[lelandfe]

Surely you have some measure of empathy for their position? I’m sure you certainly did in 08, as people lost their homes.

I think it’s a topic that’s scary to many and this datacenter-to-be, or the local banker, just happens to be what they can easily protest.

[miiiiiike]

2008 is apples vs oranges. The proposed data center site is across the street from the dump, just south of the airport. It’s zoned for heavy industrial use.

Literally anything that they could build there other than a data center would have a greater negative impact on the environment and a far less positive economic impact.

I could build a concrete crushing plant there.

[oblio]

Most other things they could build there could create a lot more local jobs.

[miiiiiike]

And create a lot more pollution while generating much, much less in property tax revenue.

[oblio]

You mean the other businesses (not the DCs) generate more pollution and don't bring in less property tax revenue?

Pollution, ok, regular industry generates more. But property tax revenue? Why would DCs provide more property tax revenue?

[miiiiiike]

In Northern Virginia data centers are about 3% of land, but account for almost 50% of local property tax contributions.

[oblio]

Are those regions poor or very sparsely population (or both)?

[parineum]

> I’m sure you certainly did in 08, as people lost their homes.

It's funny that this is such a common takeaway from 2008. The bankers are bad because people lost their homes.

It's the right guilty party and the right victim but not the right crime.

The bad thing was bankers irresponsibly putting those people in homes in the first place. The people were always going to lose those homes because they couldn't afford them.