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Good Jobs First

@goodjobsfirst.org
918 followers 182 following 338 posts

Good Jobs First has since 1998 been a leading watchdog on economic development subsidies. We also expose corporate crimes. site: www.goodjobsfirst.org trackers: goodjobsfirst.org/databases newsletter: www.goodjobsfirst.org/subscribe

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 25/09/2026
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s new executive order adds accountability standards for data center development. But it leaves intact the industry’s biggest and costliest taxpayer benefit, which cost state and local governments > $1.9 billion in FY 2025. goodjobsfirst.org/virginia-dat...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 24/09/2026
NYC just announced its largest settlement to date: $131m from DoorDash for underpaying or failing to pay its drivers. State and local wage enforcement has now surpassed that of the federal WHD by more than ten-fold. States must continue to pick up the slack. goodjobsfirst.org/states-beat-...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 23/09/2026
"I’m being told data centers are supposed to be good for my students because they might generate money for schools. I don’t buy it. I have a simple question: Why should funding for my classroom and students depend on Nevada building more data centers?" nevadacurrent.com/2026/09/21/d...
nevadacurrent.com
Commentary: Don’t use schools to justify more data centers • Nevada Current
As a public school educator in the Clark County School District, I’m being told data centers are supposed to be good for my students because they might generate money for schools. I don’t buy it. I ha...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 18/09/2026
Opportunity Zones, which gives federal tax breaks to wealthy investors and companies, became permanent under the Big Beautiful Bill. But states and localities can help offset the lost revenue, and proposed legislation prohibits data centers from participating. ⬇️ goodjobsfirst.org/new-opportun...
A scenic aerial shot of farmland in the Appalachian Mountains during summer. Source: Mark Stebnicki via Pexels
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 15/09/2026
The CHIPS Act’s 48D tax credit was projected to cost $24B. Instead, it will likely cost >$205B, more than 8x that. W/CHIPS grants, the program costs over $1M+ per job. And it’s “as of right,” so we don’t even know who gets it. @chipscommunities.bsky.social: chipscommunitiesunited.org/news/million...
chipscommunitiesunited.org
The Million Dollar Job: - CHIPS Communities United
The CHIPS Act promised to bring back chip production. But its tax credit, initially estimated at $24 billion, is now projected to cost $205.6 billion, more than eight times the original estimate.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 11/09/2026
Millions of people work, many full time and including at Walmart, yet still rely on assistance like food pantries because the company refuses to pay its workers living wages. goodjobsfirst.org/corporate-su...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 11/09/2026
“Let me tell you what is actually expensive...to take off work, paying for emergency room visits and watching children struggle to breathe. I do not want to hear that public health is too expensive, while rubber-stamping data centers that dodge CEQA.” calmatters.org/environment/...
calmatters.org
This rural, California county approved a massive new data center. Then it changed its mind.
A million-square-foot data center became a lighting rod in this rural county. Residents and local leaders are fighting back.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 11/09/2026
Raise your hand if lately you've seen ads telling you how data centers make sure you can online bank, watch your movies, and scroll videos. But that's not why they're building. #AI
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 11/09/2026
I'd be mad if I helped pay to build a billionaire his stadium but then couldn't afford tickets. Actually, I'd just be mad if I had to help a billionaire pay for his stadium.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 10/09/2026
Tax abatements can cost cities millions of dollars, but this form of spending rarely makes it into budget debates. Instead, it's disclosed *after* a fiscal year ends. It's time this spending got the same scrutiny as everything else. Our latest: goodjobsfirst.org/the-budget-s...
