Friday, July 7, 2017

California has a bill to spend $3 billion to help millionaires get $30k-$40k discounts when they buy a Tesla.



Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) recently voted against Assembly Bill 1184 (authored by Phil Ting, Democrat from San Francisco). AB 1184 would spend $3 billion in state funds to help millionaires get discounts when they buy an all-electric car, primarily ones made by Tesla. The measure was approved 7-2 by the Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications Committee.

“Now the state appears to be in the business of subsidizing a billionaire’s company (Tesla) and millionaires who want buy these boutique electric cars,” stated Vidak. “In my back yard, where I live, people are very, very poor, and they are already paying into Cap and Trade. If Cap and Trade continues to go forward… that could add another 40 cents, 45 cents, maybe more (to the cost of a gallon of gasoline), for those folks you are saying are not rate payers, but yet, they are still not going to be able to afford these ($70,000+) cars.”

The alleged goal of AB 1184 is to encourage people of less means to be able to buy an electric car instead of a normal combustion engine vehicle. However, critics of the scheme point out there is no “means test” in AB 1184, meaning that anyone, regardless of how wealthy they are, will get a rebate of up to $30,000 to $40,000 from the state for buying an all-electric car (i.e., a Tesla)....keep reading, at the link.

...MEANWHILE, THEY'RE RAISING GAS TAXES AND VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES FOR THE REST OF US.