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Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

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Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#41
post #5

All too often, the media as well as average people mistake support for corporate interests as support for "free enterprise." When large corporate interests are essentially writing bills for lawmakers, "free enterprise" is precisely what is not being practiced.

Other car manufacturers can't sell directly. Why should Tesla get special rules?

"Other car manufacturers can't sell directly. Why should Tesla get special rules?"

Tesla shouldn't get special rules. Tesla probably advocates a non-special-rule model.

Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#42
post #5

All too often, the media as well as average people mistake support for corporate interests as support for "free enterprise." When large corporate interests are essentially writing bills for lawmakers, "free enterprise" is precisely what is not being practiced.

Other car manufacturers can't sell directly. Why should Tesla get special rules?

"In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets, and steal loaves of bread."

-Anatole France

Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#43

For the record, you also cannot sell dildos in Texas. I don't know why people are always crowing about how Texas is the land that respects individual rights and free enterprise. It's not. It's the land of unlimited corporate malfeasance, unchecked pollution, and a ban on fire codes.

This doesnt contribute to the OP's discussion but i thought i'd mention it anyway. Texas love executing people. Since 1976 Texas executed 498 people, the state in second place is Virginia with 110. Also, their supreme court does not hear criminal matters, only civil, because it makes the appeals process for executing people faster. But yeah, the law is a strange thing.

Texas has a little over 3x the population of Virginia with 4.5 times the number of executions. Keeping in mind that crime isn't necessarily consistent from place to place I don't think that is a drastically larger number proportionally.

Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#44
post #14

Funny how similar it is to the alcohol situation. Its illegal for a brewery to sell beer directly to the public in Texas, they have to go through a middleman (distributor) that doesn't really provide value. Although in the last legislative session the rules got relaxed somewhat ( especially for brewpubs ), its still pretty similar.

Funny how you single out Texas for doing this. How is this different from other states?

Texas, the state being discussed here, is generally touted as a free-market success story, without having an actual free market.

EDIT: Typo, correct 'marker' to 'market'.

Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla shouldn't get special rules. Instead, no car maker should be compelled to use dealerships.

I'm responding directly to his "large corporate interests" talking point, when those large corporate interests are barred from selling directly.

The large corporate interests have the infrastructure in place and don't particularly want to sell directly. This regulation serves as a moat to keep out competition.

Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#48
post #5

All too often, the media as well as average people mistake support for corporate interests as support for "free enterprise." When large corporate interests are essentially writing bills for lawmakers, "free enterprise" is precisely what is not being practiced.

Other car manufacturers can't sell directly. Why should Tesla get special rules?

> Other car manufacturers can't sell directly.

Why is this (I'm not familiar with the way it works in the US)?

Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#49
post #5

All too often, the media as well as average people mistake support for corporate interests as support for "free enterprise." When large corporate interests are essentially writing bills for lawmakers, "free enterprise" is precisely what is not being practiced.

Other car manufacturers can't sell directly. Why should Tesla get special rules?

It's car dealers who have special rules to restrict competition.

Re: Texas won't allow Tesla to sell electric cars directly

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla shouldn't get special rules. Instead, no car maker should be compelled to use dealerships.

I'm responding directly to his "large corporate interests" talking point, when those large corporate interests are barred from selling directly.

The "large corporate interests" being protected in this case are car dealerships, not manufacturers.
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