Pennsylvania Just Voted to Pull the Plug on Big Tech's $517M Tax Break
https://www.gadgetreview.com/pennsylvania-just-voted-to-pull-the-plug-on-big-techs-517m-tax-breakOpen linkView original on discuss.onlineSyndicated from the fediverse. Read and engage on the original instance.
View original on discuss.onlinehttps://www.gadgetreview.com/pennsylvania-just-voted-to-pull-the-plug-on-big-techs-517m-tax-breakOpen linkView original on discuss.online
18 replies
I think the news about local and state politicians losing their job over data center support has made an impression
If piss baby in Texas can change his mind, they all will. Self preservation above all else.
Only $2M/job! What a steal.
Should be noted that a lot of these data centers can't turn on, because the grid doesn't have the capacity. Others can't turn on because they have no customers lined up, merely trying to front-run demand.
These tax breaks are subsidizing a business need that hasn't even materialized yet. And because of the poor regulatory and tax auditing of these highly technical facilities, it is entirely unclear how the state could have recouped these tax losses had the centers ever turned on.
I love doing this sort of math on things. They could have just paid all those people $200,000 a year for a decade to sit on their ass and it would have cost the same.
We were gonna pay Iran $300b so that they wouldn't charge $8b/month ($2m per ship) in fees for two months.
Well no, they couldn't have, because this is money they can't get in any case. Data centers that aren't built don't pay taxes.
So throwing money at a rich guy is good but throwing money at poor guys is bad. Got it.
It will trickle down, in someones moneybin.
Tax exemptions for activity that would not have taken place without those tax exemptions cost the state nothing - no money is being "thrown" and no potential tax income is being forgone. Meanwhile, giving "poor guys" $200,000 a year costs $200,000 per year per poor guy. That's the difference.
Okay, exempt a bunch of normal folks from taxes then. Hell, if you start with the lowest bracket you could give money to thousands of people.
Shapiro W
And then there is Florida...kinda doing the exact opposite.
Off topic, but is that MTG in your avatar pic? I thought I recognized the toilet brush collar from that infamous SotU outburst.
Yes?
Huh, wild. Couldn't place the face for some reason. Thanks.
MTRPG
I do think that having the big companies pay for for the infrastructure without subsidies would've been nice. The grid needs upgrading for EVs and so on.