Tax Abating Muskbase

KRGV.com reported:

Starbase commissioners will consider a proposed property tax abatement for a SpaceX plan to build a data center and natural gas power plant, according to the city's public hearing notice. 

The facilities would be built on more than 400 acres near the Port of Brownsville with an estimated initial investment of about $24 billion. 

The property covers about 444 acres just east of Brownsville. It sits between Boca Chica Boulevard and the Port of Brownsville.

Starbase commissioners will consider the proposed property tax abatement and a related economic development agreement at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Starbase City Hall. The public can attend and speak at the meeting.

The Commission will consider the proposed tax abatement, however the percentage is not clear in the public notice.  Is it 100% abatement or a lesser number?

Also mentioned is a 380 economic development agreement, normally negotiated under nondisclosure agreements and kept confidential from the public other than a total dollar amount.   

Starbase's City Commission will consider the proposals, however two of the three commissioners are SpaceX employees.  

In most worlds this would be a conflict of interest and the two commissioners would abstain from voting.  That said, Starbase arose from the world of Elon Musk, so conflicts do not apply.

The City of Brownsville gave up their control of the property by disannexation, trading their ability to influence development for over $200 million in water project funding.

Taxes were supposed to be the benefit from a community allowing an AI data center and corresponding power plant.  Billionaire TechGods detest paying taxes as much as private equity underwriters (PEU).

When you stiff your own company town (Muskbase), God knows you are cheap.  

Does XWell End Well for Trump Boys?

The Trump boys' playbook involves investing in companies and seeking federal business.  Once federal contracts are garnered the boys have choices.  They can invest more (as in the case of Dominari), stand pat or monetize all or part of their asset.  

Propublica ran a story on the Trump boys investment in XWell, Inc.  It states:

The Trump administration awarded a small biosecurity company nearly $40 million to screen for Ebola and other infectious diseases just months after a firm linked to President Donald Trump’s elder sons invested in its parent company, according to records and interviews. 

The contracts, one to screen for Ebola in several U.S. airports and the other to respond to disease outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are seven times the total value of government contracts the company had directly received before. 

The company, XpresTest, has years of experience monitoring for COVID-19 and other diseases for the government at U.S. airports. That makes its parent, XWELL, an unusual hybrid, selling both spa treatments and biosecurity services.

The Trump boys' holdings in XWell come via their stakes in both Dominari Holdings and American Ventures, a Dominari investment offering.

It's essentially a private equity holding, where Dominari is the private equity underwriter (PEU), American Ventures the PEU fund and XWell the affiliate to be monetized.

After getting the federal contracts XWell plans to spin off the XpresTest unit alongside the division that does airport facials and other massage services.

XWell's stock price hit $40.40 during the COVID epidemic when the firm was conducting airport testing.  It now trades at 54 cents, which places their NASDAQ listing in jeorpardy.

They need the expertise of new board member Gerald Reid, who has advised private equity firms as a capital markets leader.  Senior Advisor Cindy Friedman, M.D. can work to keep the CDC happy as XWell works through this financial hiccup.

Time may reveal the mechanisms used to steer federal business to Trump family related organizations and it may not, especially with "Just Us" Chief Todd Blanche's protection threats to investigators.

Politicians Red & Blue love PEU and their new TechGod brethren.  Increasingly, more are one.  

Cover Needed to Seal Rushed Deals

Trump II has been busy stirring the stink after his midterm election pasting.  Why Stephen Miller as Chief of Staff and Dana White possible Press Secretary?  

Attention must be diverted elsewhere.  Also, Trump II loves a donnybrook (as long as someone else is swinging and taking the real punches).

Trump has essentially two months to press government deals that benefit his family, heavy donors and Red Team political insiders.  I expect an "all of government approach" to funneling contracts to Trump aligned companies, especially those where a Trump son or Cabinet member child has an equity stake, a senior advisor position or a board of director seat.  Just dismissed Trump Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' daughter raked in big lobbying money from those wanting insider access to the White House. Thus, lots of noise and bombastic behavior will be required of Trump's minions.

Politicians Red & Blue love PEU (private equity underwriters) and their new TechGod brethren.  Increasingly, more are one or related to one.  TechGods may finally learn from their PEU forefathers to stay in the background as they use their money and influence toward further enrichment.

Trump II wrote on Truth Social:

Democrats were targeting people “just because they happen to be Republicans, or Republican supporters.”

Look away press and political opponents with a new job to do.  Independent voters have long been sick of hyper-partisanship, especially the kind that sweeps bad things under the rug (Jeffrey Epstein).  

Trump's cruelty always occurred inside his obsession to ceaselessly grow his power and finances.  None of that changed in the last week.  

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called Miller's appointment an emotional support choice by a flummoxed President.  If he just stayed Trump II's emotional support creep (ESC) I would not complain.  Stephen Miller running White House operations is a nightmare for our country and intended to keep sunlight far away.

