From Patrick Stoffel

Mazomanie

To the Editor:

While at first glance they seem like they would have nothing to do with each other, but there is a lot in common between factory farms and data centers. These things don’t create jobs; they destroy them and ways of life. Both monster corporate animal factories and huge resource consuming data centers are allowed to waltz right in (or attempt to sneak in) and “set up shop” with little or no government pushback. Usually in places where citizens have no desire for them. In many cases, our elected “leaders” are gun-ho for these things; saying “this is good for the economy!” “This creates jobs!” They do no such thing. They create wealth for their owners, that’s it. That is it. Factory farm jobs are horrible (and replace family farm workers), and in the case of data centers, the jobs are temporary and experts are shipped in to do the work — no local jobs created. “Corporations good, citizens worthless” — Many politicians must repeat that over and over in their heads because the policies they submit and support fit that description. They take away jobs, ruin the environmental resources in the area (water, land use, energy, air, quality of life) and then local residents are left holding the bag, cleaning up the mess they’ve created.

They both come in, promising jobs and waiving cash all around. The cash flows alright; one-way, right into their pockets, from us. We provide the land, water, power, air, and resources. They provide what? What do factory farms and data centers provide the people who live in the surrounding area?  

What the heck is going on? Put a break on both these things; fix up and regulate the process by which they are allowed to exist. They are not benefiting communities; they are leeching off them.