Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center • Hacker News Board

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#141

Post by Forgeties79 » Sat, May 16, 2026, 1:59 AM UTC

tt24 wrote: post #98

pfdietz wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How dare he ask for evidence!

Asking for evidence of claims is very offensive to those who don’t have any. They feel very strongly about a topic, but it’s entirely based on their various personal experiences. They arrive at the conclusion first, and then try to arrange reality around their opinions.

When people write it that way it’s as useless as going “source?” I hope I don’t have to to explain the problem with that approach to discussion, but I will anyway.

It takes no effort and almost always obfuscates the fact that they object but would rather try and put a bunch of burden on the person rather than actually articulate their disagreement. It also gives them the semblance of being “above the fray” and “just asking questions.” It’s this nonsense https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48154443 on repeat. It’s plausible deniability.

I am very surprised this has to be explained on HN. This is an old debate tactic and one that is frequently, as well as lazily, deployed on the internet. It’s a close cousin to sealioning and usually morphs into it. You are engaging in a tactic that covers your rear, requires no actual expression of opinions or values, and burdens others.

It is very unlikely you don’t have an opinion on this subject and yet you are acting like a casual observer with no opinion. If I’m wrong then I bet wrong on otherwise smart money and I apologize for the mistake.

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#142

Post by downrightmike » Sat, May 16, 2026, 2:09 AM UTC

ChiperSoft wrote: post #102

downrightmike wrote: post #83

Isn't LA soon to be underwater

Richland Parish is pretty far north, so not likely to be under sea water. It is, however, in the Mississippi River delta... so I wouldn't put flooding out of the picture.

With tornado alley already migrated east, river flooding makes the most sense then

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#143

Post by shimman » Sat, May 16, 2026, 2:09 AM UTC

hgoel wrote: post #130

shimman wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's okay, as the on-going damage continues Americans tend to be well armed enough to go on a few rampages here and there.

Americans are very good at talking tough like that, only to use their arms against innocent randos.

That's the point. Society suffers and continues to suffers while the elites run havoc.

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#144

Post by tt24 » Sat, May 16, 2026, 2:23 AM UTC

Forgeties79 wrote: post #141

tt24 wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Asking for evidence of claims is very offensive to those who don’t have any. They feel very strongly about a topic, but it’s entirely based on their various personal experiences. They arrive at the conclusion first, and then try to arrange reality around their opinions.

When people write it that way it’s as useless as going “source?” I hope I don’t have to to explain the problem with that approach to discussion, but I will anyway. It takes no effort and almost always obfuscates the fact that they object but would rather try and put a bunch of burden on the person rather than actually articulate their disagreement. It also gives them the semblance of being “above the fray” and “just…

I very much have an opinion on the subject and never claimed otherwise. My opinion is that lobbying is a nonissue and there’s very little money in politics, and that money doesn’t really impact political outcomes.

What makes you think that this is something I’m obscuring?

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#145

Post by selimthegrim » Sat, May 16, 2026, 2:35 AM UTC

pesus wrote: post #135

selimthegrim wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a public hearing of the state public service commission I attended which essentially boiled down to well all these big Wall Street banks are guaranteeing payment so it should be fine and plus we need jobs up there.

I wonder if they actually believed it would bring more than a handful of permanent jobs or whether they're just saying to get their bribe.

Foster Campbell is a famously honest person. He also famously drove his car into a gap in pavement on an under construction interstate at 40 miles an hour so you decide for yourself what that says about him.

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#146

Post by Forgeties79 » Sat, May 16, 2026, 3:55 AM UTC

tt24 wrote: post #144

Forgeties79 wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When people write it that way it’s as useless as going “source?” I hope I don’t have to to explain the problem with that approach to discussion, but I will anyway. It takes no effort and almost always obfuscates the fact that they object but would rather try and put a bunch of burden on the person rather than actually articulate their disagreement. It also gives them the semblance of being “above the fray” and “just…

I very much have an opinion on the subject and never claimed otherwise. My opinion is that lobbying is a nonissue and there’s very little money in politics, and that money doesn’t really impact political outcomes. What makes you think that this is something I’m obscuring?

> I very much have an opinion on the subject and never claimed otherwise

Of course you do. That’s why I said something. Your omission is the problem, you intentionally didn’t say anything.

> What makes you think that this is something I’m obscuring?

This entire comment chain explains why I think that I don’t know why we’re playing games here - just be straight with people out the gate. Opacity doesn’t facilitate conversation. I know you understand what I’m talking about and I won’t belabor the point further.

