"Perhaps we should be asking California and its NGO's why they're forcing Space X to launch from less ideal sites than Vandenberg? Sites that put low income humans at risk?"
SpaceX launches the Falcon boosters on a regular basis from both Canaveral and Vandenberg, not sure what you mean about being forced out. Can you supply a reference to NGOs limiting launches? I'm not aware of any NGO having authority, it's the FAA that controls such. Vandenberg was set up to launch polar and retrograde orbiting space-going rockets, but more importantly was a launch site for ICBM missile tests with targeting to Kwajalein atoll, it was never intended to be an east-bound launch site. Eastbound launches from Canaveral, as Wil points out, are fairly straightforward, as there is plenty of clear ocean downrange, no "threading the needle" required.
NASA did want SpaceX to upgrade the launch pad facilities at Canaveral in order to handle the higher thrust output of the Starship engines (it has higher total thrust, roughly 2x and possibly growing to 3x, than the Saturn V booster)...the deluge system and flame trenches would've needed to be increased in size/capacity to keep from needing major refurbishment after every launch. Rather than pay that bill up front, Mr. Rokit Expurt Musk decided to buy property in Texas and launch from there, with no developed facilities to speak of. Recall how well his first attempts, without any kind of deluge system or flame trench, went. The OP of this thread kept saying they weren't needed, and he and Musk were both proven wrong by flight after flight with engines failing at ignition or shortly after - rocket exhaust plumes are incredibly dynamic and were discovered by the Boring guy to be really good at excavating Texas caliche clay. I'd bet he spent a lot more fixing stupid problems (rearranging the propellant tanks from vertical to horizontal to minimize their debris impact cross section was certainly not cheap) than the NASA upgrade estimate would have been.
But, this whole scheme does seem to promote the stated goal of SpaceX - "Building a More Exciting Future" - since rocket explosions and misfires are certainly exciting.
