Business
Corporate Giveaways, No Workers
February 18, 2022 
We find it perplexing that when we have a “worker shortage” and a shortage of “affordable housing,” the state and local politicos are offering tax breaks to corporate billionaires to move to the Boise area.
The recent announcement of a Meta data center moving to Kuna would be great if the predicted 100 workers were from the ranks of Idaho unemployed. Whenever state or county governments offer any “incentives,” the beneficiary should post a bond to insure they pay for all the promised items like sewer, water, schools, roads, etc.
If not, we can expect a desert “State Government Campus-South” just like we have at the former H-P site on Chinden.
GROWTOHOBES stand by the policy of welcoming anyone who wants to locate a business here as long as they pay a fair wage and the same taxes the rest of us pay. Growth for the sake of growth is like cancer and it is expensive.
To further add salt to the wound, Kuna politicos are planning to create an urban renewal district in the desert. That means the city of Kuna, the schools, ACHD, and Ada County will receive NO TAX revenue on the $800 million building. It will be diverted to the urban renewal district.
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Comments & Discussion
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Feb 18, 2022, 1:26 pm
For a glimpse of what Kuna is dealing with, here’s a brief look at the Meta campus through the eyes of Frances Haugen:
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/frances-haugen-takes-us-inside-110000114.html
Feb 18, 2022, 4:16 pm
It’s been marketed to us by the local MSM as a free sewer system. Please someone do a line item of what it really is and what will the short and longer term cost/benefits. How big of fire truck will Kuna need to buy now for example. Data centers are not massive think tanks full of high pay jobs. Very little info here, so someone please turn on the lights. Also, what’s been the cost/benefit of the big Amazon sort and ship to Nampa.
Feb 19, 2022, 12:26 am
These data centers are largely remotely operated, with only a local skeleton crew. Meta is here for our cheap clean power – nothing more. This feels like a big give away of our resources and our cash for a pittance of local jobs. We’re being taken advantage of, even more than usual.
Feb 20, 2022, 11:41 am
Well let’s champion a high water user when we are on a longer trend of increasing water shortgages, especially ground water. Mtn Home AFB is building pipleine from the Snake River to the air base for that reason. Idaho wants to raise Anderson Ranch damn so Mtn Home actually has water. Boise just passed a $500M waste water bond which a significant portion will be to create a closed loop system for industrial uses, which is good. Amazon expansions will increasingly add to traffic woes and expanded airport use. It’s all happening fast, in the blink of an eye. Good or bad, depends on who is looking.
Feb 20, 2022, 11:42 am
I am really surprised how no one is looking at how conveniently Gardner Co bought this property a short time ago…. Nice crystal ball they have!
Feb 20, 2022, 12:25 pm
Besides that, we do not need the free speech curtailing Facebook and liar Mark Z. anywhere near our free stat.
Feb 20, 2022, 1:53 pm
Anyone still using Meta’s services (FB, Instagram, WhatsApp) is not very smart. The company is a well-known abuser of privacy, censorship, and their services add no value. For almost any other company, you might be able to make the argument of sacrifice for the “greater good,” but not at all with Facebook. When you don’t pay for something, you are the product. On the bright side the stock is down 46% off its all time highs, so maybe it’s not long for this world.
Zuckerberg is a creep.
Feb 20, 2022, 4:03 pm
I would expect ACHD, on Meta’s dime, to blow Cole Road through and make it connect the whole way to the future facility.
So where’s the beef?
The details of such agreements would be helpful. The proposed Kuna URD (bad) is around the city-in the DESERT- but a long way from the site. Can anyone show otherwise?
800 million $$$ goes somewhere.
It’s not exactly accurate to say the Treasure Valley gains nothing. Pretty sure our Facebook will be faster!
Feb 21, 2022, 8:26 am
The most disturbing information in your article is that: ELECTED Public servants DECIDED it is okay to create an Urban Renewal District in rural Kuna, Idaho. HOW DID WE GET HERE.
I don’t believe that URD, controlled by the private sector, Gardner Co is needed for growth in the treasure valley? As we are paying public servants at all levels of government to DO JUST THAT?
Gardner Co probably doesn’t care about the out come of their greed.