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John Kostyack @kostyack.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
States have given billions in tax breaks to the richest companies in the world to bring in their hyperscale data centers. Many states are now cancelling them, leading industry execs to threaten to shift projects to states such as IN, WV & WY that have retained favorable tax regimes.
wsj.com
States That Gave Data Centers Billions in Tax Breaks Are Now Ripping Up the Deals
Amazon, Meta and Google risk losing decadeslong exemptions due to a backlash against their facilities
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John Kostyack @kostyack.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I also can't imagine that the secrecy around data center tax breaks is remotely sustainable in today's political environment. @goodjobsfirst.org finds in its recent report that 14 of the 37 states with tax exemptions don’t publish their official revenue losses in a timely manner.
goodjobsfirst.org
Even Cloudier with a Greater Loss of Spending Control: How Data Center Tax Abatements Undermine Public Budgets - Good Jobs First
Mirroring the historic surge in data center investments, which are heavily tax-abated, state and local government revenue losses are spiking.
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ITEP @itep.org · 10/09/2026
Tax policies under the second Trump administration have mostly asked more from working families and fueled wealth inequality. The combined impact of tariffs, ending health care tax credits, and OBBBA results in a tax increase for most Americans except the richest 5%.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 02/09/2026
Great use of our Violation Tracker Global database to show how fines and fees do little to deter bad corporate behavior, even when it leads to death. violationtrackerglobal.goodjobsfirst.org
violationtrackerglobal.goodjobsfirst.org
Violation Tracker Global
Violation Tracker Global, produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First, is a wide-ranging database on misconduct by large corporations throughout the world.
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Athena Coalition @athenaforall.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Love seeing more journalists citing the great research from @goodjobsfirst.org on how much money states lose in the form of tax breaks for data centers.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 02/09/2026
The EEOC is shrinking enforcement of racial and gender identity workplace discrimination cases. The disregard for these cases contrasts with how the agency has long operated to promote equal opportunity, risking the loss of the agency’s core mission. goodjobsfirst.org/the-eeoc-fol...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 02/09/2026
When Pennsylvania’s sales tax exemption took effect in 2022, an analysis projected it would cost $88.6 million in fiscal year 2026-27. The latest estimate for the same year is now $188.4 million – an increase of 113%. And it'll keep climbing. goodjobsfirst.org/pennsylvania...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 19/08/2026
In Texas, once a data center is approved, the state gives the company five years to get operational. That means taxpayers turning over billions of dollars don't learn for years that companies are failing to produce even 20-40 jobs, as recent audit showed. goodjobsfirst.org/texas-data-c...
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Save Ohio Parks @saveohioparks.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Anduril: Two Ohio farmers twice gathered signatures to put local zoning changes to popular vote. Each time developers intervened and local officials blocked ballot measures. @tkbarnes.bsky.social @inkstickmedia.com bit.ly/44Q6p7D Is this happening with data centers? @signalohio.bsky.social
bit.ly
In Ohio, Who Really Gets a Say in Anduril Weapons Factories?
Residents of a small township in Ohio wanted a vote on a new Anduril weapons factory. Then the state changed the rules.
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UCLA Labor Center @uclalabor.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 05/08/2026
"A 2024 state audit estimated Dominion may spend $16 billion to $18 billion by 2040 on transmission tied to data centers. Under the current setup, residential customers would cover 55% of that total, compared with 26% for data centers." www.thecooldown.com/green-busine...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 05/08/2026
"Among other things, the city asked the team whether it would be willing to make a private financial contribution, cover any cost overruns, pay annual rent, and agree to labor, community benefits and good-neighbor agreements." The team refused to answer. katu.com/news/investi...
katu.com
Internal emails reveal Blazers debated responding to Portland's Moda Center questions
Internal emails obtained by KATU show Trail Blazers leaders debated whether to respond to the City of Portland's questions for commitments on private investment
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Revolving Door Project @revolvingdoordc.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
NEW: Trump’s coziness with AI oligarchs is a defining feature of his admin. But the AI companies reshaping our lives are also betting on the support of Democrats. We tracked close to 100 former Biden officials to their new jobs working in the AI industry:
therevolvingdoorproject.org
Tracking the Revolving Door Between AI and Former Biden Officials | Revolving Door Project
This tracker was last updated on August 3, 2026.  The artificial intelligence industry is rapidly reshaping every facet of life, from the popularity of chatbots and disruption of the workplace to the ...
