Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez asked Elon Musk – the billionaire owner of SpaceX – what he saw when he looked out at the water off Boca Chica Beach.
"The future," Martinez said that Musk had answered.
But Martinez didn't hear the rest of what Musk said that day.
"The future...$35 million in public subsidies," Musk finished.
By Juan Montoya
Well, the future – according to Musk and Martinez – is here.
The billionaire whiz-kid who appropriated Pay Pal and hawks Tesla electric cars as the mode of transportation of the future is now getting the first down payment of the loot promised by the state.
News reports indicate that SpaceX will receive a $2.6 million grant from the Cameron County Spaceport Development Corporation after the board received its first disbursement from the Office of the Governor last week.
The funds come from the State Spaceport Trust Fund Account and are the first installment of a $13 million allocation (see graphic at right). Nearly everyone and their uncle has jumped aboard the SpaceX bandwagon to throw millions at the billionaire.
Everyone – from Cameron County Parks to the University of Texas System, and even the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation – has pitched in to help the valiant efforts of Musk to push back the frontiers of ignorance and economic injustice.
The Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport is pegging the lengthening of the city airport runways to accommodate the envisioned coming of large freight and aircraft to service the SpaceX facility. Cameron County is spending millions to construct an amphitheater at Isla Blanca Park so the millions of tourists can see the satellite launches. UTRGV-TSC has already tailored its courses to begin training aerospace engineers and and the Brownsville Independent School District has fashioned a space-based curriculum to start educating the future astronauts who will take off from Boca Chica Beach for Mars and beyond as the huckster billionaire has promised.
Perhaps this is what poor cash-strapped Musk was waiting for before he started construction of what has been hailed as the first commercial vertical launch facility in the United States.
So far, only a mound of dirt rumored to have been the base of an ancient Olmec pyramid is visible at the Boca Chica site. That was later proven to be a hoax propagated by a certain Dr. G.F. McHale-Scully. But it all may be wishing upon a star. Remember when Martinez, Rene Oliveira and Eddie Lucio Jr. jumped aboard the Musk-SpaceX bandwagon and heralded its coming as the next best thing to rapture? The Brownsville Economic Development Council fell over itself telling us about the 600 well-paying jobs it would bring to Brownsville. Even McAllen and Harlingen chipped in to get a piece of the on the rocket man's dream.
And what have we gotten after all that? This is the timetable that Musk promised when he brought his show to town. Not 600, not 500, not even 400 jobs, but 250 (part time) jobs after the shooting got going. This is what he told the U.S. government he was going to bring.
Table 2.1-2. Personnel for Proposed SpaceX Texas Launch Site Operations
Year Full-time SpaceX Full-time SpaceX Employees/Contractors Employees/Contractors plus
Working On-Site Additional Local/Transient Workers
during Launch Campaigns
Year Full time Local/Transient
2013 30 130
2014 75 175
2015 100 200
2016 100 200
2017 110 210
2018 130 230
2019 150 250
2020 150 250
2021 150 250
2022 150 250
Well, it's 2017 and five years into the "plan" already and the only thing out at Boca Chica are mounds of dirt. There are no jobs. There are no rocket launches. Maybe if we give it a couple more years something will happen.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, who came late into the give-the-billionaire-what-he-wants game made up for it when he told the Brownsville Herald:
“I have been working diligently since taking office last November to get these funds distributed to the Spaceport Board and to SpaceX. I am thankful for the coordination at the state level and for the Spaceport Corporation receiving and disbursing the funds,” Treviño said.
10 comments:
NOT city funds, you moron!
Stop electing same rash
We are getting fucked again!!!! Space X bought this motherfucking public officials. Brownsville, wake up, you are getting royally fucked.
Tony Martinez's "Dreams" are big, but never come true. Yet, the tax payers of Brownsville seem to have to foot the bill for Tony's "wet dreams". Non of his "Dreams" for Brownsville have ever materialized and yet the tax payers are out millions. I guess it is easy for a millionaire like Tony to waste our money, while his pockets are sewn tight. Tony Martinez may be the worst mistake this city has ever made....but unfortunately we have a welfare city full of ignorance and apathy. In addition, Tony likes to play with the "big boys" and sometimes it seems that pictures like the one with Musk, makes Tony believe he is a "player".
Da' Mayor is a DICK!!!!! Brownsville is a poor city and we are even poorer with him in charge of the city's check book. His focus on gigantic projects has been a disaster and the promise of jobs has turned into total bullshit. He tried to protect Julieta Garcia and in the process used tax dollars to buy useless property as an offering to UT System. He glowed with pride over SpaceX; and what do we have....a mound of dirt, no jobs....just a picture of the mayor with Musk. So far, Musk has been more of a Musk-Rat than a benefit to Brownsville. As I said in the beginning...."Da' Mayor is a DICK!!!
It is so freaking easy to dole out money when it is not coming out of your own pocket. These is how effing politicians keep getting re-elected and they keep sucking on the government teet.
I used to be proud that I was a Brownsville-lite!
I now wish I were an ostrich. Do people have
a conscience anymore? Yo, yo, yo, = we should all
send Blue Jean Mayor a bunch a "yo-yo's" as his
official symbol. At least, we had control of our old
yo-yo toys! This guy is out of control. Porque
le tienen meido? Se confeso con su hijo ya?
"Working diligently". What a laugh. No one even returns this little shyster's phone calls nor do they know who he is.
(we should all
send Blue Jean Mayor)
PUB board meetings, everybody is wearing suits, except him. And, he's the last one to arrive and first to leave. About up to 30 minutes before anyone else. And he does it every time.
Beaveswhack.
El mayor se cree el papa de tarzan, por eso se viste como el!
Que vuerguenza que no tiene ni para cortarse el pelo.
Let's have a contest among valley city mayors and see, like
the dog contest, who is the ugliest and sloppiest of all.
El Tone will win hands down!
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