Scottsboro, Alabama - May 6, 2019 - Jackson County Commission Work Session - Aerial Photo of Google Data Center

Jackson County Commission, South Entrance photo by G. Morgan

 Aerial Photo of Google Data Center Project

AGENDA

VIDEO

Scottsboro, Alabama - August 13, 2018 Jackson County Commission Regular Session

Jackson County Courthouse, North Entrance. photo by G. Morgan

AGENDA

Agenda items 2,3,4,5 - pertains to the Google Data Center Project as it relates to their property management proxy, Wiesner Enterprises LLC, approximately $60,000 donated to Jackson County for road entrance lighting and road access improvements including property transfer legal fees. Agenda item 7 -  Road resurfacing contract bid awarded to Charles E. Watts, Inc. for $212,959.00. Agenda item 9 - appointment of Schools Safety Board member to disburse donations for County Schools Resource Officer funding.

VIDEO

Jackson County Commission Regular Session - Public Hearing, Designation of Google Data Center Site as an Industrial Park - Revenue Commissioner Tax Sale, 147 Properties to be Sold - April 9, 2018

Jackson County Courthouse, Scottsboro, Alabama (photo by G. Morgan)

Jackson County Revenue Commissioner, Jeff Arnold, reported there are 147 property owners who have not paid their property taxes. If not paid, these properties will be sold on April 24, 2018 at 10AM at the Jackson County Courthouse in Scottsboro. Revenue Commissioners web site - http://www.jacksoncountyrevenue.com/default.aspx

AGENDA

VIDEO

Is Google Really a Sweet Deal for Jackson County Alabama, or is it "Hemlock?" Update is needed - Transparency is Important!

Google Data Center in Douglas County Georgia .Fair Use for non-profit news reporting and commentary.

UPDATE: February 5, 2015 - Google’s director of global infrastructure explains why Google has planned its 14th data center — a $600 million capital investment — in rural north Alabama. 

http://www.businessalabama.com/Business-Alabama/February-2016/Google-Data-Center--Alabama/?utm_source=Business+Alabama%2C+2%2F4%2F16&utm_campaign=BA+Newsletter%2C+02%2F04&utm_medium=email#.VrO7Rvzr6zw.facebook

Photo opportunities for politicians do not always mean a benefit for taxpayers. Governor Bentley at the Widows Creek site. Photo by State of Alabama, Fair-Use for non-profit news reporting and commentary.

There is a moral to this story - When you place secrecy and corporate Amerika before American taxpayers and transparent governance, it usually costs the taxpayers big bucks, often with a limited return.

Public TVA Photo Map of the Widows Creek "Data Center Site" Fair Use rights for non-profit news reporting and commentary.

Is the Google deal as sweet as we are being led to believe?

Let's look at some history involving TVA, Jackson County, Weissner Enterprises, Google and who knows who else, it is a secret deal. Sometimes secrecy is not such a good deal for those who have to pay for the secrecy and infra-structure, previous article on this blog: http://arklite.blogspot.com/2015/06/jackson-county-commission-june-22-2015.html

Hemlock poisoning, yes strange but true, Hemlock Semi-conductors, Clarksville, Tn. New site of Google - http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2015/12/21/tennessee-silcon-plant-may-become-google-data-center/  Coincidence, the company dies before it starts and it is named Hemlock, hmmm? Think about this, 2 data centers in the TVA area?

Meanwhile back at the Jackson County Google ranch, some speculation and thoughts. The county entered into a secret agreement with Weissner Enterprises, LLC, the shell company representing Google, in what had to be infra-structure improvements. The 1% tax deal died, has the Google deal died with it or do I see a county bond is sue on the horizon?  Soon after the 1% county tax referendum died, Google announced the Hemlock deal up in Clarksville, Tn. Google would have never considered this area if not for the high speed fiber optics installed by the North Alabama Electric Co-op.

Let's pay attention to some other factors, employment by Google. Google is one of the largest importers of foreign workers - H-1B Visa program, "“Over the years the program has become a government-assisted way for employers to bring in cheaper foreign labor...Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama said American schools are graduating twice as many students specializing in science, technology, engineering and math than there are jobs to fill in those specialties...“It has nothing to do with trying to find the best and brightest,” Sessions said of the H-1B visa program’s proposed expansion."   http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/03/18/google-eric-schmidt-congress-h-1b-visa-economy-immigration-tech-workers/

It is all about cheap labor, free property, free infra-structure. All costing the tax-payers, that includes local taxpayers, big expenses. It is time for some transparency on this, secrecy can only go so far. Propaganda is a player in this, as is in Clarksville, Tn. This is not about providing hundreds, even ten local jobs, nor is it about increasing taxes for the area as Google will receive numerous tax benefits at the expense of Jackson County residents. There has to be a known, stated benefit for the citizens of Jackson County, not just freebies for one of the largest corporations in the world.

Money does not grow on trees, politicians and their corporate masters cannot continue to pick us dry. Photo Art by "ColoradoPeakPolitics.com" Fair Use for non-profit news and commentary.

