Elon Musk moves to Texas • Hacker News Board

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#211

Post by o-__-o » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

busterarm wrote: post #44

zaroth wrote: post #6

California is actively looking for ways to extract more money from Elon. It likely posed an appreciable risk to his business ventures that CA at some point will try to tax unrecognized capital gains, which would require him to liquidate shares to pay the tax. Basically akin to a hostile government takeover. If CA were to aggressively pursue such a policy, they would likely go after anyone they perceived as fleeing ju…

Or, framed differently, California is looking for deep pockets to bail out their failing budget rather than adjust their policy to match what they can afford. The same has been happening in New Jersey with its insane taxes that don't really go to pay for services anymore and have diverted from transportation & infrastructure projects for decades now to bail out their severely underfunded pension funds...where the pen…

> where the pensioners have almost entirely moved out of New Jersey to avoid the same taxes.

(Income) Tax free Texas sounds good right about now!

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#212

Post by herodoturtle » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

lotsofpulp wrote: post #202

herodoturtle wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah that's good advice if you're in a dangerous part of town, but it does on occasion also happen in what are considered the safer suburbs. Crime is South Africa's biggest pusher-outer-of-citizens. But those that have been to Cape Town and its surrounds understand why so many still choose to live there. It's a tough compromise!

Of course, South Africa (and the surrounding countries, and quite frankly much of Africa below the Sahara that I have visited) is gorgeous and unparalleled in almost all aspects. If it wasn't for the lack of a high trust society, I would actually look into moving to Cape Town myself.

Agree with your sentiment to the fullest.

If you can afford it, perhaps consider purchasing a small beach-front studio apartment along the Atlantic Seaboard of Cape Town.

Then should South Africa evolve into a high trust society you'd feel comfortable living in, go spend a few months in Cape Town during its spring/summer (October to March) and check out the local beaches and mountains.

Clifton Beach and Devil's Peak in particular.

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#213

Post by gonehome » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

I wish public rhetoric was less combative/twitter-like and more collaborative.

Elon has built incredible companies doing incredible things. He's also made some stupid comments re: covid.

SV political hostility towards technology companies and employees is frustrating. I wish the government was more aligned with helping these companies grow and things weren't treated as if they were so zero-sum (when they're not). I also wish the taxes weren't so extreme (including state capital gains tax).

I wish there was more housing supply so cost of living wasn't so high and the focus was on increasing supply rather than band-aids that provide short-term relief, but make things worse long-term (rent control, price controlled units).

The "Fuck Elon Musk" tweet from a politician is dumb and makes this kind of thing worse, why can't people in government behave better than this?

If we could coordinate better we could do so much more. It's just frustrating to me.

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#214

Post by throwaway894345 » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

cft wrote: post #19

throwaway894345 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if you're sharing this to echo the sentiment, but it's plausibly worth sharing to note that this politician is transparently working to drive Tesla operations out of her jurisdiction.

I am just linking the historical background for Musk's move. Not sure why I'm getting downvoted- it's a factual tweet from a politician from where he lived.

I think it's because people don't know the connection between this Tweet and Musk's move, and it comes off as though you are simply echoing someone else's edgy Internet comment. I think if you were clear that you were sharing a historical connection for those who may not have known about it, you wouldn't have received as many downvotes.

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#215

Post by FireBeyond » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

Darmody wrote: post #132

icedistilled wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me rephrase your comment. It says the exact same thing you do: >"You have it better than poor people in third world countries, stop complaining about worker abuses you below the poverty line minimum wage people, you should be grateful. Yes since 1970 you're wealth has stagnated or decreased and the top earners have massively increased their share of the pie, but you should be grateful.!!"

I don't think he's saying that they should stop complaining. He's saying they don't realize what they have, they are not thankful for anything and they keep dramatizing over everything.

"All they do is complain and bitch".

Certainly _implies_ that they shouldn't be, in his opinion.