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Keep Our NHS Public @keepournhspublic.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Our friends at @goodjobsfirst.org & @violationtrackeruk.bsky.social have uncovered that big tech & pharma giants with long records of misconduct are still winning major NHS contracts - and current legislation isn’t protecting the public. Read & share 👇 goodjobsfirst.org/nhs-procurem...
goodjobsfirst.org
Kickbacks, false claims and dangerous medication: NHS procurement needs a deep clean - Good Jobs First
The Procurement Act 2023 in theory allows public contracting bodies to exclude suppliers that have engaged in certain unlawful behaviour.
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Western Dane Democracy Project ❌👑 @danedemocracy.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Read more from @goodjobsfirst.org on how data center tax abatements result in millions and billions in lost revenue without much to add to the public good. goodjobsfirst.org/even-cloudie...
goodjobsfirst.org
Even Cloudier with a Greater Loss of Spending Control: How Data Center Tax Abatements Undermine Public Budgets - Good Jobs First
Mirroring the historic surge in data center investments, which are heavily tax-abated, state and local government revenue losses are spiking.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 30/07/2026
A new GAO report confirms a defining feature of the low-wage economy: Millions of people work yet still rely on Medicaid and SNAP to get by. The companies include Amazon, Walmart, Dollar Tree and other Big Biz, which have received billions in public subsidies. goodjobsfirst.org/corporate-su...
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 23/07/2026
"The number of Amazon workers relying on the federal programs for the poor nearly tripled between February 2020 and September 2025... Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Grubhub and Instacart collectively ranked among the top three employers with workers receiving aid." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
washingtonpost.com
Amazon, gig companies see spike in workers on SNAP and Medicaid, study shows
Amazon workers on federal aid nearly tripled between 2020 and 2025, while ride-hailing and food delivery app drivers shot up on lists compiled by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 23/07/2026
How data center lobbyists kept Virginia's lucrative sales tax intact, and their plans to keep the public money flowing, in @bloomberg.com news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-re...
news.bloombergtax.com
How Data Centers Preserved Their $2 Billion Virginia Tax Break
After months of legislative chaos, the industry saved a $2 billion sales tax break for data centers in Virginia by agreeing to a novel tax that could offer a possible road map to other states.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 08/07/2026
New peer-reviewed research finds NY school districts serving more students of color tend to bear heavier losses from tax breaks. Yet school districts have no power to say no to the deals giving away their revenue. More about this new research: goodjobsfirst.org/ida-tax-abat...
goodjobsfirst.org
IDA Tax Breaks Fall Hardest on New York School Districts Serving More Black, Latino, and Native American Students, New Research Finds - Good Jobs First
New research: New York public schools serving larger numbers of Black, Latino, and Native American students pay more in corporate tax breaks.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 08/07/2026
We sat down with IBEW Local 24's Rico Albacarys to discuss data center construction jobs, tax breaks, community benefits, and what a more accountable data center deal should look like. Read our 5-question interview: goodjobsfirst.org/data-center-...
goodjobsfirst.org
5 Questions with IBEW's Rico Albacarys: Data Center Subsidies and Union Jobs - Good Jobs First
Good Jobs First talks with IBEW's Rico Albacarys about what critics miss when they talk about those "temporary" data center jobs.
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Taylor Barnes @tkbarnes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Why does all this matter? Like I wrote up top... the whole premise of economic development "incentives" are that they "incentivize" a company to come to town. But according to the records and the American First Policy Institute, Anduril is still negotiating more well after setting up shop in Ohio
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Taylor Barnes @tkbarnes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Serious question re Anduril in Ohio: If the purpose of subsidies is to "incentivize" a company to set up shop, why are they finalized 1.5 years after it did so? "This deal + accompanying incentives are said to be finalized sometime in the summer of 2026" www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/from-...
americafirstpolicy.com
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Taylor Barnes @tkbarnes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
cc @goodjobsfirst.org, which has done great reporting on Anduril and its Ohio package of tax breaks/ grants/ subsidies in Ohio nearing a billion dollars and vaulting it to the category of "megadeals" subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org/megadeals
subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org
Subsidy Tracker
Subsidy Tracker, produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First, is a wide-ranging database on misconduct by large and small corporations throughout the United States.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 25/06/2026
The EEOC has historically enforced discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race and gender. But under the Trump Administration, it has shifted to a focus on enforcing anti-DEI practices and "anti-Christian bias." goodjobsfirst.org/a-new-era-at...
