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If you're going to get a Tesla, there's really only one correct license plate
By adamg on Thu, 03/31/2016 - 7:05pm
Jed Hresko spotted this well-plated Tesla today on Franklin Street downtown.
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Comments
you know he's a huge nerd
with that "Starfleet Academy" rear window sticker, too.
also seen
AMPDUP
So amped about that plate
Photo.
Or may be it should say: "Hi,
Or may be it should say: "Hi, you suckers walking down the street to get your groceries; I got $7500 from the federal government just for buying this car, and the State is considering giving me another $2500" But that may not quite fit on the plate.
As documented in this enlightening WSJ article (Available on Reddit at the link below for non-WSJ subscribers):
www.reddit.com/r/California/comments/4aapx7/wsj_voters_should_be_mad_at_...
And:
http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2016/03/21/transportation-co...
Well, no, Tesla got the money
Well, no, Tesla got the money, not the owner of the car. If you're going to be an invidious little angry man, at least lash out at the right target, mmkay?
Anon; what's the difference
Anon; what's the difference at the end of the day? Whether it's a tax credit, a rebate, or any other form or subsidy, it's still a tax that someone else has to pay. I stand by what I said: The 21st century welfare queen no longer drives a Cadillac; he/she manufacture or drives a Tesla!
And because we subsidize plenty of other bad/useless things, it surely doesn't make this one right. Especially when the Tesla CEO likes to think of himself as a some kind saving-the-word libertarian hero. If you are not well informed yet, please check the article I referred to. There are a couple of educated comments on that same page as well.
Oh, and a suggestion or two: If you want to gain some respect on this blog 1) don't write as "anon", 2) Disagree all you want over the substance, but avoid personal attacks. It lowers the quality of the exchange and makes "invidious little angry man" sounds more like a reflection of who you are than of the person you are trying to belittle.
Anon; what's the difference
Anon actually made a very good point. If we held everyone to the standard you're holding this guy to, everyone who has ever done business with a company that gets tax subsidies would be a "welfare queen." And that would be all of us.
Linda, the question comes
Linda, the question comes down to how much public money you spend for what kind of return. Is up to $45k per rich's person's car as in California a reasonable number? To me, it is not, nor is $10k as in MA. I pay a good chunk of income taxes, and I don't own a car -that doesn't make me special by the way since 40% of household in my census tract do not own a car. This makes us far "greener" and city friendly than any Tesla owner. So I'd like to suggest that for every $1 of electric car subsidy, non-car owner get $2. Please discuss ;)
More realistically, I am a much bigger supporter of nixing all those funny subsidies to special interests and questionable technologies in favor of a revenue neutral carbon tax. It's a much fairer and efficient approach favored by a large number of mainstream economists
More realistically, I am a
You're right that this is more realistic than a subsidy for people who do not own a car. I just don't see a clear path to nixing subsidies in general. There are SO many subsidies, in every industry, and they are part of a tax code that is deliberately difficult to navigate so as to benefit certain interested parties.
Perhaps you prefer
The "Giant SUV subsidy" of $38,500? If my taxes have to subsidize some rich-person car, I would rather it be an electric one than a 3-ton gas-guzzling monster.
Oh NO!!
Oh my god! Is the government trying to jump start a new and innovative technology! Heaven help us! I mean, what are we trying to do with our public policy? Create jobs for the 21st century?! Lower environmental damage caused by over a hundred years of wastefully burning fossil fuels?! And when has that ever worked anyway? Its not like we got the internet from some "government program." Amaright? How wasteful and stupid this is. Next they will be coming for my incandescent light bulbs. My beautiful, beautiful incandescent bulbs! The horror, the horror!
Unfortunately, too many
Unfortunately, too many people keep on making such blanket statements, (I'll pass on the insulting language), but are unwilling -or unable- to discuss any of the facts, $numbers, and opportunity cost behind this not so promising technology. Electric cars have been tried since 1834, but they remain largely unpractical, uneconomical and still have a well-to-wheel carbon footprint marginally better than the most efficient sedan.
