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

fortune.com

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

#151

Post by tstrimple »

laweijfmvo wrote: post #45
adamredwoods wrote: post #38

From https://sherwood.news/tech/hyperion/ >> Per the report, the package of tax breaks and incentives was achieved through local officials bound by nondisclosure agreements, quietly struck legislative deals, and parliamentary sleight of hand to avoid public scrutiny of the deal. >> So the residents of Richland Parish did not have much of a heads-up on what was coming. No voting, no public interests, only closed-door…

but there will be voting; all of the elected officials will have to face elections at some point, and voters can put their feet down right now: everyone is voted out.

You're underestimating just how much damage conservative mindsets can do to a state/country/world. From a US perspective, Donald Trump isn't the problem. The tens of millions of American citizens who are willing to vote for someone like Trump in 2024 are a huge fucking problem that will outlive Trump. Even today he has something like an 80% approval rating from conservatives. Some people cheer the concentration camps. And if your only hope is to outvote them, welcome to Nazi Germany.

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

#152

Post by tstrimple »

malshe wrote: post #100
adamredwoods wrote: post #38

From https://sherwood.news/tech/hyperion/ >> Per the report, the package of tax breaks and incentives was achieved through local officials bound by nondisclosure agreements, quietly struck legislative deals, and parliamentary sleight of hand to avoid public scrutiny of the deal. >> So the residents of Richland Parish did not have much of a heads-up on what was coming. No voting, no public interests, only closed-door…

I'm not at all surprised to learn that Republican politicians royally screwed their constituents. I was going to say maybe these people will vote better next time just to read that Colorado governor is commuting the sentence of Tina Peters. Democratic leadership is so freaking weak it's unbelievable. With one party full of grifters and the other with full of weaklings, we need to abolish this two-party system.

The choice unfortunately often boils down to choosing between blatant psychopathy or completely useless platitudes. Yes. A vote for Democrats results in less harm. But Democrats are never actually willing to address the problems. Democrats would rather reach across the aisle than actually help people as has been proven out ever since my very first eligible vote for Obama. Some Democrats promise "Hope and Change" but won't bother to fight for it. Many Republicans promise to hurt the people you hate and often try to follow through on it. Both sides aren't the same, but neither side will fix anything.

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

#153

Post by tstrimple »

cj wrote: post #9

No one likes to see big companies avoid taxes. But I don't see what other options are available for states to compete with each other if not through tax breaks. Edit: I suppose if you ban tax breaks, if a state wants to be competitive, they still can but through modifying the tax code for everyone instead of giving certain people exceptions. That doesn't seem like a terrible alternative..

> "No one likes to see big companies avoid taxes."

Bullshit. There is one political party in the US entirely dedicated to this outcome.

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

#154

Post by TFYS »

laweijfmvo wrote: post #45
adamredwoods wrote: post #38

From https://sherwood.news/tech/hyperion/ >> Per the report, the package of tax breaks and incentives was achieved through local officials bound by nondisclosure agreements, quietly struck legislative deals, and parliamentary sleight of hand to avoid public scrutiny of the deal. >> So the residents of Richland Parish did not have much of a heads-up on what was coming. No voting, no public interests, only closed-door…

but there will be voting; all of the elected officials will have to face elections at some point, and voters can put their feet down right now: everyone is voted out.

The new people voted in are likely to be corporate stooges as well, as they have good and well funded infrastructure behind them for getting elected.

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

#156

Post by LtWorf »

aspenmartin wrote: post #27
repelsteeltje wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems only fair that we pay our taxes when those are used to subsidize such lofty endeavours.

I think there are plenty of issues with data center construction but there are real economic benefits here. If there weren’t it would be pretty easy for states to thwart them. You would see the leverage switch and companies paying states incentives.

Could you say what those benefits are?

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

#157

Post by drtz »

aspenmartin wrote: post #20
ChadNauseam wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's tempting to blame any political outcome you don't like on lobbying. It allows you to believe that almost no one supports the outcome that you don't like, because you can blame it on politicians manage to be bought by a small number of lobbyists. But it might not be the case. Several states (I believe Texas, Georgia, and Indiana) don't charge sales tax to data centers. So from Louisiana's perspective, the alterna…

Well said: why does a tax break bother people so much? That feels pretty populist to me: data centers of this magnitude offer a ton of economic benefits to the area and the state, 3.3B in tax breaks are the price to pay to incentivize them to bring the business to the area, which will then provide a net positive financial benefit. I can see plenty of problems with data center construction that should definitely be ad…

Providing tax breaks for construction that provides real, tangible benefits is one thing. Usually the argument is that a factory of some sort will provide long-term employment for residents.

What's the argument for a massive AI datacenter that employs very few people, strains infrastructure, and has the stated purpose of doing work that people had been doing, presumably reducing employment?

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

#158

Post by malshe »

tstrimple wrote: post #152
malshe wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not at all surprised to learn that Republican politicians royally screwed their constituents. I was going to say maybe these people will vote better next time just to read that Colorado governor is commuting the sentence of Tina Peters. Democratic leadership is so freaking weak it's unbelievable. With one party full of grifters and the other with full of weaklings, we need to abolish this two-party system.

The choice unfortunately often boils down to choosing between blatant psychopathy or completely useless platitudes. Yes. A vote for Democrats results in less harm. But Democrats are never actually willing to address the problems. Democrats would rather reach across the aisle than actually help people as has been proven out ever since my very first eligible vote for Obama. Some Democrats promise "Hope and Change" but…

100%. Obama squandered people's mandate...twice. I wish more mainstream (i.e., non socialist) Democratic politicians had strong convictions like Mamdani.

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

#159

Post by [deleted] »

ChadNauseam wrote: post #116
tt24 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was nothing wrong or offensive with my phrasing.

I'm surprised that your comment is dead. Apparently there was evidence ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48153756 ), so I don't see the problem with having asked.

[deleted]

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

#160

Post by LtWorf »

meric_ wrote: post #62
hilariously wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because its my money, paid to rich people, to make them richer. There's no obvious "net positive financial benefit" in many of these situations, and even if there was the impact they make is not just in financials, but in utility management, environmental management, etc - its not just a magic number go up.

It's not your money. Tax breaks are no ones money. No money is being sent for a tax break.

So if I don't pay your salary I'm not thieving because you never had the money in your pocket to begin with?
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