04/10/2026
We all keep hearing people say “America First” out of one side of their mouth… and then turn around and fight projects like data centers being built right here at home.
That doesn’t add up.
These projects aren’t just going to disappear because we don’t like them. They’re getting built somewhere, that’s reality. The only question is where.
So when we push them out of our communities, what are we really doing? We’re handing off investment, jobs, and long-term tax revenue to someone else. Another state. Maybe another country.
And it’s not just a few jobs either.
These projects bring in a ton of construction work, skilled trades, long hours, good paychecks. That money gets spent right here at home on groceries, vehicles, mortgages, local businesses. That’s real economic impact you can actually feel in a community.
They also add to the tax base, which helps fund schools, roads, and emergency services, things everyone says we need, but nobody wants to talk about how to pay for.
Let’s be honest, property taxes and school funding are a real problem right now. It feels like we’re constantly being asked to pass another mill levy just to keep schools operating at a basic level. People are stretched thin.
So what if part of the solution is actually growing the tax base, instead of just asking the same people to keep paying more?
Look at what happened in Colstrip Units 1 and 2 when they shut down. That wasn’t just jobs lost, it was a major hit to the local tax base. Roughly a quarter of the property tax base in that area was tied to those units.
Beyond that, those units also contributed to coal-related revenues that support schools and public services across Montana. When that kind of revenue goes away, it doesn’t just replace itself—it either leads to cuts, or the burden shifts back onto taxpayers.
And now we’re turning around and fighting new sources of tax revenue?
I’m not saying every project is perfect, nothing is. But if these projects are coming anyway, why wouldn’t we fight to have them built here, by our people, under our standards?
That means putting our tradesmen and apprentices to work. That means keeping money in our communities. That means actually building something instead of watching it pass us by.
You don’t get to say you want strong American jobs and strong communities and then push away the very projects that help make that happen.
At the end of the day, nobody is coming to save our communities. We either step up and take these opportunities and make them benefit working people or we sit back and watch someone else cash in.
Pretty simple choice if you ask me.
