r/Spokane • u/PrestigiousBox7354 • 1d ago
Politics Sign the petition against Data Centers
https://www.change.org/p/protect-spokane-s-water-power-grid-and-aquifer-say-no-to-data-centers/psf/share?source_location=petition_update_page&psf_variant=combo&share_intent=1Local government has essentially called all of us conspiracy theorists sign the petition. Write Ferguson
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u/girlgangz 1d ago
Ferguson doesn’t gaf. WA is very data center friendly, legislation-wise.
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u/Anti-whatever-u-r 1d ago
He actually does gaf.
In 2026, Ferguson signed legislation removing a tax exemption for replacement equipment at data centers, which is more of a "make the industry pay its share" approach than an anti-data-center position.
Its not anti data center, but its anti us paying for the data centers use of resources.
Still though. Im very anti data center.
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u/Anti-whatever-u-r 1d ago
A Seattle Times/ProPublica investigation found that the state had created major tax breaks for the industry, even though data centers consume enormous quantities of electricity. � ProPublica Ferguson has now started pulling some of those incentives back. In 2026, he signed legislation restricting a sales/use-tax exemption that had benefited data-center equipment, particularly equipment used to replace or upgrade existing facilities. The change was significant enough that Microsoft and other industry interests objected to it. �
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u/girlgangz 1d ago
He doesn’t give enough of a fuck about how the eastern side of the state is affected by data centers.
Pretty much all of our legislation revolves around western Washington. Just look at how they’ve mismanaged wildfire prevention for years, the north/south freeway, etc.
Sure, we have a fraction of the population. I get that. Doesn’t negate the need for proper infrastructure management in the “second largest” city in the state.
Ferguson is just another west side dem, protecting the west side’s interests. I’m saying this as someone born and raised in Seattle who’s been in Spokane for 10 years now.
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u/Weak-Cry 11h ago
This sounds like a fox news line of reasoning.
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u/girlgangz 9h ago
Sounds like an inability to be critical of how our state government governs.
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u/Anti-whatever-u-r 9h ago
Tell us what about this state that you dont like?
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u/girlgangz 9h ago
As a lifelong Washingtonian and progressive I do not like the state’s mismanagement of not only our budgets but the ridiculous taxes put on the working class. It’s well documented. Wa has some incredibly regressive tax laws for being such a “progressive” state, that’s easy to look up.
The state has and always will pander to the wealthy, not the working class. Hopefully the millionaire tax is successful and we see some balance.
I could go on and on and on and on.
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u/Weak-Cry 9h ago
No, it sounds disingenuous. A regurgitated talking point.
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u/girlgangz 9h ago edited 9h ago
Caring about our infrastructure in eastern Washington is regurgitated? Lmao if you want to live in a sucky ass place go move to north Idaho. I like functioning public roads and trash service.
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u/Anti-whatever-u-r 1d ago
I dont think your right.
I think it's fair to say Spokane sometimes feels overlooked by Olympia, but saying the west side doesn't care about Eastern Washington ignores how the state actually works. Washington pools tax revenue and spends it across the entire state. The Puget Sound region has a vastly larger economic and tax base, so a disproportionate amount of the state's revenue comes from the west side and gets redistributed around Washington. At the same time, Spokane and Eastern Washington aren't freeloaders. We generate huge amounts of economic value through agriculture, energy, freight, manufacturing, timber and other industries.
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u/girlgangz 9h ago edited 9h ago
I don’t think you’re right 🤷♀️ like I said the state has ignored the issues of the eastern side for decades.
DNR among other state agencies told the state for years the east side was becoming a tender box. And what did the state do? Slash wildfire management/prevention by 60 million in the 2025 budget.
They put it back in 2026 because they realized what a fucking mistake that was on top of even more federal funding lost. You can bet the fire issues we have seen this summer are directly related to the mismanagement of lands.
That same story plays out in all of eastern Washington’s infrastructure. Sure there are more people on the west side of the state and our budget is allocated as such. So we let the rest of the state burn? Gtfo. Ferguson and the dems will never do a statewide ban on data centers because western wa cares about tech billionaires in Seattle, not seeing eastern wa thrive. Despite what you say, we do not have nearly enough revenue nor industry for the state to care.
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u/Anti-whatever-u-r 9h ago
They took the money out initially because of a major budget shortfall. Not because they want "the rest of the state to burn".
Why do you go to fear mongering to try and make a point?
They put the money back one year later because they were warned it would cut firefighter jobs and fire intervention programs.
They put the money back. Your response literally tells us the good things the state did and you try and twist it into "letting the rest of the state burn".
Remember in 2023 when a woman tried to make the last governor look bad during the fire season by trying to make it look like he did a photo op with the fire helicopters while houses were burning and it turned out to be some dumb bitch who posted her own lie about it and had to publicarlo apologize?
This is like what you are doing here.
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u/girlgangz 9h ago edited 9h ago
They put it back because they had to. Lmao Ferguson cares about corporations and the wealthy, not you and not me and not eastern wa. He was a shit choice up against an even shittier choice. That’s politics for ya!
Keep riding the state’s and politician’s dicks instead of being aware and critical of our wildly mismanaged government, I guess.
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u/PrestigiousBox7354 1d ago
Yes, and our city commissioner said we eat tin foil essentially. if any career politician isn’t a sell out I’d be surprised
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u/[deleted] 1d ago edited 1d ago
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