Update 11-9-26:  "Just Us" Chief and Epstein Cover-up Super Villain Todd Blanche indicated he might investigate Congresspersons for investigating "potentially bad things."

My wise friend offered:

Investigate everyone involved taking money for contracts or pardons. Prosecute fully under RICO laws for their part in a criminal enterprise against the US government and its citizens. Anyone on either side of the aisle should be fined 3X (treble damages) and go to jail. 

Who would you get to do the investigation? Why not Chris Christie From the Republican side and William Black from the Democrat side? No one gets immunity.  

Update 11-12-26:  A vision came to my mind this morning.  It looked something like this: 

From PEU to TechGod

In less than two years Dan Driscoll went from private equity underwriter (PEU) to a Trump II appointee to TechGod.

Flex Capital COO Driscoll accepted the call of public service, heading the U.S. Army until War Czar Pete Hegseth drove him into the waiting arms of OpenAI.

FlexCapital Chief Operating Officer - 2021 to February 2025

Army Chief - February 25, 2025 to September 2, 2026

OpenAI hiring - announced November 2, 2026

 Driscoll's LinkedIn page shows his PEU background:

Politicians Red & Blue love PEU and their new TechGod brethren.  Increasingly, more are one.  

Bipartisanship will likely arise from Reed Hoffman and Michael Bloomberg negotiating with their staunchly Red peers.  C'mon guys, we can all get our cut of Uncle Sam's largesse...

Legends TBD for $TRUMP Gala Dinner

Summer 2026 found Trump II's memecoin setting up three reward events for coin holders.  The first was the F1 Grand Prix race in Singapore.  

The F1 race occurred just after the TOKEN2049 cryptocurrency event which drew 25,000 people and headlined Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ray Dalio and Eric Trump.  Surely Eric donned his $TRUMP baseball cap and mingled with the $TRUMP leaderboard winners.

Smoke from Indonesia wildfires impacted air quality for the event.  Indonesia's President expressed interest in meeting Eric Trump in October 2025 at a Gaza Peace Summit.  

$TRUMP rose from $1.40 to $3.67 during the F1 contest period.  It traded over $2 on the last day of the contest (October 5th).

Event two is yet another dinner with the President at one of his properties.  

The midterm elections put a big dent in $TRUMP's price. It traded around $1.60 in the week prior to November 3rd.  The price fell to $1.22 yesterday and $1.11 today. 

The gala dinner may not be as big a draw.  The "Three Legends" are yet to be named and the event is just over two weeks away.

Event three is a Super Bowl experience.  The start date for this reward competition has not been revealed.

Future House and Senate leaderboards will be full of Democratic Party members.  TechGods, Middle Eastern sheiks and other people who have been throwing money at $TRUMP memecoins will need to decide if that remains a useful "investment."

Politicians Red & Blue love PEU (private equity underwriters) and their new TechGod/CryptoBro brethren.  Increasingly, more are one.  

Update 11-11-26:  $TRUMP Coin Club added four legends to their website.

The final day for the contest is November 16th.  

RePEUdiation

Fortune reported on the impotence of billionaire money in the midterm election in light of voter anger over Trump II's Iranian War and ongoing economic hardship.  

President Trump was front and center for this independent voter as I marked the ballot against all but two incumbents, both local.  

Voters repudiated the political Red Team, in part a protest against a system that seems stacked against the little person.

Trump II and his mendacious minions have but months left to craft self-serving deals before a new Congress is sworn in.  

Kalshi already signed a Blue stable of political advisors to navigate the new legislative terrain.  Private equity underwriters (PEU) are polishing or enhancing their Blue cred as are many corporations.  TechGods lurched so far to MAGA right they may have their head rattled trying to reorient.

Politicians Red & Blue love PEU (private equity underwriters) and their new TechGod brethren.  Increasingly, more have been one.  We'll see how the Blue Team legislates and holds other branches accountable.  It will be instructive.  

Update:  Blue White House hopeful and former PEU Rahm Emanuel was on Bloomberg this morning while the Reds face some internal soul searching as to how things deteriorated like cracks in a freshly redone Reflecting Pool.  

Politico weighed in on Trump II's mindset post defeat.

Politically Connected PEU Speaks on this Election

Carlyle co-founder David Rubenstein read the political tea leaves for the midterm elections.  He proposed different political priorities under varying voting scenarios.

Rest assured that Carlyle and Declaration Partners (Rubenstein's family office) are ready to play under all of those possibilities.  

My wise friend wrote:

David's very comprehensive with this political note. Thank you. He's very hopeful someone carries his interest.

Politicians Red & Blue love private equity underwriters (PEU) like Mr. Rubenstein, and their new TechGod brethren.  Increasingly, more are one.

Everybody vote.