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A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

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Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#381

Post by Waterluvian »

josephg wrote: post #303
zug_zug wrote: post #279

It's exhausting that the "solution" to problems like this is getting tens or hundreds of thousands of citizens stressed until enough public attention gives some small chance of redress. I'm not calling for violence, but if we can't get these things fixed in court there has to be a more effect and more forceful avenue for protest than venting on internet forums.

I saw a clip the other day of an American comedian doing crowd work in Paris. He asked the audience what America should do, and the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire. To me that sounds crazy! But, I can see how it works for the French. They protest all the time, and the government is very responsive to the needs of the people. Much more so than the American gove…

I think it’s important that the ultra powerful never feel they’re unreachable by guillotine.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#382

Post by SauntSolaire »

morkalork wrote: post #337
smoe wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know how effective the French protests are, since I haven't lived in Europe for a while. But even as a Swiss, at least judging from TV, protests in the U.S. generally seem very tame. Not advocating punching the police as a default, but in my opinion, protests need to be disruptive if they're going to get anyone's attention at all. I don't really see what a few people standing on the sidewalk with cardboard si…

Americans don't even protest on weekdays, they wait for a weekend to do it. So it is easy to say that they aren't serious but on the other hand, they're a lot closer to the knife's edge of stability and missing a day of work can get them fired (especially in at-will employment states), Europe is not like this as much.

That's somewhat understandable, what I find more interesting is that people around me won't show up unless it's between 70-80 degrees out.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#383

Post by stavros »

johannes1234321 wrote: post #349
morkalork wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Americans don't even protest on weekdays, they wait for a weekend to do it. So it is easy to say that they aren't serious but on the other hand, they're a lot closer to the knife's edge of stability and missing a day of work can get them fired (especially in at-will employment states), Europe is not like this as much.

And if they lose the job they lose their insurance, thus their medication. This increases stakes to protest quite a lot, compared to European worker protection and social security.

Well maybe you can get some worker protection and social security by protest... oh, wait.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#384

Post by bumby »

Aloisius wrote: post #376
hilbert42 wrote: post #338

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is left when all other options are exhausted? The American War of Independence, French Revolution and English Civil War were acts of terrorism. Were those acts justified? Not if you're the ones who were initially holding the power.

Calling the American Revolution terrorism, in the modern sense, is a stretch. It was a war waged primarily between soldiers and materiel with the goal of ending the enemy's ability to wage war. Systematic use of terror as a policy to induce fear in the general public to push them to coerce their government's policy was not widely used.

I’m pretty patriotic but even I can recognize some parallels. There are examples of targeting civilians (tarring and feathering loyalists, or destroying their property). If you consider the attacks against Tesla to be terrorism [1] then the Boston Tea Party would probably fit that bill as well. I’d probably consider it irregular warfare, but I wouldn’t call it a stretch for someone to disagree.

[1] https://signalscv.com/2025/03/fbi-launches-task-force-to-inv...

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#385

Post by keybored »

vasco wrote: post #347
morkalork wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Americans don't even protest on weekdays, they wait for a weekend to do it. So it is easy to say that they aren't serious but on the other hand, they're a lot closer to the knife's edge of stability and missing a day of work can get them fired (especially in at-will employment states), Europe is not like this as much.

Do you think perhaps the two are related

Oof, could never be the case.

Guys, I feel like we should get another anti-union thread here soon. It’s getting a little too hot for comfort. I’ll start. Whew While I do like unions in theory, I was really peeved when I was getting my start in the working forces as a banana picker and this guy Bob took midday naps...

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#387

Post by DennisP »

protocolture wrote: post #380
mystraline wrote: post #369

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Farmer SELLS land (for $10) with a deed restriction that it is to be used for a public park. Hand wavey timey wimey... Deed restriction 'magically' goes away. Gets sold for $10M.

So a city should tie its hands permanently because of a gift? Donations can now override city planning? Tired of paying property tax? Gift your house to the city with a deed that says they have to rent it back to you forever for $1 a year? Lets be clear, this wouldnt even be news if it wasnt for "Datacentre"

[dead]

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#388

Post by bumby »

protocolture wrote: post #380
mystraline wrote: post #369

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Farmer SELLS land (for $10) with a deed restriction that it is to be used for a public park. Hand wavey timey wimey... Deed restriction 'magically' goes away. Gets sold for $10M.

So a city should tie its hands permanently because of a gift? Donations can now override city planning? Tired of paying property tax? Gift your house to the city with a deed that says they have to rent it back to you forever for $1 a year? Lets be clear, this wouldnt even be news if it wasnt for "Datacentre"

If they don’t want to use it for the agreed upon purpose, they could either offer to pay the true value so they can use it for something else or give it back to the farmer/heirs.

The real problem seems to be one city gave the land to a parks nonprofit who then sold it to another city, but the original park intent did not follow those sales.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#389

Post by DennisP »

zug_zug wrote: post #279

It's exhausting that the "solution" to problems like this is getting tens or hundreds of thousands of citizens stressed until enough public attention gives some small chance of redress. I'm not calling for violence, but if we can't get these things fixed in court there has to be a more effect and more forceful avenue for protest than venting on internet forums.

The solution here might be the appeals court, since there is a deed restriction. The city agreed to it when they paid $10 for the land. The article mentions that Texas courts tend to be pretty serious about enforcing deed restrictions.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#390

Post by analog31 »

The uniqueness of this episode suggests that there are people out there who are fully occupied searching every square foot of the earth for places where they can wheedle their way into a land deal. If it's not for a data center, then it's a CAFO, a mine, logistics center, etc.

NIMBYism is not just a matter of wanting to preserve exorbitant land values, but a knowledge that every square foot of land and gallon of water is in demand by nefarious people who are not revealing their actual intentions.

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