It’s Faiz from More Perfect Union. I’d like to share our latest investigative report covering Big Tech data centers.
Big Tech’s massive investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving the need for more and more data centers across the country. Tech companies argue that they’re bringing jobs to rural areas and small towns. But in reality, it’s a short term construction boom that harms the local economy in the long run.
In our latest report, we traveled to Hillsboro, Oregon and Abilene, Texas -- small towns that have rolled out the welcome mat to Big Tech data centers. We spoke with local residents as well as the people building the data centers to get an idea of who is benefitting from these deals.
Click here to watch our new report titled, “I Worked At A Google Data Center: What I Saw Will Shock You.” After you watch our report, send a message to your governor telling them to end tax breaks for Big Tech data centers.
In Oregon, the state’s laws have given data centers $330 million a year in tax breaks. In Texas, it’s more than a billion dollars in tax breaks.
In many cases, data centers pay $0 in property taxes, taking millions of dollars out of public schools.
“We’re all paying our taxes for the schools. The data centers are not.” -Aaron Nichols, farmer from Hillsboro
Their massive use of water and electricity is driving up local utility rates too. While there is some short term economic gain for landlords or restaurants serving Big Tech contractors, those short term gains evaporate as soon as a data center is complete.
When they’re complete, the data centers are left employing a handful of people in low-wage jobs, benefiting Big Tech and their investment firms while local residents are left with nothing to show for it.
Click here to watch our latest report, then send a message to your governor urging them to end tax breaks for Big Tech data centers.
More Perfect Union is telling the stories of working people standing up for their rights in the face of massive corporate greed. Thank you for powering our independent journalism and activism today.
In solidarity,
-Faiz
Faiz Shakir, Co-Founder
More Perfect Union
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