this post was submitted on 08 Aug 2026
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Furious residents packing city-council meetings have become a familiar scene as proposals for data centers spark backlash in towns across America. But in Gilroy, Calif., known as the world’s garlic capital, there’s a twist: The $2 billion facility that residents are railing against is already being built.

“Many if not most residents first learned about this project after construction had already begun,” Coleen Crew, an elementary-school teacher, told the council at a recent meeting.

There were no public meetings or votes before a lone city staffer gave Amazon the green light last July to build a 438,500-square-foot data center on 56 acres of farmland 30 miles south of San Jose.

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[–] Manjushri@piefed.social 88 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Some government leaders signed nondisclosure agreements early in the process

How can this be even remotely legal. You work for the public you cannot reasonably be held to an NDA that requires you to not tell your BOSS what you're fucking doing!

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 hours ago

It all depends on howuch you got paid

[–] cantstopthesignal@sh.itjust.works 12 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Look at what meta did in Louisiana. The governor called up the Speaker and said they needed to pass a blank bill because a powerful donor wanted it and they all got in line, passed the bill and filled it in at the 11th hour. What was in the bill? Why it was approval of a 6 square mile (3840 acre) data center with no oversight or public comment. Just approved one of the largest data centers in the world in the middle of the night.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)
[–] DantesFreezer@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This only seems to apply to the state legistature, is this also applied to local government?

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 day ago

I don't know! If it only applies to the California State Assembly (and maybe the California State Senate) then that would be an egregious loophole.

[–] jonathan7luke@lemmy.zip 106 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Mayor Greg Bozzo said other big industrial projects have been approved in the same manner over the years, but didn’t cause any uproar.

“It didn’t bother them that a food-distribution center came to Gilroy without their engagement, but now it bothers them that a data center is coming to Gilroy without them having the possibility of engagement,” Bozzo said.

“We…have an opportunity to change the way that we do business in Gilroy,” the mayor said. “We’re adapting to the times.”

Seems like the article accidentally misspelled his name with an extra "z". What an absolutely shit take. The corruption here is so obvious.

[–] 1995ToyotaCorolla@lemmy.world 6 points 12 hours ago

Equating a Food Distribution center with a Datacenter is villainous work

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz 98 points 1 day ago (1 children)

'But now it bothers them that a concentration camp is being built'

Dumbass doesn't seem to understand that what is being built is actually the point

[–] systemglitch@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago

Whataboutism at its finest. Deflect, do not confront the issue at hand.

[–] Dagnet@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

Datacenters bring absolutely no business to the region they are built

[–] corbindallas@fedinsfw.app 58 points 1 day ago (3 children)
[–] Bluegrass_Addict@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 day ago

use them as a fuse for the datacenter... all electricity must pass through them first

[–] iThinkDifferentThanU@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Way to nice I have a better idea but can't say in print just in voice

[–] Manjushri@piefed.social 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Be careful about that too. You never know who's listening. There was a student teacher who sent a private snapchat to her boyfriend and roommates where she joked about shooting up the school. Within hours the message had been forwarded by meta to the FBI and sheriffs officers were at the school talking to her.

[–] quarkquasar@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Which is hilarious, cops showing up to talk to someone about violence.

Like, is anyone ever gonna sit the cops down and have a chat about how many innocent people they actually kill every year?

I didn't say shit

[–] elephantium@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

I'm really starting to hate this technique in making titles. Tf does the age of the particular loophole they used matter? It implies that the problem is in using rules that have been around for more than 5 minutes rather than in the action of circumventing the rights of the citizens.

[–] Kissaki@feddit.org 22 points 1 day ago

I'm surprised there's not widespread sabotage of stuff like this yet.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Molotov's are pretty cheap/easy to make and they're pretty effective during construction, before the sprinkler system is installed+charged.

[–] chaogomu@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (3 children)

There's a solvent you can pick up at a hardware store called toluene. If styrofoam is mixed in it makes a sticky, yet pourable goo.

Do keep it away from ignition sources, the mix is extremely difficult to extinguish.

[–] ReverendIrreverence@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

plain gasoline works well with styrofoam too. Add pieces until they kinda stop instantly dissolving and you have reached a very effective stopping point

[–] chaogomu@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

It depends on what you want, if you want a product that will splash and spread, the Toluene is the solvent of choice.

Gasoline makes for a much thicker paste because it doesn't completely dissolve the styrofoam.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wasnt that styrofoam and acetone?

[–] chaogomu@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

Nope, acetone is a different solvent, and the resulting product is less liquid, and easier to extinguish.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Gasoline will do the same.

[–] chaogomu@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Not really? Gasoline and styrofoam make a thick goo, that while flammable, is somewhat easy to extinguish.

[–] ReverendIrreverence@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Not when it's on you and you're running and screaming and fanning the flames

[–] chaogomu@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago

Thick goo, it doesn't spread easily.

Gasoline and styrofoam can be stabbed into and lifted, Toluene and styrofoam makes a liquid that can be poured or splashed.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

It's the classic World War II napalm.

https://rxmechanic.com/styrofoam-and-gasoline/

Acetone works too. You really don't have to be that picky.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

when the illusion of choice is shattered will the dreamers wake up?

probably not.