Jake Justen, McHenry Libertarians Chair

08/18/2026

I think this is an interesting and well-balanced article. Some of the points it addresses are power and water usage, and tax incentives received by data center projects:

- Data centers in Chicago and surrounding suburbs use 1.2 gigawatts of power, projected to grow to 4.1 gigawatts; 1 gigawatt serves approximately 750,000 to 1 million homes
- 7.2% of power consumption in Illinois is from data centers, projected to increase to 15.6% by 2030 and further to 37.3% by 2040
- ComEd saw a 12% increase in monthly charges in June, following double digit increases starting in the summer of 2025
- Regarding water usage for evaporative cooling, a 1 gigawatt data center uses 5 to 10 million gallons per day, roughly equivalent to what 50,000 people use
- From 2020 to 2024, data centers received more than $983 million in tax incentives
- In 2025, Illinois committed to $66.6 million in additional tax credits over 20 years
- While many temporary jobs are added during the construction phase, 27 data centers have resulted in less than 600 permanent jobs

The Chicago area is a target for data center development for various reasons: nuclear energy means that the power requirements cost less and are more reliable than in other parts of the country; access to the Great Lakes means a reliable supply of water for evaporative cooling systems.

On the other hand, people are concerned about what the tax incentives mean for their own taxes, what the new/updated infrastructure and power and water usage will mean for their utility costs, and environmental and noise pollution, as well as privacy concerns as local governments increase AI surveillance that is supported by the data centers.

"But as they grow more and more prolific, the centers have come under fire for their large-scale consumption of electricity and water and growing brick-and-mortar presence. The tax breaks they’ve received, the noise they create and the relatively few people they employ once they’re running also add friction."

https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/12/data-centers-are-popping-up-everywhere-in-chicago-heres-where-and-why-theyre-controversial/

08/18/2026

"The system would have been designed to identify potential issues such as overgrown lawns, peeling paint, and illegal dumping, and to flag violations so the city staff can review them later before taking enforcement action.

[...]

"AI imaging systems developed by City Detect have already been deployed in several municipalities."

https://notthebee.com/article/garbage-trucks-join-surveillance-game-sending-authorities-videos-of-homes-with-ordinance-violations?from_social=twitter&fbclid=IwVERDUATUvlRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4iS4NPlJlO3usDl6B0nN55bPj8O3HzQQEbEVJkD1p13sbh17bkQ9xncK3B4Q_aem_FHjBpZozBf5WFjYOSz4a7g

You can kind of justify cameras on buses, maybe even cameras on speed zone signs, but cameras on garbage trucks?

07/31/2026

If you don't want separation, you need decentralization. The municipality should not do what the neighborhood can do; the county should not do what the municipality can do; the state should not do what the county can do; the federal government should not do what the state can do.

Decentralize; make everything as local as possible.

07/26/2026

Each blue dot is a Flock camera in McHenry County

Source: Deflock Maps (https://maps.deflock.org/?lat=42.2152&lng=-88.4468&zoom=9.14)

05/23/2026

“'This was so avoidable,' Boyle said of Tuesday’s election outcome, urging future city officials to 'listen to your residents.'”

People feel left out of the entire AI conversation: it's pushed out to their phones, tablets, and other devices, and apps they use on a daily basis, regardless if they want it; employers are forcing it on employees; and governments are entering agreements for data centers against the will of their constituents. This is not a partisan issue. People across the political landscape at least want the process to slow down and to be transparent.

Learn from this city council in Missouri: if you want to keep your seat, listen to your constituents. You work for them, not the other way around.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/missouri-city-council-data-center-00867259

12/27/2025

This is actually a really bad deal for Kansas taxpayers. The Chiefs get to keep 100% of stadium revenue from events; the Chiefs will pay $700 million in "rent" that will fund an account for the Chiefs to use for stadium renovations, security, and other stadium related expenses; the Chiefs will pay no property taxes. How is this a good deal for the state, county, or municipality, or the taxpayers? This is a golden deal for the Chiefs ownership.

If Don DeWitte thinks this is a good deal and should guide Illinois' negotiation with the Bears, I am happy to have never voted for him. No taxpayer funding for private sports stadiums.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday that they have entered into an agreement with the state of Kansas to play their games there beginning in 2031.