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#216

Post by itsoktocry » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:26 PM UTC

smaryjerry wrote: post #129

boringg wrote: post #95

It's unfortunate that Elon is leaving California given that the state has really lifted him to the pedestal he is on - through the talent network (highly talented employees, VCs), and the progressive policies that CA built for clean technology (Solar, EVs, Energy Storage). That was paid for on the backs of the people. Funny how short his memory is. Elon is a talented man - I absolutely respect what he's done. However…

I wouldn’t give California’s government any credit for Tesla’s success so far. If it was so good then Tesla wouldn’t be the only car company doing so well.

>I wouldn’t give California’s government any credit for Tesla’s success so far.

Tesla was (and remains) a financial basket-case, that in Musk's own words brushed with bankruptcy a few times, and yet the billions of dollars the California government threw at Tesla over a decade didn't help them?

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#217

Post by oh_sigh » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:27 PM UTC

cft wrote: post #2

Historical tweet from a CA Assembly Member from Southern California: https://twitter.com/LorenaSGonzalez/status/12592878791775313...

> And, the deaths from Covid-19 in California are disproportionately Latino. Our communities have been the hardest hit. By far. Maybe that’s why we take the public health officials’ warning and directions so seriously.

Does that follow? Wouldn't it seem more likely that California latinos statistically disregard health officials advice if they're being most impacted by a disease which doesn't care about ethnicity?

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#218

Post by cheese_van » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:27 PM UTC

I too moved to a less onerous tax state so I can't fault Mr. Musk. I so enjoy living in a country where that is possible, and that, if you have the means, you can follow the jobs from state to state, or if you will, follow the capital. Capital moves where it feels comfortable and so do people. It's not much of a story really, except for Mr. Musk's celebrity.

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#219

Post by adkadskhj » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:27 PM UTC

bagacrap wrote: post #189

boringg wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

California still has every viewpoint that is imaginable though there does seem to be less space for far right. What's making everyone salty about Elon leaving is there was considerable amount of people who helped him build up in the state (i.e. state benefits, staff who worked incredibly hard for many years, consumers who bought his cars [drive in the bay area]) and he's peacing out, with a slap in the face to everyo…

Is this a successful way to dodge taxes? If so, that loophole should be fixed. I left California 4 years ago and yet somehow still pay taxes to the state. If you're saying that anyone who was professionally successful in California has no right to ever leave the state, that seems like a tough sell.

I think rather that people/gov gave a bunch of benefits to be in state that cost the state, but they didn't require that he stay in the state. So i think the implication is that he took resources from the state but didn't stay long enough for the gov/people to see an ROI.

But, as much as i am a lefty(+capitalist), that seems a fault of the state. States should expect this more imo. You give near negative returns to companies to come to your state and then you're shocked when they leave and you haven't gotten your ROI?

But maybe this will be good. If the migration continues perhaps California will have to stop subsidizing low-tax states and let them fend for themselves more.

Re: Elon Musk moves to Texas

#220

Post by techsupporter » Wed, Dec 09, 2020, 6:27 PM UTC

S_A_P wrote: post #158

Pretty interesting to see this move makes people so salty. There does seem to be a trend of people fleeing California, I dont know enough about the situation out there to comment on whether or not its valid. I suspect something must be going on for several high profile folks moving out. And before you bash Texas, its not perfect. But its pretty diverse, and it seems that folks with opposing viewpoints can still coexi…

My birth certificate says "Texas" across the top and people have been "fleeing California" to Texas for as long as I've been alive. There's nothing special about Musk; he just happens to be high-profile about it and managed to extract more from California before decamping to a "cheap" state than several of those who came before him.

I disagree with your assessment that Texas has wide acceptance for opposing viewpoints, at least out in the suburbs where I grew up. If you were not religious and conservative (I have my own anecdotes), you did not fit in. Only when I went to college in a college town did people largely seem to want to live and let live. Sure, inside the larger cities it is more cosmopolitan, for lack of a better word, but lots of people live in the 'burbs and around the smaller areas and do not get the benefit of this peaceful coexistence. For example, to this day I do not recommend being openly gay and living near Tyler.

If someone moved to Texas, they made a choice to accept it and I will not knock people for their individual choices. But my experience is not that the prevailing view is open acceptance of people of all stripes like found in other parts of the country.