Tesla Inc.’s TSLA CEO was the subject of California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez’s ire after he threatened to move the factory out of the state.
What Happened
In a social media outburst against Alameda County officials on Saturday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the “Interim Health Officer” of the county “unelected & ignorant” and accused the official of acting “contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!”
Hours after Musk’s tweets, Gonzalez weighed in:
In another tweet, the Democratic assemblywoman said, “California has highly subsidized a company that has always disregarded worker safety & well-being, has engaged in union busting & bullies public servants. I probably could’ve expressed my frustration in a less aggressive way. Of course, no one would’ve cared if I tweeted that.”
Why It Matters
Apart from threatening to file a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately, Musk also said, “Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependen[sic] on how Tesla is treated in the future.”
Musk claimed that Tesla knows what needs to be done in order to reopen the factory floor. He tweeted, ”Tesla knows far more about what needs to be done to be safe through our Tesla China factory experience than an (unelected) interim junior official in Alameda County.”
Gonzalez tweeted that deaths from COVID-19 in California are “disproportionately Latino.” She said, “Maybe that’s why we take the public health officials’ warning and directions so seriously.”
Price Action
On Friday, Tesla shares closed 5.05% higher at $819.42.
Photo Credit: California State Assembly via Wikimedia.
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