• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Blog Home
  • Topics
    • Keystone Press Releases
    • Politics and Government
    • Legislation
    • Nevada News
    • Tourism & Gaming
    • Rural Nevada
    • Business
    • Opinion
  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • About Keystone Nevada

Keystone Nevada Korner

Welcome to The Keystone Korner The Official Blog of Keystone Nevada

Home » EDITORIAL: ‘I would just can this whole bill’

EDITORIAL: ‘I would just can this whole bill’

December 12, 2021 by Pauline Lee

Las Vegas Review-Journal December 10, 2021

The Democrats’ $1.9 trillion social “infrastructure” bill — misnamed the Build Back Better Act — is a Christmas list of progressive spending priorities, particularly when it comes to handouts for green special interests.

One might expect that Elon Musk, who has championed electric vehicles for decades and has relied on federal subsidy dollars and government emissions credits to keep Tesla alive, would be an ardent supporter.

Quite the opposite. Mr. Musk has apparently come to recognize that a government which spends indiscriminately and without limits will eventually create a climate that is hostile to innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Honestly, I would just can this whole bill,” Mr. Musk said this week during a speaking event sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, “Don’t pass it. That’s my recommendation. … Rules and regulations are immortal. They don’t die. The vast majority of rules and regulations live forever. … There’s not really an effective garbage collection system for removing rules and regulations, so this hardens the arteries of civilization where you are able to do less and less over time.”

Cynics might argue that Mr. Musk is unhappy that Democrats have left Tesla in the cold in order to pay off their Big Labor benefactors. Build Back Better includes higher subsidies for those who purchase plug-ins — but only those built by union labor. Tesla is not unionized. General Motors is.

But Tesla has already shown it can prosper without the subsidies — for two years it has been up against a cap limiting the handouts to the first 200,000 vehicles sold, yet has still increased market share. And as David Blackmon of Forbes pointed out, Mr. Musk is also critical of provisions in the bill that would directly benefit Tesla.

“When the moderator at the WSJ event pointed out that the bill contains billions in subsidies for the installation of new EV charging infrastructure,” Mr. Blackmon wrote, “Musk responded by saying ‘Unnecessary. Do we need support for gas stations? We don’t. I’m literally saying get rid of all subsidies.’”

Indeed, that might be Mr. Musk’s most sensible point, given how politicians across the land are clamoring to build government-run charging stations even as EVs constitute only about 2 percent of U.S. vehicle sales. Former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval spent money the state received in the Volkswagen emissions scandal to construct charging stations in rural areas that remain lightly used.

The point isn’t that more charging stations aren’t necessary. But rather that private actors have proven time and again that they are better suited to react to public demand than elected officials spending other people’s money to appease vocal special interests. If the goal is to make it more convenient for EV drivers, better to rely on private investment rather than to hand out subsidies to utility companies who spread the costs among all rateholders.

Mr. Musk gets this one right.

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Build Back Better, charging stations, electric rateholders, Elon Musk, Infrastructure Bill

Primary Sidebar

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
Bootleg Bistro
Bootleg Bistro Ad
SLLC_Keystone_Blog-Ad_300x500_10%-Off-Repairs_05.19.21
CIOServices Ad 300x500-100
BRH Keystone Ad JPEG
Willow_Manor
Keystone Corporation Nevada

News Topics

  • Keystone Press Releases
  • Politics and Government
  • Legislation
  • Nevada News
  • Tourism & Gaming
  • Rural Nevada
  • Business
  • Opinion

Rural Nevada

Winnemucca braces for massive lithium mine

September 18, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By Ray Hagar, Nevada Newsmakers, September 18, 2023 Winnemucca, a town of more than 8,600 residents off Interstate 80 in Northern Nevada, is proud … [Read More...] about Winnemucca braces for massive lithium mine

Weather may have slowed January sales

April 8, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By The Record Courier Staff, April 4, 2023 For the third month in a row, Douglas County merchants reported a decrease in taxable sales, though not … [Read More...] about Weather may have slowed January sales

30 new projects in Pahrump: Arby’s, Chipotle, Midas Muffler, 3 convenient stores & more

March 29, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By Robin Hebrock, Pahrump Valley Times, March 28, 2023 Business is booming in the Pahrump Valley, with dozens of new companies looking to bring … [Read More...] about 30 new projects in Pahrump: Arby’s, Chipotle, Midas Muffler, 3 convenient stores & more

UPS and AVK America plan to expand in Douglas County

March 19, 2023 By Courtney Holland

Staff Reports for The Record Courier, March 17, 2023 United Parcel Service plans to build a new 168,000 square foot building in Douglas County, … [Read More...] about UPS and AVK America plan to expand in Douglas County

Opinion

EDITORIAL: Never Never Land for California regulators

September 25, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By the Las Vegas Review-Journal Editorial Board, September 24, 2023 It’s shocking, but California’s efforts to force-feed electric vehicles to its … [Read More...] about EDITORIAL: Never Never Land for California regulators

OPINION: American mining needs Gen Z

September 25, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By Rich Nolan, Reno Gazette Journal, September 18, 2023 By 2030, Gen Z will be 30 percent of the American workforce. This tech-savvy generation has … [Read More...] about OPINION: American mining needs Gen Z

OPINION: DExit to the desert: Why I left Delaware for Nevada

September 25, 2023 By Courtney Holland

By Phil Shawn, The Nevada Independent, September 15th, 2023 Some 80 years ago, visionaries saw a dusty military outpost in the middle of the Nevada … [Read More...] about OPINION: DExit to the desert: Why I left Delaware for Nevada

Tags

Adam Laxalt Biden Administration Business Business Columns Casinos & Gaming Catherine Cortez Masto Clark County Clark County School District economy Editorials Education Elon Musk employment Gov. Joe Lombardo Gov. Steve Sisolak Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) Housing inflation Inside Gaming Joe Lombardo las vegas Local Local Las Vegas Local Nevada mc-business mc-local mc-news mc-opinion Nevada News North Las Vegas NPRI Opinion Opinion Columns PAID Politics and Government Real Estate Insider Roe v. Wade school choice Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto small businesses Sports Tesla tourism Victor Joecks

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Keystone Corporation - All Rights Reserved · Log in
Privacy Policy
By accessing this site, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use

The views, opinions and conclusions expressed by the authors of any article or post on the Keystone Korner are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Keystone Corporation or its officers and board members. Moreover, any reference to a person, party, product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Keystone Corporation or its officers and board members.