational, just frustrated that any administration that champions (and should champion) the growth of American business (especially tech/world disruptor) that just happens to be more environmentally friendly than the business model they intend to disrupt, can not get a more forceful/definitive response.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Wow - glad my taxpayer $ are hard at work.

The response is accurate and anything this president does will be blocked by congress. The recommendation to focus on the states is a better strategy.

Here are some ideas that could be done at the state/Federal level:

Tax Incentives for cars made in the USA.

Laws that incentivize commercial businesses to install 100AMP service at their parking garage - or at a minimum that they can't block a request ( I offered to pay for the install at my office and got no takers)

No sales tax - 3.02% of value of car in Virginia - $4000 for a loaded Tesla
No property tax - Virginia charges $4.57 for $100 in value plus an annual $38 admin fee ($5100 for a loaded Tesla) - paid annually!!!!
No road tax (Virginia charges $65 per year)
No tax on special HOV plates (Virginia charges $25 per year)
no toll road tax (HOT Lanes should be free for non emission vehicles)
no parking fees - varies
no registration fees.- $45.75 per year in Virginia
No inspection fees - $16.00 per year in Virginia
FAST Toll / Smart Tag fees - $25 per year plus fees

Just shy of $10,000 in taxes in the first year of ownership!

First politician that fixes this gets my vote and my Political Action Commitee dollars/ Support. Dem/Republican/Socialist/Tea Party - I don't care - just provide leadership. I was not censored out it was OHS* combined with poor search engine capabiity
* (Operator Head Space)

 

[AlMc]

Wow - glad my taxpayer $ are hard at work.

The response is accurate and anything this president does will be blocked by congress. The recommendation to focus on the states is a better strategy.

Here are some ideas that could be done at the state/Federal level:

Tax Incentives for cars made in the USA.

Laws that incentivize commercial businesses to install 100AMP service at their parking garage - or at a minimum that they can't block a request ( I offered to pay for the install at my office and got no takers)

No sales tax - 3.02% of value of car in Virginia - $4000 for a loaded Tesla
No property tax - Virginia charges $4.57 for $100 in value plus an annual $38 admin fee ($5100 for a loaded Tesla) - paid annually!!!!
No road tax (Virginia charges $65 per year)
No tax on special HOV plates (Virginia charges $25 per year)
no toll road tax (HOT Lanes should be free for non emission vehicles)
no parking fees - varies
no registration fees.- $45.75 per year in Virginia
No inspection fees - $16.00 per year in Virginia
FAST Toll / Smart Tag fees - $25 per year plus fees

Just shy of $10,000 in taxes in the first year of ownership!

First politician that fixes this gets my vote and my Political Action Commitee dollars/ Support. Dem/Republican/Socialist/Tea Party - I don't care - just provide leadership. I was not censored out it was OHS* combined with poor search engine capabiity
* (Operator Head Space)

Good points. However, even though the President can't make legislation and may be correct that this should be corrected at the 'state' vs 'federal' issue (which I disagree with) he still could have come out with a more forceful statement. By any polling on the direct sales model I have seen the public is overwhelming supportive of direct sales vs the dealership model. I don't see the downside politically to a more forceful response. In addition, even though the 'green' aspects of TM was not part of the petition, it fits in nicely with his desire to take steps to be friendlier to the environment. He missed a golden opportunity here I believe.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Good point. He missed an opportunity to talk about the economic, environmental and social benefits to the US. The statement could have been much stronger. That requires strong leadership and concessions of which neither side is willing to make.

Personally I feel the law is illegal and anti-competitive and I support a free market model without artificial restrictions.

These laws prohibit competition and should be addressed by the FTC and the Department of Justice. This smacks of RICO
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO Act focuses specifically on racketeering, and it allows the leaders of a syndicate to be tried for the crimes which they ordered others to do or assisted them, closing a perceived loophole that allowed someone who told a man to, for example, murder, to be exempt from the trial because he did not actually commit the crime personally.

 

[GoBlue88]

Yeah, not really much the administration can do other than pressure Congress to do something. Civics 101. Also, the petition isn't about environmental and social benefits to the US. It's about restraint of trade.

Telling Congress to get off their f*&$#@g asses and do something about this would just get ignored like everything else.

 

[dsm363]

The President should invite the dealership lobby to a press conference and give each one of them a big hug in a photo op and say he supports them 100%. That'll get congress moving.

 

[lorih]

The President should invite the dealership lobby to a press conference and give each one of them a big hug in a photo op and say he supports them 100%. That'll get congress moving.

I had to read that twice to understand what you meant, but then I laughed! Thanks for making my day.

 

[GoBlue88]

The President should invite the dealership lobby to a press conference and give each one of them a big hug in a photo op and say he supports them 100%. That'll get congress moving.

:biggrin: Well played.

 

[chickensevil]

Tesla's not buying the White House's response:

Memo to the White House From Tesla Motors, Inc.: You Made a Big Mistake (TSLA)

Tesla's vice president of corporate and business development, Diarmuid O'Connell, who often is involved with Tesla's dealer battles, responded harshly:

Rather than seize an opportunity to promote innovation and support the first successful American car company to be started in more than a century, the White House issued a response that was even more timid than its rejection of a petition to begin construction of a Death Star. Instead of showing the sort of leadership exhibited by senior officials at the Federal Trade Commission who declared their support for consumer freedom of choice, the White House merely passed the buck to Congress and trumpeted its advances in promoting vehicle efficiency. Given the economic and environmental principles at stake, we would have hoped for stronger leadership and more action.

Seems like a repeat of New Jersey but on a Federal level. The executive branch passing the buck because it is convenient.

 

[ggies07]

Tesla's not buying the White House's response:

Memo to the White House From Tesla Motors, Inc.: You Made a Big Mistake (TSLA)

That's awesome.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Tesla's not buying the White House's response:

Memo to the White House From Tesla Motors, Inc.: You Made a Big Mistake (TSLA)

Seems like a repeat of New Jersey but on a Federal level. The executive branch passing the buck because it is convenient.

That's a hilarious response from Tesla!

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's disappointing that the Obama administration won't make a strong stand for sustainable transportation and American entrepreneurship. However, Obama is already so vilified and hated by a large percentage of the U.S. population that it might be better for Tesla if the company didn't have Obama administration support.

Tesla can already sell every car it builds without a Presidential endorsement. The Model S easily sells itself.

 

[AlMc]

That's a hilarious response from Tesla!

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's disappointing that the Obama administration won't make a strong stand for sustainable transportation and American entrepreneurship. However, Obama is already so vilified and hated by a large percentage of the U.S. population that it might be better for Tesla if the company didn't have Obama administration support.

Tesla can already sell every car it builds without a Presidential endorsement. The Model S easily sells itself.

I have no mixed feelings. Good response Diarmuid! Not tepid, like the Obama Administration. I can see zero reason for the President not having a more forceful statement/response. On the political side,
90%+ of the populace polled agree with the direct sales versus dealership model (No loss there...in fact a few people might soften their negative opinion about him) and he is taking away a talking point for the opposition party with his 'free enterprise/less restriction on business' and support for American jobs/high tech. On the personal side: He has been championing environmental protection/reduction of CO2 which he is getting as a secondary benefit from supporting the petition.

 

[Doug_G]

Good response Diarmuid! Not tepid, like the Obama Administration.

This. I almost had the feeling that the WH response was written by an intern. So lame.