"F- Elon Musk": California Democrat Reacts to Tesla CEO's Pullout Threat Amid COVID-19 Lockdown
A California democrat recently voiced her disappointment Tesla CEO Elon Musk's threat to pull his company out of California if the state government doesn't let him resume operations.
The Tesla CEO filed a lawsuit against Alameda County over the "interim health officer's" alleged ignorant actions. According to court documents, Tesla accused the county's health department of overstepping federal restrictions when it refused to allow his company from restarting production.
He said the county's action was a "power grab" and defied California Governor Gavin Newsom's mandate that manufacturers would be allowed to reopen.
Erica Pan, Alameda's health official, said Tesla had to wait at least one more week, according to recommendations, to monitor infection rates before starting production.
County officials said the Public Health Department has been working with the automaker in a collaborative effort to develop a safety plan that would allow the company to operate while protecting its employees from the coronavirus threat.
Stark Contrast
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez slammed the automotive giant in a tweet where she delivered a brief response to his threats: "F- Elon Musk."
The scathing reaction came after the CEO threatened to pull much of Tesla out of California due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home rules that have temporarily stalled production. Should the automaker move out of the state, an unspecified number of employees would lose their jobs.
The company's San Francisco Bay area facility would remain open. Still, activities would largely depend on how Tesla is treated in the coming weeks.
Gonzalez's reaction was very different from the reactions of lawmakers and candidates in Texas and Nevada. The officials from both states were pleased about Elon Musk's plans to relocate his company there.
"This is the final straw," Musk tweeted. He claimed the Tesla headquarters and all future programs would be moved to Texas and Nevada immediately.
U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw said Musk's announcement was attracted by the "good conservative principles" and "great governance" of the officials in Texas.
In Nevada, Republican candidate Dan Rodimer welcomed Tesla's move, saying his state needed the jobs the company will bring.
Impact
Tesla's move would have a large economic impact for Fremont, California. The automobile manufacturing company builds more than 415,000 cars annually. Moving the entire company could take anywhere between 12 to 18 months.
Moving away could also heavily impact the auto giant's manufacturing and logistics process. The lack of production in their closed Fremont facility caused a financial strain.
The automaker plans to ramp up production of its Model Y sport utility vehicle, which is their most profitable vehicle to date.
Tesla has already reopened its factory in China after it was forced to close during the height of the pandemic. Musk believes the Chinese branch could set an example of how the company could reopen its other locations.
In a tweet, he said Tesla knows what needs to be done to keep their employees safe following their China factory experience.
Check out this video of the Tesla Model Y below:
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