Elon Musk should get into politics

[Witchhunt]

He's got bilking the taxpayer down to a "science". 4.9 billion as of 2015 and still going strong. Paypal's creation was a government gig too.


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html


If he moved in to politics straight away he could likely keep the money rolling in, but not have to actually produce anything. He makes Bill and Hilary look like rank amateurs....

 

[TheComebackKid]

"You know it's real because it looks so fake..."

He's definitely got the shamelkess lying part down

 

[kpt018]

"The figure compiled by The Times comprises a variety of government incentives, including grants, tax breaks, factory construction, discounted loans and environmental credits that Tesla can sell. It also includes tax credits and rebates to buyers of solar panels and electric cars."

Using these factors we can compile a list of thousands of businesses that benefit from the same exact things. It's not a Tesla issue, it's a tax code issue.

 

[Witchhunt]

"The figure compiled by The Times comprises a variety of government incentives, including grants, tax breaks, factory construction, discounted loans and environmental credits that Tesla can sell. It also includes tax credits and rebates to buyers of solar panels and electric cars."

Using these factors we can compile a list of thousands of businesses that benefit from the same exact things. It's not a Tesla issue, it's a tax code issue.

Yep!

 

[kpt018]

Yep!

I'm glad you agree but why do you suppose they targeted Tesla? And why are you targeting Elon Musk?

 

[Witchhunt]

I'm glad you agree but why do you suppose they targeted Tesla? And why are you targeting Elon Musk?

LA Times, so I'm not really sure. Going after a green energy buddy on Obama's watch. I guess everybody fucks up and does some real journalism from time to time.

 

[kpt018]

LA Times, so I'm not really sure. Going after a green energy buddy on Obama's watch. I guess everybody fucks up and does some real journalism from time to time.

It's not good journalism, though. They cherry picked a company when the problem exists with the code. A better article would have hammered law makers for failing to close this stuff when they had the chance.

 

[Witchhunt]

It's not good journalism, though. They cherry picked a company when the problem exists with the code. A better article would have hammered law makers for failing to close this stuff when they had the chance.

I agree that an honest expose on Government subsidies would be a more courageous move, but going after Musk, who is everybody's poster boy for successful, billionaire hero of the environment is pretty ballsy. Everybody knows the "evil corporations" angle.

 

[kpt018]

I agree that an honest expose on Government subsidies would be a more courageous move, but going after Musk, who is everybody's poster boy for successful, billionaire hero of the environment is pretty ballsy. Everybody knows the "evil corporations" angle.

They could have found much better examples IMO. But carry on.

 

[Witchhunt]

They could have found much better examples IMO. But carry on.

Bring 'em on... I don't think highlighting other examples of hero's of the people that slurp at the taxpayer tit would be derailing.

 

[Gregolian]

I never heard of this guy before he started Tesla. Where did he get all the capital to start up that shit?

 

[Jack V Savage]

I never heard of this guy before he started Tesla. Where did he get all the capital to start up that shit?

Founded the precursor to PayPal.

 

[Gregolian]

Founded the precursor to PayPal.

Wouldn't you need to money to do that too though?

 

[Jack V Savage]

Wouldn't you need to money to do that too though?

Yeah, he sold a smaller startup before that (before you ask, he raised money from investors for that one).

 

[Gregolian]

Yeah, he sold a smaller startup before that (before you ask, he raised money from investors for that one).

It just is crazy to me (granted I don't pay a huge ton of attention) how for someone like me the dude came out of fucking nowhere and is now launching rockets into space and shit.

 

[Witchhunt]

Wouldn't you need to money to do that too though?

Paypal was a government gig.

 

[Witchhunt]

It just is crazy to me (granted I don't pay a huge ton of attention) how for someone like me the dude came out of fucking nowhere and is now launching rockets into space and shit.

Read the article G. It gives a bit of history.

 

[kpt018]

Bring 'em on... I don't think highlighting other examples of hero's of the people that slurp at the taxpayer tit would be derailing.

Bring em on? I don't think you got my previous point that we'd have to list thousands of companies and in some cases industries. Farm subsidies, funds for construction work, film producers get huge credits, companies like GE pay near zero tax while profits are in the billions, oil and energy companies on and on. The code is filled with special interests stuff.

The article was a hit piece on Musk. And quite frankly I'm sympathetic to your beef with this, people get very rich while getting government support and contract work and we should scrutinize that. We should always question whether it's worthwhile to do by measuring cost vs benefits and whether that money can be better spent. But again, it's a tax code problem, not a Elon Musk problem.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

Driving incentive and innovation through tax breaks is smart business. How much revenue have these companies driven in to the local, state and federal economy. You also want to keep them in the US. We are not talking about McJobs or Wal-fare.

Now should they be cut off at a certain point is debatable.

 

[Orgasmo]

SpaceX is operated with heavy assistance from NASA. Tesla is kept afloat through subsidies and selling carbon credits.

I admire Elon Musk's visions, but the dude has a serious tendency to over-promise and under-deliver. He's a great visionary, but terrible at managing projects. Tesla and SpaceX don't deserve half the hype they're currently getting.