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A WA Tax Break for Data Centers Became One of Their Biggest Corporate Giveaways

14 points by rntn 2y ago

01HNNWZ0MV43FF 2y ago
States competing to race to the bottom worries me. I wonder if we'd be better off with a stronger federal government, or if it's not worth the risk that a strong bad federal government represents. Part of me thinks "That is where things are headed" but part of me thinks I just say that because I secretly want it
- VWWHFSfQ 2y ago
  How would a stronger federal government affect whether an individual state wants subsidize industry in order to attract business to said state? The feds still get their tax dollars no matter what. Do you mean like limit the kinds of business that the states can participate in? We see that in the EU and it's resulted in being basically non-competitive in any emerging industry. Individual countries could foster business in a much more competitive way if not shackled by EU regulations.
  - nine_k 2y ago
    A stronger federal government could just mandate or forbid more things. The EU are trying this approach ("we are the world leader in production of regulations"), and it doesn't look like a breakaway success.
  - 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 2y ago
    Yeah I mean just have less stuff happen at the state level. Like state welfare kinda boggles my mind. Won't rich people gradually leave states with strong welfare systems for states with cheaper taxes? Isn't that why Elon Musk left Cali for Texas? How is welfare viable at anything but the highest level?
rblatz 2y ago
After initial construction, what is the staff of a data center? A few dozen people? How many jobs is this creating?
- nine_k 2y ago
  If you want to build a next datacenter, what location wound you choose? Likely next to an existing one, with the fiber, power, and cooling water already in place. And demand for data processing seemingly keeps expanding. Also, data centers need electric power, so there'll be a growing demand to build more solar power stations and batteries, and and to upgrade the existing baseload stations. Usually a well-moneyed demand at this.

14 points by rntn 2y ago

States competing to race to the bottom worries me. I wonder if we'd be better off with a stronger federal government, or if it's not worth the risk that a strong bad federal government represents. Part of me thinks "That is where things are headed" but part of me thinks I just say that because I secretly want it

VWWHFSfQ 2y ago
How would a stronger federal government affect whether an individual state wants subsidize industry in order to attract business to said state? The feds still get their tax dollars no matter what. Do you mean like limit the kinds of business that the states can participate in? We see that in the EU and it's resulted in being basically non-competitive in any emerging industry. Individual countries could foster business in a much more competitive way if not shackled by EU regulations.
- nine_k 2y ago
  A stronger federal government could just mandate or forbid more things. The EU are trying this approach ("we are the world leader in production of regulations"), and it doesn't look like a breakaway success.
- 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 2y ago
  Yeah I mean just have less stuff happen at the state level. Like state welfare kinda boggles my mind. Won't rich people gradually leave states with strong welfare systems for states with cheaper taxes? Isn't that why Elon Musk left Cali for Texas? How is welfare viable at anything but the highest level?

rblatz 2y ago

After initial construction, what is the staff of a data center? A few dozen people? How many jobs is this creating?

nine_k 2y ago
If you want to build a next datacenter, what location wound you choose? Likely next to an existing one, with the fiber, power, and cooling water already in place. And demand for data processing seemingly keeps expanding. Also, data centers need electric power, so there'll be a growing demand to build more solar power stations and batteries, and and to upgrade the existing baseload stations. Usually a well-moneyed demand at this.