Bekah Hinojosa and Local Landowners Oppose the Proposed Expansion of Elon Musk's SpaceX City of Starbase
Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Center, is leading a group of local landowners who are resisting the proposed expansion of the SpaceX city of Starbase in south Texas. The city is seeking to annex approximately 7,100 acres of surrounding land, including state and private property, to accommodate the growing workforce and manufacturing needs of Elon Musk's rocket company. While the administration of the city is led by local SpaceX employees, residents like Barbara Buckner and Gerold Podraza expressed concerns regarding the environmental impact and the prioritization of the company over the community. Podraza noted that the expansion represents the leverage held by wealthy entities over politicians. Hinojosa and her organization are currently considering legal action to prevent the annexation, which is scheduled for a vote in September. The city has until August 18 to collect necessary signatures from impacted landowners to move forward with the plan.