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Not in the Best Interests

Small-business people who live in the 33rd Senate District should take note of the anti-small-business attitude of their state senator, Art Linares, Jr. Linares is a Republican and has campaigned claiming he cares about small business, yet Linares is the chief proponent of proposed legislation that Connecticut's new car dealers have said would undermine their franchise rights with the major automobile manufacturers.

Linares was upset when he tried to buy a new Tesla automobile (price tag $70,000 to $100,000) and found that they are not sold in Connecticut. That is because Connecticut requires auto manufacturers to sell through privately owned dealerships-described by a trade industry spokesman as mom-and-pop businesses. Linares doesn't like that and he has proposed legislation that would change Connecticut's consumer protection-oriented laws and allow Tesla to sell direct.

For the record, Connecticut is not alone in requiring auto sales through franchised dealers. There are 14 other states that require non-manufacturer franchises, including New Jersey, Michigan, Arizona, and Texas.

Linares sold himself to the voters of the 33rd Senate District as being business friendly and being concerned about the little guy, but his proposed legislation would harm the franchised new car dealers, and clearly that is neither in the interests of those small-business people in the car business, nor is it in the best interests of the consumers of Connecticut.

Errol HornerChester