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New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani's rise should teach NYC's non-radicals to invest in the long game
Now that tossing $25 million into last-minute spending to promote Andrew Cuomo failed utterly to stop pro-Intifada, anti-cop socialist Zohran Mamdani from winning the Democratic mayoral primary, perhaps New York business leaders will finally realize that political 'investment' requires an eye on the long game, and fostering an entire infrastructure that can produce credible centrists candidates. 'Crying over Mamdani is, as they say, a bit rich when it comes from the rich,' snarked The Post's Charles Gasparino, since the 'city's business class sat idly by' as the local left grew ever more powerful. New York magazine's Errol Louis was even more on-point: 'The same people dumping millions into last-minute attack ads should have been investing time and money to recruit, educate, and encourage young leaders.' Advertisement Dumping a ton of cash in at the last minute can work when it comes to passing or defeating a single bill, or influencing any particular government decision — but altering the political climate requires steady attention and investment. 'The city's business community,' writes Gasparino, 'is the most politically neutered class of people I have ever met.' Partly that's just fear of sticking your neck out; partly that so many think of themselves as 'liberal' or 'progressive' without ever noticing how drastically the meaning of those labels has shifted; partly the knowledge deep down that they just don't understand how politics works. Advertisement And a 'go along to get along' mindset in a Democratic Party-dominated city and state has resulted in very little pushback as the hard left came to dominate that party. The political-talent pipeline in this town is no longer about community-based clubhouses; it's about social-service nonprofits and public-sector unions that feed off the taxpayers on a scale that dwarfs Tammany Hall's wildest dreams. Each in his own way, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg were political unicorns — Rudy rising to prominence as a federal prosecutor; Mike popping in with a huge fortune that still wouldn't have won him office except for the crisis atmosphere in the immediate wake of 9/11. And all through the 20 years of their mayoralties, the left has been creeping up from the bottom of city government, gaining City Council seats once held by moderates, with every successive borough president, comptroller and so on steadily more progressive than the last. Advertisement Meanwhile, supposedly 'nonpartisan' reforms — taxpayer funding of campaigns; the 'ranked choice' voting rules — further added to insiders' advantages, making it that much harder for fresh faces and voices to break in unless, like Mamdani, they had the support of a political machine like the Working Families 'Party' or the Democratic Socialist apparat. Building such infrastructure takes years; interests that feed off the public put in the time, talent, care and effort to do it. Hiring an expensive consultant for a single campaign can't match those results. Advertisement Even if the city and the business community somehow dodge the Mamdani bullet this fall, the left will keep coming back, ever stronger, unless and until the folks that get fed off of start doing 'political investing' for the long term. That means finding and fostering young political moderates, supporting institutions (even, yes, the city's near-extinct Republican Party) that will oppose the left on a million minor battles that never make a single headline — and not thinking you can fix things by paying attention at the last minute.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Starbase in Texas will officially become a city
The area where Elon Musk's SpaceX company operates on the southern tip of Texas is to officially become a city called Starbase. Residents approved incorporating a patch of land as the new municipality in an election on Saturday. Most of the 283 eligible voters are SpaceX employees. Results published online by Cameron County show 212 votes in favour versus six opposed. Billionaire Musk wrote "Starbase, Texas is now a real city!" on his social media platform X. The new city covers about 1.6 sq miles (3.9 sq km) that was sparsely populated before SpaceX began buying land in the area in 2012. The city's government will comprise of a mayor and two commissioners who will have power over planning, taxation and other local issues. But some nearby residents have opposed the measure and accused the company of harming the local environment. Since SpaceX started buying land in the area, company housing and SpaceX facilities have sprouted up, and Mr Musk has a residence. Other evidence of the tycoon's presence includes a road called Memes Street and a giant bust of the tycoon himself, which was recently vandalised. About 500 people are estimated to live nearby. The possibility of incorporation as a city was rumoured for years before a petition submitted in December 2024 paved the way for Saturday's vote. The first mayor of Starbase will be Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice-president. Peden ran unopposed, as did two other residents with SpaceX ties who will fill the two commissioner seats. The BBC contacted Mr Peden for comment. Starbase will be a Type C city - a category of municipality of fewer than 5,000 people and a designation that among other things will allow officials to levy a property tax of up to 1.5%, according to the Texas Municipal League. A bill currently winding through the Texas state legislature could give the new city's officials the ability to close a local highway and limit access to nearby Boca Chica Beach and Boca Chica State Park during rocket launches and other company activity. Currently closures around SpaceX launches are managed by Cameron County, which includes the nearby city of Brownsville and the resort town of South Padre Island. The result of the vote could set up tussles between county officials and Starbase over access to Boca Chica Beach as SpaceX looks to increase the number of launches at its Texas site from five to 25 per year. The top official in Cameron County, Judge Eddie Trevino Jr, opposes the state bill that would allow Starbase control over closures. In recent years Musk has moved many of his operations and corporate headquarters from California to Texas, citing more favourable regulation and his opposition to California's Democratic Party-dominated politics. The headquarters of his companies X and Boring are now on the outskirts of Bastrop, a small city near the state capital Austin and about a five-and-a-half-hour drive north of Starbase. Inside the rural Texas town where Elon Musk is basing his business empire In contrast with Starbase, the development outside Austin does not include much new housing for company workers – most of whom live in Bastrop or other surrounding communities. Environmental groups have criticised SpaceX's impact on nearby wildlife, and say the company has increased light pollution and littered the area with debris from rocket launches. In 2024 the company was fined nearly $150,000 (£113,000) by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for dumping waste water. The company has called the fines the result of "disagreements over paperwork" and maintains it follows environmental laws. The BBC approached SpaceX for comment. Inside the rural Texas town where Elon Musk is basing his business empire Nasa needs saving from itself – but is this billionaire right for that job? Elon Musk's curious fixation with Britain