Likely the owners don’t live in Idaho and the x mayor of Boise is working for them?
So we all need to consider if we want in line and affordable property taxes, IT HAS TO START WITH QUESTIONING DECISIONS MADE BY OUR CITY AND COUNTY ELECTED PUBLIC SERVANTS.
While Idahoans are complaining to legislators about property tax relief local public servants are deaf to the issue!?
Feb 22, 2022, 8:29 am
I would like to know where they plan on getting their water? Datacenters use an ungodly amount of water to cool them. So much, other cities in the country have said no to datacenters. No one seems to be giving details about that issue.
Feb 23, 2022, 2:39 pm
@John, Which “other cities” said no to a Meta datacenter?
Water- kind a like a radiator, filler up and let the system cool down the desert. Or in the winter, open the barn door and let the heat out.
FB says the Kuna facility will be 80% more water efficient than others. And they’ll help Kuna expand water treatment facilities.
How about all that Kentucky Bluegrass wasting water in your neighborhood, John? Worried about that?
Inefficient farmer pivot lines?
Feb 24, 2022, 2:13 pm
@Aguarius, I googled “datacenter water usage” and went down a rabbit hole. I never mentioned Meta being denied. I am sure they say their new datacenter is the most efficient, why would they say it was least efficient. At least watering grass recharges the aquifer. And…. I like farmers, they grow my food:)
Feb 24, 2022, 4:33 pm
It has been down hill ever since amyx, andrus and eardly pimped us, the taxpayers, and the Boise Valley out to the damned HP kalis in the early 70s. SSDDay.
Too late now but the good thing about those three is that they are no longer able to pimp anything.
Mar 1, 2022, 7:49 pm
TOPIC- Meta Datacenters
John: other cities in the country have said “no” to datacenters.
John 2.0: I never mentioned Meta being denied.
And I could not find any verification of my first statement.
Voter card revoked.
Mar 2, 2022, 9:52 am
Yeah, datacenters are likely essential, but not here. Certainly not enough jobs for the outlay, and the jobs themselves are the equivalent of a tech at JiffyLube as opposed to a “real” mechanic (no insult intended, I could use fry cook versus chef as well). The water is a real issue; research the details about Google’s datacenter in The Dalles and their water deal. Not a good thing for our area.
Mar 2, 2022, 4:57 pm
March 2, 2022After watching Viewpoint on February 27, I need to comment.Doug Petcash interviewed Lauren McClean about how Boise is working to provide more affordable housing? Most of the show was in regards to MODA Franklin site.I think the project should be paused.When it’s finished it will be cheap apartments, built on public property, Housing Land Trust. Owned by a developer that the mayor partnered up with. Probably no property taxon the project? That diverts costs to the benefactors. The benefactor being property owners. Who is it helping? To quote Lauren, “We did a housing assessment recognizing that this is about my kids’ teachers, it’s about the police and fire fighters that keep us safe, the nurses that have protected our health,” McLean said. “We need homes for Boiseans, and so we set out to determine how many we needed and at what price points Boiseans could afford. So it’s a data-driven process that’s given us that bold goal for the next five years “Ownership gives Boiseans the mayor speaks of a piece of the pie! If we can’t figure out a way to build affordable housing on public property while putting the parcel back on the tax base. We need to change someone or something. I think the project should be paused. Cause the only person coming out ahead is the partner picked by the mayor!
Mar 2, 2022, 6:40 pm
Thanks JoJo.
For The Dalles story:
“In the long run, the expanded Google data centers will provide The Dalles community with more water, additional jobs, and lots more Cloud Storage for your Aunt Edith’s cat photos.”
Definitely an issue, but something to addressed with science rather than typical comments. Jobs are not always those working at the site- Micron for sure and many other corporate offices makes jobs for the people that support the workers on site, or related ‘service support’. Then the water pipes need repaired, the Kuna contractor may get the work-not a Meta employee. Good growth is good.
Mar 2, 2022, 7:16 pm
This grotesque techno castle of FaceSlap that will consume and not produce anything of real value is not welcome in my book. The political water carriers that facilitated this cold obelisk are disgusting. More corporate socialism for the opportunity to claim a feather in a cap. That’s what our leaders have all become. We are cattle.