Tesla would not exist without the federal government. Obama bailed them out in 2009. Apparently Musk’s paper fortune is giving him amnesia.
Tesla paid back the loan - great. But the company would likely have gone into bankruptcy without the government extending credit.
And this is to say nothing of all the subsidies for consumers to buy electric cars. Or to build charging stations. Or the govt contracts to Tesla.
And this is to say nothing of all the subsidies for consumers to buy electric cars. Or to build charging stations. Or the govt contracts to Tesla.
This is not some argument that the government created Tesla’s wealth and thus should own it — it’s that the government contributed mightily to that wealth. WE THE PEOPLE paid to support Tesla and now just want Musk to pay his fair share, still a tiny fraction of what he’s made.
I supported Obama extending the loan to Tesla in 2009. I still think it was a good idea. It obviously worked out! This is a role government should play, jumping in to invest in key emerging technologies when the private sector will not, where US strategic interests are at stake.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