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Starbase city in Texas on brink of becoming official
An election on Saturday is likely to incorporate a new city on the southern tip of Texas dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. Local residents are voting on incorporating a patch of land known as Boca Chica Village as a new municipality called Starbase. Most of the 283 eligible voters are SpaceX employees, and most voted early, according to county records. The creation of a new municipality would establish a local government with a mayor and two commissioners that would have power over planning, taxation and other local issues. But some nearby residents have opposed the measure and accuse the company of harming the local environment. The proposed city covers about 1.6 sq miles (3.9 sq km) that was sparsely populated before SpaceX began buying land in the area in 2012. Since then, company housing and SpaceX facilities have sprouted up, and Mr Musk has a residence in the area. Other evidence of the tycoon's presence includes a road called Memes Street and a giant bust of the tycoon himself, which was recently vandalised. Around 500 people are estimated to live nearby. The possibility of incorporation as a city was rumoured for years before a petition submitted in December 2024 paved the way for Saturday's vote. If the measure is approved, the first mayor of Starbase will be Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice-president who – along with two other local residents looking to fill the commissioner seats – is running unopposed. The BBC contacted Mr Peden for comment. Starbase will be a Type C city - a category of municipality of fewer than 5,000 people and a designation that among other things will allow officials to levy a property tax of up to 1.5%, according to the Texas Municipal League. If Starbase is incorporated, a bill currently winding through the Texas state legislature could give the new city's officials the ability to close a local highway and limit access to nearby Boca Chica Beach and Boca Chica State Park during rocket launches and other company activity. Currently closures around SpaceX launches are managed by Cameron County, which includes the nearby city of Brownsville and the resort town of South Padre Island. The vote could set up tussles between county officials and Starbase over access to Boca Chica Beach as SpaceX looks to increase the number of launches at its Texas site from five to 25 per year. The top official in Cameron County, Judge Eddie Trevino Jr, opposes the state bill that would allow Starbase control over closures. In recent years Musk has moved many of his operations and corporate headquarters from California to Texas, citing more favourable regulation and his opposition to California's Democratic Party-dominated politics. The headquarters of his companies X and Boring are now on the outskirts of Bastrop, a small city near the state capital Austin and about a five-and-a-half-hour drive north of Starbase. Inside the rural Texas town where Elon Musk is basing his business empire In contrast with Starbase, the development outside Austin does not include much new housing for company workers – most of whom live in Bastrop or other surrounding communities. Environmental groups have criticised SpaceX's impact on nearby wildlife, and say the company has increased light pollution and littered the area with debris from rocket launches. In 2024 the company was fined nearly $150,000 (£113,000) by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for dumping waste water. The company has called the fines the result of "disagreements over paperwork" and maintains it follows environmental laws. The BBC approached SpaceX for comment. Inside the rural Texas town where Elon Musk is basing his business empire Nasa needs saving from itself – but is this billionaire right for that job? Elon Musk's curious fixation with Britain
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Elon Musk's Starbase city in Texas on the brink of becoming official
An election on Saturday is likely to incorporate a new city on the southern tip of Texas dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX residents are voting on incorporating a patch of land known as Boca Chica Village as a new municipality called of the 283 eligible voters are SpaceX employees, and most voted early, according to county creation of a new municipality would establish a local government with a mayor and two commissioners that would have power over planning, taxation and other local issues. But some nearby residents have opposed the measure and accuse the company of harming the local environment. The proposed city covers about 1.6 sq miles (3.9 sq km) that was sparsely populated before SpaceX began buying land in the area in then, company housing and SpaceX facilities have sprouted up, and Mr Musk has a residence in the area. Other evidence of the tycoon's presence includes a road called Memes Street and a giant bust of the tycoon himself, which was recently 500 people are estimated to live first raised the idea of Starbase four years ago. The possibility of incorporation as a city was rumoured for years before a petition submitted in December 2024 paved the way for Saturday's the measure is approved, the first mayor of Starbase will be Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice-president who – along with two other local residents looking to fill the commissioner seats – is running unopposed. The BBC contacted Mr Peden for will be a Type C city - a category of municipality of fewer than 5,000 people and a designation that among other things will allow officials to levy a property tax of up to 1.5%, according to the Texas Municipal Starbase is incorporated, a bill currently winding through the Texas state legislature could give the new city's officials the ability to close a local highway and limit access to nearby Boca Chica Beach and Boca Chica State Park for rocket launches and other company closures around SpaceX launches are managed by Cameron County, which includes the nearby city of Brownsville and the resort town of South Padre Island. The vote could set up tussles between county officials and Starbase over access to Boca Chica Beach as SpaceX looks to increase the number of launches at its Texas site from five to 25 per top official in Cameron County, Judge Eddie Trevino Jr, opposes the state bill that would allow Starbase control over recent years Musk has moved many of his operations and corporate headquarters from California to Texas, citing more favourable regulation and his opposition to California's Democratic Party-dominated headquarters of his companies X and Boring are now on the outskirts of Bastrop, a small city near the state capital Austin and about a five-and-a-half-hour drive north of the rural Texas town where Elon Musk is basing his business empireIn contrast with Starbase, the development outside Austin does not include much new housing for company workers – most of whom live in Bastrop or other surrounding groups have criticised SpaceX's impact on nearby wildlife, and say the company has increased light pollution and littered the area with debris from rocket launches. In 2024 the company was fined nearly $150,000 (£113,000) by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for dumping waste company has called the fines the result of "disagreements over paperwork" and maintains it follows environmental laws. The BBC approached SpaceX for comment.
