Change Dealership Laws
Hey, Utah legislators: I want a Tesla!
A 2016-17 Tesla model goes for around $36,000. I will buy this car even if it means buying it out of state, which means Utah would lose the revenue from sales tax. A ridiculous law requires cars to be purchased from franchise dealers, not manufacturers.
As far as I can tell, the law was put in place to keep car manufacturers from setting up franchises that would cannibalize each other. Why a company would need a law to stop this behavior is only one of a giant list of problems with the way automakers do business.
Another is: Why do manufacturers build cars that need complex servicing—work preferably done at the dealership. They are operating on a flawed business model, and affordable electric cars could force them to change it.
The range of most Tesla models is 200-270 miles on a charge. The average American drives 37 miles a day, so that's plenty of miles for 90 percent of people.
There is virtually nothing to the Tesla automobile. It is literally a bank of batteries with a motor to drive the wheels. This means no oil changes or mechanics telling you, "The O2 sensor that monitors the rear-view mirror has to be replaced." The Tesla Model S has two motors. It can go from being an all-wheel-drive winter vehicle to a rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, depending on the driver's needs.
Teslas will autopilot and park themselves. You pull up to a tight parking spot and tell the car to park and it does a perfect three-point parallel park. You get home and tell the car to park in the garage and it does. You will be able to summon the car (on private property).
That's like something out of an Iron Man movie.
I don't think it matters what your political affiliation is. How about supporting something that will make cleaner air? Why not drive a car that is almost as fast as a Porsche? How about driving a car that costs $5 to fill instead of $60? Why not have Utah lead the way to the future for once?
Justin Wood
Salt Lake City
Set the Record Straight
A recent City Weekly article ["Mayoral Wild Cards," July 23] said that I was a retired naval officer, that I live near Memory Grove, and that I worked in cell phones in Utah. Those statements are inaccurate.
I have always maintained that I spent six years in the Navy and that I left because I did not agree with some decisions at the national level. I consider it an insult to maintain an inaccurate history, so please ensure that you do not repeat this untrue statement.
I live near 1300 South and 1100 East, not Memory Grove, and I worked for cell-phone, radio-frequency and nuclear companies but only in San Diego. Although I traveled throughout the world as a consultant and contractor, it is inaccurate to say that I worked for Utah companies during my career.
Please change the story to reflect the truth. I do appreciate the time that staff writer Eric Peterson took to interview me, and I especially appreciated the note about the Wasatch Front Regional Council—information that I hope will be the subject of a bigger story.
The proposed transportation tax increase will go to projects. In a recent Take 2 program hosted by Rod Decker, Mayor Becker said that the tax would go to UTA service. That is a lie.
George Chapman
Salt Lake City mayoral candidate
Salt Lake City
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