Alameda County agrees to let Tesla reopen if certain conditions are met | Hacker News Reader

Alameda County agrees to let Tesla reopen if certain conditions are met

sfchronicle.com

41 pointskfriede21 comments

I was really looking forward to the court challenges on this one, and am a bit disappointed the county caved.

Bottom line, we have local officials making decrees and proclamations with no legislative basis -- often the legislature is not even in session as one proclamation is made after another -- and they are curtailing things like right to assemble, right to hold religious services, and interstate commerce.

This needs court challenges all across the country, and unfortunately only the wealthy can afford a big legal fight. Most of them can easily hide in luxurious compounds and aren't impacted nearly as much as those dependent on a regular income, so Elon Musk was doing a public service by openly challenging these decrees and daring someone to arrest him for a crime that doesn't actually exist in any state legal code.

> and am a bit disappointed the county caved.

I'm not sure that it did. It seems like their plan all along was for the factory to open next week:

> Monday. Newsom also said the developing agreement between the county and Tesla had been for the plant to reopen next week. It was not clear why Musk was unsatisfied with the prospect of even a short delay in the plant’s reopening.

> County officials also were envisioning allowing the plant to reopen soon before Musk made his abrupt move.

> Earlier Tuesday, Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, whose district includes Tesla’s Fremont plant, said he was “confident” that health officials and Tesla would have reached a plan to have the plant reopen with a May 18 target date, according to Shawn Wilson, his chief of staff.

> Most of them can easily hide in luxurious compounds and aren't impacted nearly as much as those dependent on a regular income

So they want other people to risk their lives to make more billions for them.

You know they could walk out any day and start earning the billions if they really have the ability? We are not talking about low income people.

And large part of the population seems all too willing to just follow these local officials and blindly believe anything they say. And those who dare to challenge them get insulted.

If you want to act in an anti-social manner, don’t be surprised when you are socially ostracized.

What is "anti social" about defending human rights against those who think they stand above them?

In other words: go against the grain and you’ll be down voted to oblivion. Unfortunately and sadly, widely differing opinions are not tolerated too much on HN.

There's an amazing amount of emphasis in these comments on strict adhesion to the law and not enough on the actual risk of harm if the site continues to go about reopening.

Honestly, if a company wants to disobey a government edict that's for the good of the people when there's no law to back it up, so be it; I hope the people and estates of those who are injured or killed can use the judiciary to sufficient ends to become somewhat close to whole again.

There are processes to follow. If Alameda County is at fault then the courts can decide. They can issue restraining orders to suspend the quarantine if they felt the county overstepped its bounds too.

What can't happen is letting a company bully a local government because they don't want to make less money. This is just another example of our democracy crumbling into an oligarchy. Musk is not above the law because he has money and employs people.

Absolutely, and closed companies should use any avenues legally available to them if they disagree.

But that said, if you disagree about staying closed (royal you, not You you), and people die because you reopened, I hope you get cleaned out.

What exact ‘bullying’ are you talking about? As far as I know all Musk did was post a few tweets. Not hire a gang of armed men.

Threatening to move his factory unless the county caved and made an exception to its public health rules.

How is that ‘bullying’? If he thinks the factory will be better somewhere else, why shouldn’t he move it?

I think it was more of the bad-look that Tesla was negotiating with the county about reopening, and then with little warning seemed to "go rogue." The date that was under discussion for reopening is in-line with Michigan manufacturers. From 10,000 feet it just looks like Musk throwing a tantrum.

Nothing like letting a billionaire throw a temper-tantrum to dictate public health policy.

It's asinine for factories to be kept closed while big box stores are open. I know some people who work in the latter and they've had customers refusing to wear masks, spitting on employees (cops called), etc. Factories have the ability to strictly regulate distancing and mask use and are heavily monitored places, so they are much safer.

Is there a risk that Tesla's factory opening will spark a COVID outbreak? Is there any personal or financial risk for Elon in the case of such an outbreak? How would the answers to these questions influence your decisions if you were Elon?

There are several other Tesla factories that were already open and SpaceX never closed. Their claim that manufacturing is relatively low risk seems credible.

Everyone else should just go ahead and reopen as well.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com