La Plaza: Is Elon Musk Coming to New Mexico?

Photo copyright Wings, 2014; all rights reserved.

So much news, so little time.

Our governor is currently in talks on two big issues, both of which could have big benefits for our state. Sadly, she also felt the need last week to appeal to the lowest common denominator of her party and its Reagan-worshiping base by playing the great GOP superhero, Line-Item Veto Woman. And of course, the line items that were struck were, disproportionately, programs and initiatives to help people of color and members of other underrepresented and underserved populations.

Those will get covered in a separate edition. For now, we've actually got something promising to discuss.

The big economic news in New Mexico right now is the fact that we seem to be short-listed for the proposed Tesla plant. The plant would not manufacture cars, but rather, the lithium-ion batteries that power Tesla's electric vehicles. 

Currently, Tesla sells only its Model S, which, because of the scarcity of battery availability, has a base sticker price of just shy of $70,000. The new battery manufacturing plant is expected to increase the company's sales volume substantially, as well as benefit the environment by increasing the number of electric (vs. gasoline-powered) vehicles on the road: Tesla owner Elon Musk says the battery plant will enable to the company to manufacture a new crossover vehicle at a significantly lower price point — potentially in the $30K-$40K range, which would put it in line with ordinary crossover vehicles.

Among other states, New Mexico is already competing with California, Arizona, and Texas. Rumors abound, but Governor Martinez is already on record confirming that the state is  strongly in the running thanks to recently-enacted corporate tax breaks championed by her administration. Now, Martinez is a pro-privatization corporate lackey through and through, and for the most part, her tax policy does not seem to be designed with the interests of New Mexico's human people at heart. But even so, if she and state legislators can jointly manage to land the new Tesla plant, it will bring desperately-needed jobs to New Mexico.

And it will have the twin added benefits of helping the environment and thumbing the extractive industries — so accustomed to running public policy in this state, to the detriment of everyone but themselves — right in the eye.

Right now, she's mulling aloud, for any media outlet she can get to transcribe her pensive musings, the possibility of calling a special legislative session to try to put together a proposal the will induce to Tesla to choose New Mexico. Since, as I've noted elsewhere, we have the nation's only so-called "citizen legislature" (i.e., unsalaried, which is not quite the same thing as wholly unpaid), legislators typically whine about the possibility of a special session.

Considering what Tesla could bring to New Mexico's economy (and therefore to their constituents), something tells me they won't protest much this time around.

Of course, if they do whine, said constituents should take note. And then take action at the ballot box.

Copyright Ajijaakwe, 2014; all rights reserved.