The Political Page, T+244 -- September 21, 2017

NFL tickets for the 49ers - Rams game, tonight's Thursday night football game:

As of Wednesday, resale tickets were being offered on StubHub for as low as $14 to see the team host the Los Angeles Rams at 7 p.m. That price is just cheaper than buying a pair of $7.50 pretzels through the Levi's Stadium app and comparable to the price of a beer and a hot dog at the the three-year-old arena. According to the team's seat licensing map, the cheapest original face value for any seat is $85.

Where did "Kaepernik" come from? Oh, that's right. San Francisco. 

From NY Daily News:The Colin Kaepernick effect, and the great regret of the San Francisco 49ers.

Why? Because the 49ers don’t have a capable quarterback on their roster. C.J. Beathard is San Francisco’s rookie backup, who has yet to take a single snap. Brian Hoyer is the 49ers starter, but in two games this season, the nine-year journeyman who has played for seven teams, has only thrown for 292 yards, with two interceptions.

When tickets to the game are going for $14, I think there's more to this than just a lousy quarterback.  But this being San Francisco, I assume if Kaepernik suited up for the game (for either team) the arena would be sold out.

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Really?

I keep seeing this poll being quoted: 42% of Americans don't want tax cuts.

About 42% of Americans don't pay federal taxes and receive benefits from those who do pay taxes. These 42% assume that if taxes are cut, their benefits are cut.

This is not rocket science. Those citing the poll seem to suggest they are surprised by the poll.

Well, duh.

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.... And For The 1% That Pay 50% Of Federal Taxes

Updates

September 25, 2017: in response to the original post, someone asked about charging (time and cost). This from yesterday's (Sunday) edition of the Chicago Sun-Times:

The Supercharger stations are equipped to deliver a “rapid” 72 kilowatts of power to cars; the average charging time is up to 45 minutes in urban centers. [72 kw = 180 miles based on figures later in the article; but the article did not say how rapid "rapid" was. This site suggests that 72 kilowatts takes 45 minutes to charge.]

“It lets you make a brief stop, charge your car very quickly and be on your way,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a video announcement in 2013.

“Something unique about the Supercharger is that it’s not just free now, it’s free forever.”

The free charging pledge, however, was fleeting. Tesla owners who ordered cars after Jan. 1, 2017, will receive 400 kilowatts’ worth of free charges a year, which equals about 1,000 miles. After that, charging costs 15 cents per kilowatt in Illinois.  

September 23, 2017: another article, same story, from greencarreports. All the various Tesla models/options are overwhelming. The only thing that is consistent is how expensive these cars are, and how much more expensive the "real" car is that how it is being advertised. The base Model 3 may be advertised as $35,000 but it quickly escalates to $60,000 with features that most folks are going to want ... like extended range. The Model 3, being marketed as a car for the masses, is anything but.

Original Post

 

Tesla obsoletes its cheapest car -- The Verge, data points:

• Tesla will stop making its Model S 75 this weekend
• currently the least expensive Model S available, starting at $69,500
• once the "S 75" is gone, the least expensive Tesla will be the Model S 75D (dual motors: one motor on both the front and rear axles); starts at $74,500
• Model X also comes with dual motors
• the only rear-wheel drive Tesla will sell will be the entry-level version of the Model 3
• despite the heavily advertised $35,000 price tag for the Model 3, customers will more likely pay upwards of $50,000 to get the options they want
• customers with preorders cannot even take delivery of the $35,000 base version yet

Re-posting Tesla guidance regarding production:

What is the most current Tesla guidance for Model 3 production? According to the linked SeekingAlpha article, posted July 31, 2017:

• July, 2017: 30
• August, 2017: 100
• September, 2017:1,500
• December, 2017: 20,000 

So, did Tesla meet its August guidance? No. Tesla delivered 75% of what it said it would.