As for your comparison with the internet, yes, the government sponsored some of the fundamental research and publicly available infrastructure, but I don't know of anyone who legally received $tens of thousands in subsidies to buy a computer or gizmo for their private enjoyment. Do you?
That said, feel free to bet your own money on electric cars; I have no problem with that. I just wish that as a tax payer, I wasn't imposed to do the same. I don't wish to support any car company for that matter. And yes, I am well aware that Elson Musk is not the only billionaire whose business is disproportionately supported by public money. I only brought it up here because Tesla was mentioned, and so many people seem to have such blind faith in the promise of this company and its CEO.
Bottom line is:Tesla delivers what is and will remain a super-resource intensive and publicly expensive mean of private transportation that only benefits a few rich people... and it's not going to save the world; not even close.
Okay - maybe this would be more fair
Taxing emissions on all vehicles.
Pollution costs money, and that money comes from somewhere ... like, taxes? Climate change is going to get very costly very soon, too.
If the connection between polluting/warming potential and taxes were made in a direct way, would you still complain that the reduced damage from a Tesla is reflected in a reduced cost?
Yes, I am 100% in favor of a
Yes, I am 100% in favor of a revenue neutral carbon tax, not just a vehicle emission tax. I would much rather see the market reward the most efficient technologies and behaviors than the people with the best paid lobbyists, PR, and shiniest gadgets.
What is the exterior material on the Tesla?... It changes shade.
What is the exterior surface material on the Tesla?... It changes shade in response to the position/intensity of the sun!
It's paint
Similar paint effects are available on lots of cars. My wife's Camry is slightly green in full sun, but black in any amount of shade. The Tesla's paint is doubtless a more extreme and expensive version of the same thing.
Composition/chemistry of the Tesla paint?...
What is the composition/chemistry of the Tesla paint?...
RMV
What was the RMV's charge for that?
that pun
was revolting.
I'm shocked you feel so strongly
Try to stay grounded. I'm neutral on the matter myself but am positive that we can all agree to stay current.
the car belongs to Jimmy
the car belongs to Jimmy Neutron...so there was no charge
Watta you mean?
I try and stay current, but sometimes I just don't have the capacity to discharge all the responsibilities I've generated.
Wow, way to blowup this guy's
Wow, way to blowup this guy's spot. Do you think it's ethical, as a journalist, to post somebody's license plate publicly?
I sometimes see people on my social media feeds posting pictures of their cars with their plates in full view. Don't do it. You'd be surprised what creeps could have access to.
He's driving around in public
It's not like his plate is some closely held secret.
Really
Unless Adam includes the guy's identity, he's not showing you anything that hundreds of people don't see every day.
Clutches Pearls
My plates are in full view all day every day. I tell you, it's just terrifying. I'm thinking of putting a black cover over it so nobody can read my plates, should help me with those privacy issues.
http://watchdog.org/wp
http://watchdog.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/10/Think-of-the-Ch...
Do you
actually think that people can figure out who this guy is just by looking at his plate? Also the government likely takes dozens of pictures of your plate a day, not to mention private security cameras.
It used to be that the owner
It used to be that the owner of a license plate was considered a public record, so you could find someone with only a plate number. You can't anymore, but it's one of those things that has stuck in our heads.
Blame Howie Carr
Back when he did actual reporting, instead of just compiling lists of random insults every couple of days, he used to go down to the Registry to find who owned cars parked in particular places. Then the legislature banned that; the fact that he was constantly writing about legislators was no doubt totally coincidental.
It kind of was coincident
All the states now block the ability for 'mere citizens' to track vehicle ownership by plate number - and they changed their laws around the same time.
Howie is obnoxious, but he's not 50 states obnoxious.
Don't be cruel
You'll hurt his feelings with talk like that.
Anon Journalism Ethics Lectures
Maybe, instead of coming up with all sorts of nonsense and attacking Adam, you could just do a Ted Talk on your infinite wisdom of the subject of journalism ethics for bloggers?