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Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

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Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#141

Post by etchalon »

Apocryphon wrote: post #56

The official reason is because of housing: "To be clear we will be continuing to expand our activities in California," Musk said. "Our intention is to increase output from Fremont and Giga Nevada by 50%. If you go to our Fremont factory it's jammed." But, he added, "It's tough for people to afford houses, and people have to come in from far away....There's a limit to how big you can scale in the Bay Area." https://ww…

As someone who just bought a house in Austin this year, if the reason is "affordable housing", they're in for a world of hurt.

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#143

Post by minhazm »

CheezeIt wrote: post #37
danhak wrote: post #34

California's tax regime is really backward. I suspect Tesla's departure is just the tip of the iceberg and that the repeal of the SALT deduction in 2017 really hastened this trend. High earners pay an effective tax rate of > 50%. They are partially picking up the slack from Prop 13, which artificially distorts the housing market by allowing longtime homeowners to pay property taxes based on decades-old assessed value…

The public schools aren’t pitiful at all. California has great schools.

The schools are not nearly as good as they should be for the income in the areas they're in. You would think that in an area where the average home is over $1 million every school would be a 10/10, but it's far from that.

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#144

Post by bluejekyll »

nabaraz wrote: post #95
danhak wrote: post #34

California's tax regime is really backward. I suspect Tesla's departure is just the tip of the iceberg and that the repeal of the SALT deduction in 2017 really hastened this trend. High earners pay an effective tax rate of > 50%. They are partially picking up the slack from Prop 13, which artificially distorts the housing market by allowing longtime homeowners to pay property taxes based on decades-old assessed value…

I think the exodus from California to Texas is overblown. The choice is between Earn above average salary and enjoy good weather, politics, and outdoors. Earn a median salary and enjoy okay weather and lower taxes.

To back this up, CA and TX tax people differently, but CA is more fair: https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2019/11/taxes-are-sur...

By More fair, I mean, CA has a similar tax rate across incomes, but does place more burden on top earners than TX does.

TX on the other hand, is unfairly taxing people more at lower incomes, and less for people at higher incomes.

TX policies don't align with my moral beliefs–I would not decide to raise my children there given the way the state is governed. That's of course a personal opinion, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting for rights that we have in CA.

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#145

Post by adeelk93 »

nabaraz wrote: post #95
danhak wrote: post #34

California's tax regime is really backward. I suspect Tesla's departure is just the tip of the iceberg and that the repeal of the SALT deduction in 2017 really hastened this trend. High earners pay an effective tax rate of > 50%. They are partially picking up the slack from Prop 13, which artificially distorts the housing market by allowing longtime homeowners to pay property taxes based on decades-old assessed value…

I think the exodus from California to Texas is overblown. The choice is between Earn above average salary and enjoy good weather, politics, and outdoors. Earn a median salary and enjoy okay weather and lower taxes.

What do you mean by average vs median salary here?

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#146

Post by darawk »

cjensen wrote: post #76

When CEOs move, they often move their headquarters closer to where they live. Somehow Tesla managed to survive all the problems of California until shortly after Musk moved to Texas. Folks talking about the advantages and disadvantages of California vs Texas may be overthinking this.

I mean, you could just as easily argue that the problems of California are what caused his move to Texas, as simply testing the waters for the move of the HQ.

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#147

Post by haliskerbas »

guardiangod wrote: post #106
kingTug wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think OP meant Tesla's workforce being the overly-taxed. Maybe it's easier to recruit talent there?

Maybe, although I would imagine Tesla's the premiere destination for fresh triple-star college graduates that don't mind taking a pay hit to work for Tesla (and burn out after 3 years.) Or California's housing market is just too fucked. I think this is more plausible than the income tax too high theory.

Every talented meche or swe I know either gets paid multitudes more somewhere else. Or has worked there and didn’t want to work 7 day weeks anymore.

It’s all anecdotal but I’ve only heard negative things about working at a Musk co.

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#148

Post by DSingularity »

cjensen wrote: post #76

When CEOs move, they often move their headquarters closer to where they live. Somehow Tesla managed to survive all the problems of California until shortly after Musk moved to Texas. Folks talking about the advantages and disadvantages of California vs Texas may be overthinking this.

Or maybe it takes years to make such a move but when it’s decided CEO’s get a head start.

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#149

Post by cletus »

scoofy wrote: post #71
cletus wrote: post #27

Good. This will both alleviate pressure on the Bay Area as well as accelerating the political shift to the left in Texas. It's a win all around. I actually think that living in the Bay Area as a tech employee is increasingly unjustifiable from an ethical point-of-view. It was once the case where that was necessary for many career paths but that's increasingly not the case and the pandemic has hastened that shift. Why…

>Because tech workers are contributing to the displacement of the people those places need to survive. >Yet the reality is you're still contributing to that displacement even though you're not responsible for those policies. You're arguing that people trying to make a better life for themselves are ruining the lives of others? I think it's extremely clear that Californian's own tax policies, along with NIMBYs are to…

> You're arguing that people trying to make a better life for themselves are ruining the lives of others?

100%.

> I think it's extremely clear that Californian's own tax policies

California's tax policies have been that way since at least the 70s. I'm thinking Prop 13 and rent control, which were essentially massive giveaways to incumbents at the expense of everyone else.

Your presence is support for those policies, both tacitly by supporting companies based there and directly with your tax dollars.

But I guess it's easier to wave your hands in the air and declare it someone else's problem rather than to acknowledge the part you play in supporting the system.

> Yet we blame the young tech workers

It's not one or the other. You can both be in the wrong. And you both are, for the record.

Re: Tesla’s headquarters will move to Austin

#150

Post by bruceb »

Apocryphon wrote: post #56

The official reason is because of housing: "To be clear we will be continuing to expand our activities in California," Musk said. "Our intention is to increase output from Fremont and Giga Nevada by 50%. If you go to our Fremont factory it's jammed." But, he added, "It's tough for people to afford houses, and people have to come in from far away....There's a limit to how big you can scale in the Bay Area." https://ww…

Article on the commute some Tesla workers make, getting up at 2:30am.

https://www.protocol.com/silicon-valley-tech-shuttles

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