Just when you think politics can’t get anymore cliché, New Jersey Governor, and Presidential hopeful Chris Christie sides with the New Jersey dealership association, turning his back on the law and Tesla Motors. Is it politics or political?
When politics interfere with free market.
We’ll have to wait for fellow writer’s astute political knowledge to comment on this post, but the question remains, did New Jersey sidestep the legislative process, banning Tesla Motors from selling directly, forcing people through middlemen?
We are not a political website, and don’t pretend to be, but Chris Christie is a Republican, and my limited understanding of modern politics would make me associate him with a free market. So why did he oppose it? Is this is just another case of yet another politician siding with businesses and caving to lobby pressure?
Elon lashes back.
In Elon’s post, he makes a few points worth reading: “under pressure from the New Jersey auto dealer lobby to protect its monopoly, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, composed of political appointees of the Governor, ended your right to buy vehicles at a manufacturer store within the state. Governor Christie had promised that this would be put to a vote of the elected state legislature, which is the proper way to change the law. When it became clear to the auto dealer lobby that this approach would not succeed, they cut a backroom deal with the Governor to circumvent the legislative process and pass a regulation that is fundamentally contrary to the intent of the law.”
This is a great, one, two, three statement, explaining the why, who and how.
Who?
“..pressure from the New Jersey auto dealer lobby to protect its monopoly”, directly targets the state branch of the automotive dealer association. “the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, composed of political appointees of the Governor, ended your right to purchase vehicles at a manufacturer store”, The MVC, with the Governor ends basic freedom of choice rights. And finally, Governor Christie, who promised Tesla the law would be put to a vote turns, circumvents the legislative process to pass a regulation contrary to the law. Is anyone surprised yet?
More than just political shenanigans, isn’t this what our country was based on, freedom of choice and free markets?
The rest of the post is a great read. See the Tesla Motors’ blog from Elon Musk below:
