LETTER: Council followed the leader, failed public on data center

To Ozaukee Press:

The editorial in the Oct. 16 issue of Ozaukee Press (“Where were you?”)talked about the “object lesson on the importance of an informed citizenry.” It seems to take the community to task for not being more involved with their objections to the data center project. 

While it has had a great deal of press and information along the way, much of the information was after the fact and the result of closed-door sessions, unannounced meetings, secret discussions and non-disclosure agreements, all under the guise of not spoiling the “opportunity.” While the public may have fallen short of voicing their opposition, the people who represent them failed to engage with their constituents on the project. They are elected to represent the interests of their constituents, work to find out what those are and speak on their behalf. 

Where was the referendum that asked the community for  their feelings on the matter since this will have a tremendous impact on our way of life?  

Our Common Council members ignored what pushback there was, appeals that were made, warnings of the consequences this would have on the community and more. They banded together to “follow the leader,” abdicating their individual responsibility to speak for the people who put them in office. 

If they all lived within a half mile of the facility, I wonder if their vote would be the same. They abandoned the concept that the council should strive to serve the community and improve the lives of the residents, not create noise pollution and diminished resources, strain existing services and sacrifice our way of life for assumed tax relief that won’t be realized for years to come. 

It appears to me that we are becoming one big TIF district, all the while providing required services and infrastructure improvements to private developments. The focus is on the businesses, “progress” and economic activity, leaving the people who currently live in the community out of the equation. 

Ironic that as the East Wing of our White House is being destroyed, we are building a behemoth data center, both in the name of “progress.”

Jack McCarthy

Port Washingto