Elon Musk and a group of artificial intelligence experts and industry executives are calling for a six-month pause

mvd61
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7/17/2026 12:39pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
The local data centers in NCW have produced more permanent jobs than originally expected, but obviously not quite the same as a factory using the same...

The local data centers in NCW have produced more permanent jobs than originally expected, but obviously not quite the same as a factory using the same amount of energy historically does.  

The tough part about data centers in general and AI computing centers specifically is that they are pretty much a necessary evil at this point.  If we were do decide that we were not going to allow any more to be built in the country, we would fall pretty far behind the rest of the world (especially China) and find ourselves at a disadvantage not just economically, but also when it comes to how these are used for our military plans.  

On the flip side, these facilities should be generating massive amounts of property tax revenue for the localities they are built in, but competition between locations to build them has led to tax exemptions that often keep them paying a micro-fraction of the actual amount of their worth for years and even decades after buildout.  

It's a conundrum from almost every angle, but the one thing that is becoming apparent is something that I said several months ago.  We are getting close to deciding whether water is more valuable for human life or for our modern technology.  

There shouldn’t be any tax exemptions for these dat centers. That’s fucking bullshit. Boils my blood. We get to pay every stupid fucking tax but yeah go ahead and give the corporations an easy W. They really need it in these trying times. I’m not sure I can hate government anymore than I already do. 

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APLMAN99
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7/17/2026 4:48pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
The local data centers in NCW have produced more permanent jobs than originally expected, but obviously not quite the same as a factory using the same...

The local data centers in NCW have produced more permanent jobs than originally expected, but obviously not quite the same as a factory using the same amount of energy historically does.  

The tough part about data centers in general and AI computing centers specifically is that they are pretty much a necessary evil at this point.  If we were do decide that we were not going to allow any more to be built in the country, we would fall pretty far behind the rest of the world (especially China) and find ourselves at a disadvantage not just economically, but also when it comes to how these are used for our military plans.  

On the flip side, these facilities should be generating massive amounts of property tax revenue for the localities they are built in, but competition between locations to build them has led to tax exemptions that often keep them paying a micro-fraction of the actual amount of their worth for years and even decades after buildout.  

It's a conundrum from almost every angle, but the one thing that is becoming apparent is something that I said several months ago.  We are getting close to deciding whether water is more valuable for human life or for our modern technology.  

mvd61 wrote:
There shouldn’t be any tax exemptions for these dat centers. That’s fucking bullshit. Boils my blood. We get to pay every stupid fucking tax but yeah...

There shouldn’t be any tax exemptions for these dat centers. That’s fucking bullshit. Boils my blood. We get to pay every stupid fucking tax but yeah go ahead and give the corporations an easy W. They really need it in these trying times. I’m not sure I can hate government anymore than I already do. 

Yeah, but that’s what local and state governments do. They try to compete for the businesses to locate within their jurisdiction because they believe that the jobs created will outweigh the tax exemptions during the initial stages of the project. Most of the time those tax exemptions sunset, but if the property taxes are significant enough the company can just start the process all over again with other locations while offloading the property that was exempted but now is, or should be, fully taxed. 

mvd61
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7/17/2026 5:01pm Edited Date/Time 7/17/2026 5:12pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
The local data centers in NCW have produced more permanent jobs than originally expected, but obviously not quite the same as a factory using the same...

The local data centers in NCW have produced more permanent jobs than originally expected, but obviously not quite the same as a factory using the same amount of energy historically does.  

The tough part about data centers in general and AI computing centers specifically is that they are pretty much a necessary evil at this point.  If we were do decide that we were not going to allow any more to be built in the country, we would fall pretty far behind the rest of the world (especially China) and find ourselves at a disadvantage not just economically, but also when it comes to how these are used for our military plans.  

On the flip side, these facilities should be generating massive amounts of property tax revenue for the localities they are built in, but competition between locations to build them has led to tax exemptions that often keep them paying a micro-fraction of the actual amount of their worth for years and even decades after buildout.  

It's a conundrum from almost every angle, but the one thing that is becoming apparent is something that I said several months ago.  We are getting close to deciding whether water is more valuable for human life or for our modern technology.  

mvd61 wrote:
There shouldn’t be any tax exemptions for these dat centers. That’s fucking bullshit. Boils my blood. We get to pay every stupid fucking tax but yeah...

