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Meanwhile in WA state, the house bill advertised by https://washington.repair.org/ https://washington.repair.org/ has, in its most recent iterations (after 02-
by 72f988bf 3y ago
Meanwhile in WA state, the house bill advertised by https://washington.repair.org/ https://washington.repair.org/ has, in its most recent iterations (after 02-08-2023, in this list https://app.leg.wa.gov/bi/tld/documentsearchresults?biennium=2023-24&name=1392 https://app.leg.wa.gov/bi/tld/documentsearchresults?biennium...), an exemption that magically appeared:
"Exempts manufacturers or distributors of certain medical devices, motor vehicles, any power generation or storage equipment, or equipment for fueling or charging motor vehicles."
Wondering what type of farmer equipment count as "motor vehicles" here, and if tractors are counted or not.
https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bill%20Reports/House/1392%20HBR%20APP%2023.htm https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bill%20R... :
> (Other) Motor vehicles are not the focus of the bill, but could be impacted by the bill, especially for things like touch screens in vehicles and electric vehicle chargers. The industry would appreciate an exemption to exclude motor vehicles and related devices from the scope of the bill
https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bill%20Reports/House/1392-S2.E%20HBR%20APH%2023.htm https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bill%20R...
> (Other) There are concerns regarding the definition of digital electronic equipment. A clarifying amendment to exclude digital electronic equipment in vehicle charging stations would be appreciated. New York's right to repair law had similar language.
The list of entities testifying in the "(Other)" category (versus "(In support)") is thankfully visible in these docs you only need to Ctrl+F for "(Other)".
Also interested people can probably spend time watching the videos in https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1392&Year=2023&Initiative=false https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1392&Year=2023... to learn more, such as the few minutes at 2:31:25 in https://tvw.org/video/house-appropriations-2023021401/?eventID=2023021401 https://tvw.org/video/house-appropriations-2023021401/?event...
- JohnFen 3y agoDamn, talk about largely neutering a bill. It shows how much contempt many manufacturers have for their customers.
- cronix 3y agoAnd the contempt the politicians have for their voters who actually put it into law, which is more egregious imho. I don't necessarily blame an industry for trying to get things in bills that benefit their industry, but I do blame the politicians who actually make it a reality over the interests of their citizens and then a governor who signs it into law.
- JohnFen 3y agoYes, the politicians are also bad actors here. But I also absolutely blame industries for trying to get things like this into law.
- pmoriarty 3y agoApathetic and ignorant voters share the blame, as do our education system and media.
- dotancohen 3y ago> as do our education system What do you think is the purpose of the education system, that blame might fall on it?
- pmoriarty 3y agocivics education, critical thinking, math, science, and humanities education all have an impact on how and if people understand and get involved in issues that affect the population and the world, politics, etc... It's a lot easier to manipulate and misinformed people when the lack a basic education in these fields.
- atkailash 3y ago[dead]
- Groxx 3y agoPoliticians too
- passwordoops 3y agoI wouldn't say the contempt for customers is conscious. It's more a single-minded focus on revenue maximization, leading to an obscene effort to defend against any percieved threats to that revenue maximization, that results in what looks like contempt... When you only care about one thing, nothing else matters.
- iancmceachern 3y agoIt's two sides of the same coin, no?
- JohnFen 3y ago> When you only care about one thing, nothing else matters. Which counts as contempt in my book. Contempt means "The feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn." Caring more about your revenue stream than your customers is regarding your customers as inferior to your revenue stream.
- iancmceachern 3y agoTotally, and in my experience it's above a certain level in the company, below that level the employees have pride and care about their customers because they are them and can relate to them, above a certain level they are not users of their own products, cant relate to regular people and then a different dynamic takes over.
- kelseyfrog 3y agoIt happens when stock compensation is greater than wage compensation. This shifts the incentive from pleasing customers to pleasing shareholders.
- ortusdux 3y ago"We are worried this manufacturing bill might affect vehicle touch screen and electric charging technology. Lets exempt the entire auto industry, the single largest manufacturing sector in the country, that represents 3% of the US GDP." Who's bill is this?
- bonestamp2 3y agoThankfully, most automakers do make diagnostic tools/parts/info available to everyone (due to Massachusetts' 2012 right to repair law). The automakers don't really mind because more users licensing that software is more revenue. If anyone cares in that industry, it's the dealers.
- zamnos 3y agoAutomakers are required to (thanks to the 2012 law you mentioned), so characterizing them, saying they don't mind seems like overselling it.
- bonestamp2 3y agoThey're only required to do it in MA though. They do it everywhere because it's more revenue, so I think it's fair to say they don't mind. It's the dealers that mind.
- andjd 3y agoThis is potentially an advantage for the Colorado bill, which (I think?) specifically targets right-to-repair for farmers/farm equipment. When you only target one industry, that industry can't say "give us an exception, the bill will still be fine."