Confidentiality is important in these deals, but there is a limit.  Particularly when it will cost the local taxpayers millions of dollars and increase debt. Secret deals and confidential transactions at citizens expense is no substitute for transparency and good governance. It is the taxpayers who will pay the bill.

I hope all works out for everyone involved in the Google deal. Just remember politicians and appointed officials of Alabama, Jackson County and local municipalities, you work for us the people, not a corporation, you might want to think about giving citizens an update.

See the update at the top.of the page.

Local Delegation Visits Google Data Center in Lenoir. N.C --Spot on for Blogspot!

Face Book photo, Fair Use Rights for non-profit news reporting. (Photo by Patricia Potter Combs Face Book post & Dr David Campbell) Scottsboro Mayor Melton Potter (left front) and Jackson County EDA Chair Dr. David Campbell (2nd on right) travel to Lenoir, N.C to visit Google Data Center in Lenoir, N.C. If someone could identify all the folks on the flight it would be appreciated.

Jackson County EDA 

Familiar Faces from Jackson County

Jackson County Alabama EDA (EDA photo, Fair Use for non-profit news reporting Sep 24, 2015.)

"Google and the community leaders of Lenior, North Carolina welcomed many of Jackson County's leaders to offer valuable information about what Google will bring to the community and how to prepare for the data center's new location to our area. We appreciate their insight and hospitality!"

https://www.facebook.com/jacksoncountyeda

Dr Campbell's comments on Face Book, per request, thank you Dr, Campbell: "A group of about 15 local leaders and TVA economic developers visited Caldwell County, N.C. to assess how a Google Data Center has affected the economy, workforce, and educational institutions of that area, Garry. The group met with local elected officials, the community college president, economic developers, local school board officials, other educators, Google officials, and other leaders in order to get information and advice on planning for the Google Data Center in Jackson County. Members of the group will be making presentations about the trip to various organizations and local officials to help assure that Google's Data Center in Jackson County will bring about the maximum positive benefits for our citizens."

-Google's Contribution to the Lenoir, N.C. Area-

Lenoir Data Center

In the community

At Google, we’re committed to playing a positive role in each of the communities in which we operate around the world. Through grant-making and local initiatives, we're working to help businesses, schools, and nonprofits thrive. We're always seeking opportunities for Googlers to share their time and expertise with the local community. Here's a sample of what we're doing in the area.

Google's community contributions by the numbers:

$1.2 billion: Our long-term investment in the Lenoir data center facility.
$3.6 million: Total charitable giving dollars we've donated to nonprofits and schools in North Carolina since 2009.
$1.2 million: Our investment in the waste-processing system funded in collaboration wtih Duke University and Duke Energy.
$110,000: Google WiFi grant awarded to the City of Lenoir to help implement a free downtown WiFi network.  For more info go to: http://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/lenoir/community-outreach.html

Google story by Heather Garner of the Clarion, July 21, 2015:  "Approximately a year ago when the Jackson County Commission learned that TVA could potentially shut down Widows Creek, Commissioners immediately began looking for solutions. Their first step was to set a series of meetings with Bill Johnson, President and CEO of TVA. Initially, Commissioners requested that TVA allow Jackson County to use to land for potential industry. When it was discovered that Google was looking, TVA took initiative and contacted them regarding their Widows Creek plant. Google met with TVA and the planning began. A joint effort between TVA, Google and the Jackson County Commission, led to a huge announcement last week. Google along with Governor Robert Bentley, joined Jackson County and TVA officials to announce that Google will be locating a $600 million data center at the TVA Widows Creek plant in Stevenson. Construction will begin in 2016 and will be the first in the United States since 2007. According to Google they will use the existing infrastructure at the plant, currently in its final phase of shut down. Google has acquired a lifetime lease for approximately 369 acres of the TVA property. The center, which will house the servers used for every Google product, will be run off of renewable energy and will employ up to 100 people." http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9353:google-data-center-coming-to-jackson-county&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

Google Story by Wes Mayberry of the Daily Sentinel, June 26, 2015: “Selecting the Widows Creek site to build our newest data center came after an extensive search,” Google Director of Operations Gary Demasi, picture below, said when the announcement for this project was made. “The idea of re-purposing a former coal generating site and powering our new facility with renewable energy, especially reliable, affordable energy that we can count on 24/7 with the existing infrastructure in place, was attractive.” http://thedailysentinel.com/feature_story/article_aa7eb456-1c4b-11e5-bd1f-b39a1408974a.html

Google's Director of Operations Gary Demassi, Fair-use photo Linked-In for non-profit news reporting. 

Google's Story on Google's Blogspot 

(That's right, blogspot is spot on!)

A power plant for the Internet: our newest data center in Alabama

June 24, 2015 - Every time you check your Gmail, search on Google for a nearby restaurant, or watch a YouTube video, a server whirs to life in one of our data centers. Data centers are the engines of the Internet, bringing the power of the web to millions of people around the world. And as millions more people come online, our data centers are growing, too.

We’ve recently expanded our data centers in Iowa, Georgia, Singapore and Belgium. And today we’re announcing a new data center in Alabama—our 14th site globally. Read more -  http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-power-plant-for-internet-our-newest.html

Greetings from the Irish Rose Bed & Breakfast, Lenoir N.C.