There shouldn’t be any tax exemptions for these dat centers. That’s fucking bullshit. Boils my blood. We get to pay every stupid fucking tax but yeah go ahead and give the corporations an easy W. They really need it in these trying times. I’m not sure I can hate government anymore than I already do. 

APLMAN99 wrote:
Yeah, but that’s what local and state governments do. They try to compete for the businesses to locate within their jurisdiction because they believe that the...

Yeah, but that’s what local and state governments do. They try to compete for the businesses to locate within their jurisdiction because they believe that the jobs created will outweigh the tax exemptions during the initial stages of the project. Most of the time those tax exemptions sunset, but if the property taxes are significant enough the company can just start the process all over again with other locations while offloading the property that was exempted but now is, or should be, fully taxed. 

Yessir, I understand how it works. I’m saying it should not be possible anywhere. 

Here’s a Connecticut town removing their flock cameras. An FOIA request showed that in a short amount of time third parties accessed that towns flock info 590,000 times. This isn’t only for safety.

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/two-towns-end-contracts-with-automated-license-plate-reader-company-flock-safety/3755508/?amp=1

Edited to add url. 

truck
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7/17/2026 5:20pm

Fuck data centers. 

I put some of my own time and money into fighting one last year. They wanted to put up huge buildings in the middle of miles upon miles of beautiful horse farms. It backed up to the property of some friends of ours and would have absolutely destroyed their property. Bunch of back room dealing with scummy local politicians before anyone even knew it was happening. Tried to get it rezoned from ag land without anyone noticing. They could have went 20 miles up the road and had as much land as they wanted for far cheaper and no headaches, but shitting all over a community worked a little better logistically for them and they almost seemed to take delight in it. We had enough money and energy behind it to make them move on and let the local politicians know to never try it again, but not everyone is going to be that fortunate. Build whatever the hell you want to but stop trying to build it in people's back yard. 

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APLMAN99
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7/17/2026 5:25pm
mvd61 wrote:
There shouldn’t be any tax exemptions for these dat centers. That’s fucking bullshit. Boils my blood. We get to pay every stupid fucking tax but yeah...

There shouldn’t be any tax exemptions for these dat centers. That’s fucking bullshit. Boils my blood. We get to pay every stupid fucking tax but yeah go ahead and give the corporations an easy W. They really need it in these trying times. I’m not sure I can hate government anymore than I already do. 

APLMAN99 wrote:
Yeah, but that’s what local and state governments do. They try to compete for the businesses to locate within their jurisdiction because they believe that the...

Yeah, but that’s what local and state governments do. They try to compete for the businesses to locate within their jurisdiction because they believe that the jobs created will outweigh the tax exemptions during the initial stages of the project. Most of the time those tax exemptions sunset, but if the property taxes are significant enough the company can just start the process all over again with other locations while offloading the property that was exempted but now is, or should be, fully taxed. 

mvd61 wrote:
Yessir, I understand how it works. I’m saying it should not be possible anywhere. Here’s a Connecticut town removing their flock cameras. An FOIA request showed that...

Yessir, I understand how it works. I’m saying it should not be possible anywhere. 

Here’s a Connecticut town removing their flock cameras. An FOIA request showed that in a short amount of time third parties accessed that towns flock info 590,000 times. This isn’t only for safety.

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/two-towns-end-contracts-with-automated-license-plate-reader-company-flock-safety/3755508/?amp=1

Edited to add url. 

It’s not just tax exemptions, it’s waivers of existing zoning and planning regulations, ‘temporary’ environmental impact exemptions, or any number of creative ‘incentives’ that can be implemented. 

That’s not limited to data centers, it’s the standard for nearly any new major project or relocation.  

Back in my hometown, a large apartment building corporation wanted to build a pretty large project with 200+ units near downtown. They didn’t want to have to ‘waste’ more than one level for parking so they asked for a variance from the minimum parking space ordinance. They promised, but didn’t guarantee in writing it now appears, that they would make around 20-25% of the units ‘affordable’ units that would accept subsidized tenants. After construction plans were approved and physical construction was well along, they announced that they wouldn’t be making any of the units available for subsidized tenants because it just didn’t pencil out for them. 

The real problem is that this is their 4th project that has been granted parking space exemptions and local developers have been rejected when applying for those same exemptions for decades. 

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mvd61
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mvd61
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byke
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Was it a subsidized daycare?

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