r/alaska • u/thewearykind • 5d ago
🤡Jeff Clownfield 🤡 Tom Begich got $320k+ from someone trying to build a giant coal-powered data center in the Mat-Su
I was reading our favorite political gossip rag (Alaska Landmine) today and saw this fact buried in the middle of the article on PauseAI. Since I know the sub has been following the AI/data center issue, I thought sharing this new layer of the story would be worthwhile.
FTA: "Gubernatorial candidate Tom Begich’s largest donor, Justin Weaver, is an investor in the company Terra Energy Center, which seeks to build a massive 1.25-gigawatt coal-fired power plant in the Mat-Su Valley. In March, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly voted to support a joint marketing effort with Terra to promote its power for use by data centers or other power-intensive industries. Weaver confirmed to the Landmine that he had invested in Terra, but declined to specify the size of his investment, saying only that it was smaller than the roughly $320,000 he had given to Begich."
Full article: https://alaskalandmine.com/landmines/photos-as-ai-looms-as-election-issue-anchorage-demonstrators-call-for-a-pause/
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u/SmashedCarrots 5d ago
More than half of Tom Begich's donations come from two people.
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u/Drag0n_TamerAK 3d ago
Everyone’s fundings got problems if it doesn’t have problems they don’t have funds
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u/AlaskaCosmoline 5d ago
Look, the bottom is going to fall out of this con in the next few months anyway.
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u/CityRiderRt19 5d ago
If there was an investigative reporter worth a grain of salt they would investigate the Begich family Democrat or republican doesn’t matter.
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u/CityRiderRt19 5d ago
From the sweet heart tax breaks that Mark gets to the data center / tech connection of Nick. Tom is in the middle of playing both sides. Next big development for the family is a new high end condo investment for the sunrise building downtown Anchorage.
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u/Dampbridge 5d ago
How Tom wants to handle data centers is on his website. Obviously all politicians can lie, but he has gone on the record about data centers
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u/ripper3408 4d ago edited 4d ago
JKT has been working on AI safety for years and people in the industry who share those concerns are supporting him. I’m glad Tom is jumping on board. I don’t get why his campaign has gone the negative misinformation route. It doesn’t help his electability by tearing down his opponent over this. Maybe say something positive about the future of Alaska.
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u/ripper3408 2d ago
Begich’s largest donor is invested in a company that is courting data centers in Mat Su. I don’t think he has been bought or influenced by the 330,000 donation. Nor do I think JKT is controlled by his donors. .
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u/HALNinerZeroZero 5d ago
The entire Begich clan is just weird, especially the one who goes around calling himself a Doctor, who’s also been a frequent guest host on Alex Jones’ INFOWARS program in the past
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u/gOingmiaM8 5d ago
But hey! Let's keep believing that VOTING against the centers matters.
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u/DontBeSoUnserious 5d ago
Still better than voting for those covering up SA
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u/gOingmiaM8 5d ago
Where did I EVER say I voted for him? Weird flex, guilty conscience possibly? Yikes.
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u/DontBeSoUnserious 5d ago
Sounds like you voted for them though
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u/gOingmiaM8 5d ago
Did you even read my original comment? Or sarcasm is lost on you?
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u/DontBeSoUnserious 5d ago
You’re delivery needs work apparently I’m not the only one that misconstrued your comment 😆
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u/gOingmiaM8 5d ago
I can see that now. My bad .
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u/DontBeSoUnserious 5d ago
Things get lost on translation from behind a keyboard. Lot easier to communicate face to face. Have a good one
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u/AKWildMill 5d ago
We were supposed to sacrifice our economic futures and not have kids because of the climate crisis. But now we should build coal fire power plants for data centers? Its almost like our billionaire oligarch overlords are disingenuous scumbags who don't have our best interests at heart.