Propagandist Low Earth Orbit, Stories

Quote: F. A. Hayek

Without Property Rights, We Drift Further Down The Road To Serfdom.

F. A. Hayek

SpaceX formally incorporated the unincorporated village of Boca Chica as a city called Starbase, Texas on May 20, 2025.

In a Cameron County Special Election which took place on May 3, 2025 Elon Musk’s company town of Starbase was made manifest by 212 registered voters most of whom work for SpaceX. They made up 97.25% of the registered voters on company owned land roughly 1.6 miles in size (approx. 1024 acres) made up of over 100 parcels owned by Dogleg Park, a subsidiary of SpaceX.

In addition homeowners in Boca Chica Village were offered buyouts at three times the appraised fair market value of their property. Some took the offer and those homes are now owned by SpaceX and many have been rented back to SpaceX employees.

That same same day Bobby Peden was elected Mayor and Jenna Petrzelka and Jordan Buss were elected as Commissioners. All work for SpaceX, ran unopposed and signed a pledge not to accept more than $1,110 in political contributions for this election.

It didn’t take very long for city officials to have the temerity to warn residents that they may lose their property rights. On Monday, June 23rd at Starbase’s temporary city hall, officials plan to host a public hearing on proposed zoning changes which affect the right of property owners to continue using their property for its current use.

At the state level, the 89th Texas Legislature gave the new city of Starbase the authority to close popular Boca Chica Beach and state park for launches. That authority will be taken from Cameron County and transferred to the new town’s mayor and city council when House Bill 5246 which was sent to Governor Abbott on June 2, 2025 is signed.

According to SPACENEWS, as of May 6, 2025 SpaceX has been granted a request for environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to allow Starbase an increase from five to 25 launches per year along with up to 25 landings each of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage.

Lest we forget, as reported in the Houston Chronicle on March 4, 2024 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously in favor of a proposal for the department’s staff to pursue a land swap in South Texas with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Forty-three acres of Boca Chica State Park were approved for a swap by the TPWD for SpaceX in exchange 477 acres from a “willing seller” near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, about ten miles away.

What’s happening to Boca Chica Village, Boca Chica State Park along with Highway 4, the only road to Boca Chica Beach, is a tragedy of the commons. Depleted by encroachment, enclosure and commercialization, future generations have been deprived of the value of its use.

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