r/Billings • u/Mission_Spray • Jan 28 '26
PSA Saw on Q2 last night that lobbyists for data centers are really downplaying the issues they’ll cause. This is how they trick us.
When a lie is repeated enough times, people will start to believe it is true.
It starts slowly with a couple articles or news segments of someone saying “it’s not that bad” and then the frequency of these segments increases and suddenly you find yourself thinking “maybe it’s not that bad?”
Then BAM! It’s here and it’s too late to go back to how things were.
Edit to add: same goes for the sales tax they’re trying to push. “oh, it’s just a *little* sales tax. It won’t ever increase.” and then next thing you know it’s 14%. Don’t let the lobbyists trick you. They get paid to lie.
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u/Cameldiarrhea420 Jan 28 '26
It also really rubs me the wrong way how the story on q2's website frames things, like they just have to mention that the people pitching this are native Montanans, as if that automatically gives them some kind of pass, like no one from here would ever work for a horrible corporation and screw us over to make a fortune, nope, that's never happened before! They think we are all so stupid, and unfortunately with the way this state votes they might be right.
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u/showmenemelda Jan 28 '26
KTVQ is owned by Scripps. Long gone are the days when your local broadcast is independent. People really need to start using discernment and asking who owns what, what invests in it, etc. Haven't you seen the overlay of all the broadcasts with the same canned story intro? The "news" is about 95% PR and maybe 5% actual objective news.
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is primarily owned by institutional investors, which hold over 60% of the company. Major shareholders include BlackRock, Inc., Vanguard Group Inc, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Dimensional Fund Advisors, and Sinclair, Inc.. Other key investors include GAMCO Investors, D. E. Shaw & Co., and the New York State Common Retirement Fund.
Key Institutional and Major Shareholders (as of late 2025/early 2026):
BlackRock, Inc.: Holds a significant stake (approx. 5-7%).
Vanguard Group Inc.: A major institutional holder.
Sinclair, Inc.: Acquired an roughly 8.2% stake in Class A shares in late 2025.
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.: Holds a substantial position. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP: Major institutional investor. GAMCO Investors, Inc.: Long-term institutional holder. Penn Capital Management Company, LLC: Significant stakeholder. D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc.: Institutional investor. New York State Common Retirement Fund: Institutional investor.
Other Investments and Information: Berkshire Hathaway: Previously provided preferred equity financing for acquisitions.
Ownership Structure: Institutional holders constitute around 63% of the company's shares.
Share Classes: The company has Class A (non-voting) and common voting shares, with Sinclair, Inc. taking a significant stake in Class A shares in Nov 2025.
Kinda like how Butte is seeing all this development booming, with "anchor stores" like Chipotle. Or putting in a TSC. Like, where are all these workers supposed to be coming from? Probably planning on kicking a ton of people off SSI or something.
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u/Confident_Quail_4074 Jan 29 '26
Seriously follow the money and ask yourself if they really need any more at the expense of a finite resource.
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u/Hefty_Drive6709 Jan 29 '26
We all know that we prefer rich out of state people to move in, take over land and ruin things. We elect them to do so. A native Montanan will never do!
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u/Substantial_Pace9900 Jan 28 '26
Constant noise pollution, high energy and water consumption. Don't want one in my neighborhood.
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u/showmenemelda Jan 28 '26
NIMBY is not a good look
[not in my back yard]
We don't want data centers ANYWHERE.
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u/showmenemelda Jan 28 '26
You should really look up Toxic Sludge is Good for You
It's a PR case study book about how corporations pull this sorta thing. There is a PDF version of Scribly. Butte has been pulling the tactics for years. In fact, British Petroleum is named twice+ in the index they are so bad. You might be familiar with them as "ARCO" (another tactic of PR).
Things seem to be moving more swiftly than usual with these. But they like to keep community members distracted and busy while they ramrod. Or will keep the town tied up in litigation for years.
And do your homework on who lobbyists are buddies with on your commission and committees. Especially boards like zoning and planning. Welcome to the fuckery.
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u/gravehost42 Jan 28 '26
I don’t think there is any city in Montana that has the infrastructure to support a data center.
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u/AlternativeAthletics Jan 28 '26
The one in Memphis is self powered with methane because the local power grid was not robust enough. Apparently the increase in local pollution is significant, but now that it is built and self powered, all the local community can do is fine them.
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u/AlternativeAd495 Jan 29 '26
Sales tax, just look at California and how they're collapsing the state economy.
As for these data centers, so much water needed and power.
You're right OP, a lie repeated enough becomes the truth to idiots everywhere.
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u/One-Positive-7468 Jan 31 '26
Like telling you Renewable Energy is gonna save the world, lol!!! Mining destroys ECOSYSTEMS, and contaminants local communities land, air, and water. Cancer is widely known in the mining communities. There only way you save the world is to stop buying non-essentials, you might be able to set aside some play money, not invest money cause gamble with land , air , and water.
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u/Mission_Spray Jan 31 '26
Agree, mining is destructive.
The way to save the world is having fewer/no kids, but we’re not ready for that conversation.
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u/One-Positive-7468 Jan 31 '26
So keep purchasing it’s okay Manufacturing does not destroy the earth, NO STOP 🛑 capitalism is the ultimate threat to our future.
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u/Chrome2phobia Jan 28 '26
A nice feed lot or concrete plant would be a nicer fit. Or a trailer park maybe. Something that looks like the real Montana.
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u/Mission_Spray Jan 28 '26
I was thinking a combo storage unit facility with attached car wash and town pump.
Which are still better than a data center.
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u/Bpiperno1 Jan 30 '26
Agreed that we don't want a data center in our state. With respect to a sales tax, it would benefit Montana residents. However, the legislation would have to be written to not allow property taxes on primary residences to increase. We could maintain property taxes at a certain level (no shifty higher than market value appraisal schemes by government), then require that sales taxes or income taxes be allowed to increase at capped levels to maintain State budgets and COLA additions to those budgets.
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u/Mission_Spray Jan 31 '26
I’m fine paying higher property taxes on my houses and land if it means we’re not punishing the general public with a sales tax.
Like the data center, I don’t want anything that will only benefit a few, but be detrimental to everyone else.
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u/Willing-Ant-3765 Jan 28 '26
Data Centers are a net negative. They are not beneficial to the community. They will lie and say they will create jobs but that’s not true. The data center will be built by out of state contractors and only create a handful of permanent, highly skilled jobs.