If there's anything unsavory going on, let's hope Chris Christie took Andy Borowitz's satirical advice for Republican Governors:
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)
…The Republican Governors Association today ordered its members to discontinue the use of e-mail, “effective immediately.”
According to a memo sent to all Republican governors, “Any plots, schemes, conspiracies, or violations of campaign-finance laws should be conducted using pay phones or easily disposable cell phones such as the ones used on ‘The Wire.’ ” The governors were instructed to read the memo once and then either burn or eat it.
The Conflict-of-the-Day is over rule PRN 2013-138, an amendment to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's Licensing Service regulations for licensed motor vehicle dealers. This rule is being reviewed at an NJMCV meeting and would require car manufactures to sell through franchisees. I cannot think of a good reason for that restriction.
Tesla is angry about Christie's surprise expedition of PRN 2013-138. The rule would require applicants for licenses to open car dealerships to be "motor vehicle franchisees." In NJ, a "motor vehicle franchisee" is a "a person to whom a franchise is granted by a motor vehicle franchisor." Tesla, the manufacturer, would be the franchisor and this rule seems to preclude Tesla from directly opening dealerships (Here's The Proposal That Has Tesla Motors Raging At Chris Christie). Unless perhaps Tesla can give itself a franchise and call itself a franchisee, but that seems like an unnecessary waste of resources.
Tesla Motors Vs Chris Christie
By HUNTER WALKER at Business Insider
Luxe electric car company Tesla Motors unleashed a blog post and series of tweets Tuesday accusing the administration of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie of not acting in "good faith" as the company attempts to bring its direct sales model to the Garden State.
The blog post, which was authored by the "Tesla Motors Team" said the company was under the impression it had been "working constructively with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) and members of Governor Christie’s administration" to defend its rights to sell cars directly to consumers against "attacks" from the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers.
"Unfortunately, Monday we received news that Governor Christie’s administration has gone back on its word to delay a proposed anti-Tesla regulation so that the matter could be handled through a fair process in the Legislature. The Administration has decided to go outside the legislative process by expediting a rule proposal that would completely change the law in New Jersey," the blog post said. "This new rule, if adopted, would curtail Tesla’s sales operations and jeopardize our existing retail licenses in the state. Having previously issued two dealer licenses to Tesla, this regulation would be a complete reversal to the long standing position of NJMVC on Tesla’s stores."
However, Christie administration spokesman Kevin Roberts sent a statement to Business Insider that claimed Tesla Motors is the one attempting to work outside normal legislative procedures in New Jersey.
[…]
"Proposal PRN 2013-138 seeks to impose stringent licensing rules that would, among other things, require all new motor vehicles to be sold through middlemen and block Tesla’s direct sales model. This move comes in spite of discussions with the Governor’s staff as recently as January, when it was agreed that Tesla and NJ CAR would address their issues in a more public forum: the New Jersey Legislature," Tesla's blog post said. "Instead, rather than engage in an open debate on such a significant policy issue, the Administration has expedited the implementation of a new law that the Commission intends to stealthily approve at a meeting in Trenton today at 2:00 PM EDT."
Full article: Tesla Motors Vs Chris Christie – Business Insider.
READ MORE: Here's The Proposal That Has Tesla Motors Raging At Chris Christie
