'Irresponsible': backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan

[not fooled]

15. Those Utah residents found out how little the commissioners care

what they think.

My eyes were opened when I led neighborhood opposition to a subdivision that violated the county's own zoning, master plan, the wishes of the neighboring military (Marine) base, and an agreement drawn up by the county itself 20 years ago stating that the land would not be subdivided. 98% of local residents opposed (the only ones who didn't worked in development).

The pols (county supervisors, in this case) cared not one whit and voted unanimously to approve, in a desert area where the water table was being rapidly drawn down by overdevelopment. One of the supervisors was the sister of the biggest commercial real estate agent in the area; another owned the roofing company that put roofs on new subdivisions. The others were suspected of being equally corrupt.

The problem as I found out is that the local residents were ignorant and apathetic about local government. There was no functional media to report on what local government did and explain the consequences of their actions to the populace. The entire government was set up to enact the wishes of a few powerful local families and businesses. The residents were treated as an irrelevant annoyance.

Once I figured out what was going on and saw that nothing would change, I moved shortly thereafter.