“Railroading” means forcing a situation in a single direction
with little or no room for choice.
"A tax abatement is a reduction (or exemption) of taxes for a property or project, usually for a set period. If it’s done to benefit the developer/new owner or a specific property, then existing residents may end up bearing more of the remaining tax burden—which can feel like a higher effective property tax for them."
So when Commissioner Glass tells you inviting data centers and other
corporations will lower property taxes for current residents, you can tell him, nicely, of course, he is full of bullshit.
"Are you seeing red yet?"
This is a rendering of the proposed gas turbine plant
to be located in Cedar Creek of Earl Callahan Road.
Pacifico chose a rural and residential corridor with thousands of nearby homes, schools and childcare sites, severe drought, a history of catastrophic wildfire, and emergency capacity that has not been shown ready for this industrial scale.
Joshua Biddle
April 14, 2026
"If you want to see the future of Texas and the contradictions tearing at its seams, look no further than Bastrop County.
Just thirty miles east of Austin, the “Most Historic Small Town in Texas” is caught in the crosshairs of a modern industrial boom. The population has surged to roughly 115,000, making it the 13th fastest-growing county in the state. But behind the glossy press releases of the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation and the ribbon-cuttings for billion-dollar data centers, a different reality is taking shape for the working people of Bastrop.
It is a reality defined by skyrocketing property taxes, strained public infrastructure, underfunded schools, and a local government that seems more interested in courting corporate behemoths than protecting the property rights and civil liberties of its own citizens."
"Bastrop County has one of the highest median property taxes in the United States, and is ranked 336th of the 3143 counties in order of median property taxes."
"Commissioner David Glass, who voted on December 9, 2024 to approve the 10-year, 75% tax abatement for EdgeConneX, simultaneously serves as Board President of Aqua Water Supply Corporation (Aqua WSC), the primary water utility serving the Bastrop County area, including the Cedar Creek service area where the EdgeConneX campuses are being built.
Aqua WSC is a nonprofit water supply corporation organized under Texas Water Code Chapter 67. It draws from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer via the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District permit system. It is, in short, the entity that manages the very water resource that EdgeConneX’s operations will draw upon.
This dual role is not merely an appearance problem. Under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 171, a local public official is prohibited from voting on or participating in a matter involving a business entity in which the official has a “substantial interest.” Under § 171.002(2 )(C), a person who is a member of the board of directors or other governing body of a business entity has a substantial interest in that entity by definition, no financial threshold test is required. Board membership alone triggers the conflict.
The statute requires that before participating in a vote on a matter in which they have a substantial interest, the official must file a written affidavit with the county clerk disclosing the conflict and must abstain from further participation. Tex. Loc. Gov’t Code § 171.004."
FOOTNOTE
Glass, a republican, appears to be running for Congress. Guess shitting on Bastrop County wasn't enough for him.
With a spirit of innovation, we navigate uncharted territories, exploring new ideas, technologies, and approaches. It is through our willingness to challenge conventions and think beyond boundaries that we discover innovative solutions that propel us forward.
Operators hide behind shell companies. Governments hand out billions in subsidies with no audit. From Virginia to Dublin to Tokyo, your grid pays for a buildout you never voted on. We publish the receipts, and update them every day.
6,094 data-center campuses tracked across 45 countries. $8.6B in tax breaks traced, 352.3 GW of grid load mapped, every figure linked to its source.
Former Texas Fire Chief testifies about the dangerous of data centers. The IAFF International Association of Firefighters also has a warning.
Hutto, TX - 18 April 2026: Aerial view of the construction of a massive AI data center campus with 400 million square feet hosting and 600MW capacity in Hutto Texas
Meta intends to build a hyperscale A.I. data center spanning 430 acres in the Town of Beloit and Town of Turtle along the Wisconsin and Illinois border. In 2024 an international report found Beloit, WI to have the worst air quality in the United States. Rock County Neighbors for Responsible Development (RCNRD) has called for a 18 month moratorium on data centers.
Is it safe to live within a mile of a data center? Beloit’s Dr. Brittany Keyes, of RCNRD and Healthy Climate Wisconsin’s Clean Air Policy Manager, put it simply - “We need to prevent that data center because the air is not healthy for you right now”.
In 2022, the EPA stated that Rock County had 2.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
According to the World Health Organization - air pollution is linked to strokes, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and pneumonia - and there’s evidence of links to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Data centers obviously require lots of power. Sources of Beloit’s air pollution include power plants, manufacturing, tailpipe emissions from transportation, according to Pablo Toral, leader of the environmental studies program at Beloit College (cred: Wisconsin Public Radio). Add in the newer threat of wildfires, and it’s been even worse.
In May 2026, Panattoni Development Company was revealed as the developer of the Meta site, instead of the shell company Cambrin LLC.
Because of public pressure and organizing, Rock County’s Janesville City Council did not extend its letter of intent with Viridian Acquisitions LLC. Viridian was trying to redevelop a GM / JATCO site in a data center.
You can follow Rock County Neighbors for Responsible Development and Healthy Climate Wisconsin on Facebook and insta for more about Rock County data center proposals and resistance.
Healthy Climate Wisconsin Great Lakes Neighbors United Charlie Berens Yusuf Adama
"A data center is a large facility that houses and powers the computers (servers) and networking equipment used to store, process, and deliver data and run services—like websites, apps, email, streaming, cloud storage, and online gaming."
"A campus is the grounds and buildings of a school, college, or university. It usually includes classrooms, offices, libraries, dorms, dining halls, and open spaces where students and staff study, work, and gather."
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where someone tries to make you doubt your own judgment, memory, or perception—often by denying events, giving misleading explanations, or contradicting what you know is true.
Home Page
Click on photo
Click on photo
People living withing the "Circles of Death" may be adversely impacted by emissions and sound from this plant. Who believes their property value will "increase," living close to this cancer?
If you live in the "Circle of Death" your breathing problems may become worse.
You may develop breathing problems.
Offline Website Maker
Follow Kat
Facebook
Go to Kats Facebook page
Go to Kats' Website
Kat is a write in candidate for Precinct 4 Bastrop TX
Letter from Kat Hammer