Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday called for a prohibition on data center construction in rural neighborhoods amid growing backlash to the energy and water-intensive facilities, especially in heavily Republican communities.
The governor, who previously touted Texas as “the epicenter of AI development,” made the statement at a campaign event in a small town East Texas, which has seen a surge in data center development.
Texas can’t even manage to keep the power on for it’s own citizens, what makes them think power hungry data centers are a good idea? Lol
Whaaaaa? Oh yeah, he’s up for reelection. He’s lying probs.
At the campaign speech, Abbott also reiterated restrictions he called for in a June 10 letter to state regulators, including that new centers need to “bring their own power, reuse their own water, and do it in a way that reduces the cost of electricity for residents across our state.” And he again called for lawmakers to strip tax breaks from the facilities.
Are we talking about the same Greg Abbot who paved the way for crypto farms data centers?
I mean, I have a LOT of reason to dislike the guy. But changing his position based on the people he’s supposed to (or wants to) represent when they go from, “yes please give us all the corporate dogging you can” to “ummm actually that hurts, please stop” is not something I will throw shade for.
Of course I know it’s more nuanced than that, and that he’s only listening to, and speaking for, whomever is listening at the time. But still, we need to be careful to not lionize politicians that change positions based on changing situations. And the attitude towards data centers and AI has changed a LOT in the last 5 years.
Fuck that:
In a 2013 speech to fellow Republicans, when asked what his job entails, Abbott said: “I go into the office in the morning, I sue Barack Obama, and then I go home.”[17] Abbott filed 31 lawsuits against the Obama administration,[18] including suits against the Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including challenges to the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”); and the U.S. Department of Education, among many others.[3] According to The Wall Street Journal, from Abbott’s tenure as attorney general through his first term as governor, Texas sued the Obama administration at least 44 times, more than any other state over the same period; court challenges included carbon-emission standards, health-care reform, transgender rights, and others.[19] The Dallas Morning News compared Abbott to Scott Pruitt, noting that both attorneys general had repeatedly sued the federal government over its environmental regulations.[20] The Houston Chronicle noted that Abbott “led the charge against Obama-era climate regulations”.[21]
As attorney general, Abbott defended the state’s ban on same-sex marriage from a constitutional challenge.[41] In 2014, he argued in court that Texas should be allowed to prohibit same-sex marriage because LGBT individuals cannot procreate. He said that as “same-sex relationships do not naturally produce children, recognizing same-sex marriage does not further these goals to the same extent that recognizing opposite-sex marriage does.”[40] He also argued that gay people are still free to marry, saying they are “as free to marry an opposite-sex spouse as anyone else”.[40] He suggested that same-sex marriage led to a slippery slope in which “any conduct that has been traditionally prohibited can become a constitutional right simply by redefining it at a higher level of abstraction.”[40]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Abbott
There is so much more shit that it’s kind of overwhelming. He is the epitome of someone who is a giant turd in human form.
literally zero disagreement.
I’m glad people like you exist, but he’s not to be trusted. He’s just changing what he’s saying, he won’t change what he actually does. This dude is just saying this stuff to get reelected because his base hates AI farms.
again, don’t disagree AT ALL. I guess I’m more commenting on the idea that a politician changing their mind (in any direction) isn’t inherently bad or untrustworthy on its face. Sure back and forth and back and forth, changing your message for the audience (aka flip-flopping") is 100% to be called out. But we need to accept, no … encourage, politicians to be willing to change their minds when presented with new information and/or a shift in the opinions of the people they represent.
again, fuck this guy. He’s trash and I want him to feel the pain he’s inflicted on others.
So, the goal of opposite-sex marriage is to produce children? How many kids need to be produced in what timeframe? What’s the quota? Who follows up with the opposite-sex couples to see how many kids they’re producing?
He also argued that gay people are still free to marry, saying they are “as free to marry an opposite-sex spouse as anyone else”.
I love this argument just for how batshit insane it is. You see, there isn’t any discrimination here. Both straights and gays are prohibited from marrying the same sex! The law applies equally to everybody!
Reminds me of some comment I read awhile back about how laws against sleeping outdoors apply equally to housed and unhoused people.
notice he only specified rural.
Yep. I would wager he will try to shift the developers to build in more democratic strongholds like Dallas, Austin, Denton, and San Antonio.
Piss baby has not one decent cell in his body, this i can assure you
oh I never said he was decent. Just that THIS is the least objectionable thing to take him to task for. I hope he someday experiences the pain he has inflicted on others.
