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by jtbigwoo 13 days ago
We, as a society, set up rules to allow the people to have a voice in decisions via various means including public meetings and various review procedures. There is a cost to these rules, but the alternative you're describing is a system where rules and laws don't matter and anyone with the ear of a few influential people can do whatever they want.

Just as an example, there's a data center in the early stages about 10 miles from my house. The land developer spent a year shopping for a city council that would skip the hearings required by state law and finally found a small exurb willing to break the law. Now the developer is racing to break ground before the lawsuits and restraining orders hit. This isn't the way that a logical society should work.

1 comments

>Just as an example, there's a data center in the early stages about 10 miles from my house. The land developer spent a year shopping for a city council that would skip the hearings required by state law and finally found a small exurb willing to break the law. No

Oh no. God forbid an out of towner be given the kind of treatment you usually need the "right" last name or business partners for. <clutches pearls>

The developer is probably well practiced at this because even for mundane developments beyond about an acre you basically have to have a legal team and basically have to drag it through a court even if you have local support because the other developers will pull their strings in government to try and stall and drive up the cost of your thing.

Land development is a revolving door club between government and the prevailing developer and related business interests in the jurisdiction so you can't really blame the external interest for showing up with everything ready to go and steamrolling everyone.