02/15/2026
From attending meetings and seeing/ hearing what pro data center people have had to say I have noticed two primary arguments.
The main argument being the tax benefits a data center would bring. Data center developers tote tax benefits for communities, promising local politicians a chance at what seems to be a tax bail out for them, using school district benefits and infrastructure development as the primary use of the extra tax benefits a data center would bring… but they can’t promise who the end user would be? How can they promise one thing and not promise the other. These sales people (data center developers) are using bait and switch tactics. Luring government officials in with tax benefits and then disappearing after the construction of a data center, lowering property tax values in the area and leaving everyone high and dry. It’s happening in communities all around the country, there is no proof of tax benefit promises being fulfilled.
The second argument I seem to see is that we already have so much industry in the area, polluting our air and water.. I.e. the refinery and mills, what would another industry hurt? At least those industries provide a massive amount of good paying, long term union jobs (yes I’m pro union, just not pro union supporting crap deals with scab companies). This proposed data center is estimated to only have 100 long term job positions, primarily IT/ AI jobs that require very niche degrees. These jobs will be outsourced to people who have this education and experience in the field. The end user also does not have to promise to utilize union workers for occasional maintenance. The developer also does not have to utilize union workers, and if they do, is a temporary construction gig worth selling a community out for a few bucks and maybe some overtime? Ask yourself this, just because you already have a few piles of dog crap in your yard polluting it, would you want another?