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#147

Post by arjie » Sat, May 16, 2026, 4:00 AM UTC

gibspaulding wrote: post #136

arjie wrote: post #134

Interesting. I think the county isn't getting much in value in return for the datacenter, though the numbers stated in the headline can easily confuse a headline-reader. The $3.3b in tax breaks is on the $30+b of GPU purchases for that location which would normally encounter sales tax and so on. The coverage for that tax break is a state law, it seems[0]: > The company is expected to take advantage of a new Louisiana…

Thank you for that context. I’m probably going to get down voted for this, but that doesn't sound like a bad deal. They’re giving up tax dollars that the region wouldn’t have received anyway without the project in exchange for a big (admittedly temporary) economic stimulus while the data center is built. I live in a relatively small rust belt town that’s seen several data center projects recently, and while they have…

The common dangers are:

* you offer a tax break to a guy who was going to come anyway

* you give away the entire surplus - i.e. the sales tax is how you were going to see things anyway

* you don't capture any of the non-tax surplus (i.e. not many jobs, or jobs are all across county lines)

Some of these are fine because states should make cross-county decisions but the others are a matter of negotiation and I think states find they see more money if they advertise willingness a priori with a durable promise. Overall, I think it's hard to be in the position. I would probably also do what they did, but if someone used any of those justifications to not do it, I would probably also understand.

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#148

Post by tt24 » Sat, May 16, 2026, 4:22 AM UTC

Forgeties79 wrote: post #146

tt24 wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I very much have an opinion on the subject and never claimed otherwise. My opinion is that lobbying is a nonissue and there’s very little money in politics, and that money doesn’t really impact political outcomes. What makes you think that this is something I’m obscuring?

> I very much have an opinion on the subject and never claimed otherwise Of course you do. That’s why I said something. Your omission is the problem, you intentionally didn’t say anything. > What makes you think that this is something I’m obscuring? This entire comment chain explains why I think that I don’t know why we’re playing games here - just be straight with people out the gate. Opacity doesn’t facilitate conv…

In what way was I being opaque? I have no obligation to say “Give me evidence (btw I disagree with you)” lol.

I’m sorry that asking your side to support its claims is so offensive to you. I can’t say I relate to this mindset. It’s completely foreign to me.

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#149

Post by tt24 » Sat, May 16, 2026, 4:26 AM UTC

Forgeties79 wrote: post #146

tt24 wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I very much have an opinion on the subject and never claimed otherwise. My opinion is that lobbying is a nonissue and there’s very little money in politics, and that money doesn’t really impact political outcomes. What makes you think that this is something I’m obscuring?

> I very much have an opinion on the subject and never claimed otherwise Of course you do. That’s why I said something. Your omission is the problem, you intentionally didn’t say anything. > What makes you think that this is something I’m obscuring? This entire comment chain explains why I think that I don’t know why we’re playing games here - just be straight with people out the gate. Opacity doesn’t facilitate conv…

Ah, I see, you have an emotional / personal investment in this topic. That’s why my harmless request for evidence offends you.

I won’t engage further then because it won’t be productive. I’ll continue to call out baseless claims of course, but I don’t think there’s any amount of argumentation or evidence that could convince you since you arrived at your position via feeling - proof or citations are just window dressing.

Re: Meta to receive $3.3B in tax breaks for its $10B Louisiana data center

#150

Post by JuniperMesos » Sat, May 16, 2026, 5:04 AM UTC

drtz wrote: post #93

JuniperMesos wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

There's a lot of ground between gifting $3.3 billion in tax incentives to a megacorp for a short-term increase in construction employment and allowing a homeowner build a second dwelling on their lot. Incidentally, that same $3.3 billion could build around 10,000 accessory dwellings in Baton Rouge.

ADU permits are a good idea but they're nowhere near impactful enough to provide housing for the number of people who need it in heavily housing constrained areas. The housing developments that need to happen are bigger in scale, much more like datacenters than like legalizing household construction of ADUs.

I actually would support giving tax breaks to housing developers on the same scale as those being given to tech companies building data centers, for exactly the same reason that it encourages construction of those buildings and I think that is a good thing. And NIMBYs, whether for housing or for data centers, are straightforwardly opposed to these structures existing at all, regardless of the way they are taxed. I want them to lose in both cases, which means that I'm in the position of wanting local government authorities to ignore the demands of a vocal set of their constituents and allow private industry to build.