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Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 25/06/2026
New from @gaigedavila.bsky.social: Even before its first workplace death, SpaceX saw 427 injuries and 9 respiratory illnesses between 2022 and 2025. These injuries included concussions, burns, partial finger amputations, hernias, dislocations, crushed hands, and broken ribs, legs, and ankles.
texasobserver.org
Worker's Death at SpaceX Factory Followed Hundreds of Injuries in Recent Years
A 25-year-old died last month of “blunt force trauma due to a fall.” An Observer analysis found that the injury rate at "Starbase" was well above an industry national average.
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GA_Brownie @gabrownie.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Shot ⬆️ Chaser: ⬇️ Here's the parent company's penalty record summary and individual company penalties courtesy of @goodjobsfirst.org violation tracker:
violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org
space-exploration-technologies-spacex | Violation Tracker
Violation Tracker, produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First, is a wide-ranging database on misconduct by large and small corporations throughout the United States.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 17/06/2026
And stop by @goodjobsfirst.org's table to learn more about all our databases and work, including education and data centers. Say hi to @arlenemartinez.bsky.social, and meet our new Executive Director Allan Freyer! goodjobsfirst.org/dr-allan-fre...
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Dave Coulter @osage2024.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Thanks to @inthesetimes.com I just rec'd this in the mail & noticed my occupation on the cover. I finally feel seen! 🙏
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 12/06/2026
4 states now report losing $1 billion+ to data center tax breaks. Costs keep rising; 14 states still fail to disclose what these subsidies cost. Residents deserve to know what it's costing them to subsidize Big Tech *before* another deal is approved. ➡️ goodjobsfirst.org/even-cloudie...
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 10/06/2026
Tuesday's Most Read # 2 - Urban Development Without Subsidies Is Possible, and Cleveland Has a Chance to Prove It link.theoverheadwire.com/knv9t @goodjobsfirst.org
link.theoverheadwire.com
Urban Development without Subsidies is Possible - Good Jobs First
Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport site can be developed for public benefit without subsidies, Mayor Bibb says
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 05/06/2026
NY legislators passed a one-year data center moratorium. Now, it's on Gov. Hochul's desk. www.theverge.com/policy/94404...
theverge.com
New York lawmakers pass one-year ban on new data centers
It’s now up to Gov. Kathy Hochul to decide whether to sign it.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 04/06/2026
“We should incentivize other types of businesses, small, medium-sized businesses. You get a better return on that than incentivizing a data center,” Good Jobs First's Anthony Elmo told @san.com san.com/cc/inside-th...
san.com
Inside the new battleground in the clash over data centers: Tax breaks
Ohio suspended its tax breaks for data center development, and other states are considering proposals to follow suit.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 03/06/2026
When Meta, Amazon, Google, and other companies come into towns looking for a public handout, that money isn't free: it would have gone to public services, including schools. Over the next two years, Texas is expected to lose over $3 billion to data center tax breaks. www.ktsm.com/news/data-ce...
ktsm.com
Watchdog: Data centers can lead to less funding for local school districts
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — As new data centers expand across the Borderland region and nationwide, public concerns usually focus on the potential strain to local water and energy supplies. However, a …
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 03/06/2026
“Every dollar we subsidize a big tech company is a dollar we can’t put into public schools,” Good Jobs First's Anthony Elmo told @ktsmtv.bsky.social Over the next two years, Texas is expected to lose over $3 billion to data center tax breaks. www.ktsm.com/news/data-ce...
ktsm.com
Watchdog: Data centers can lead to less funding for local school districts
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — As new data centers expand across the Borderland region and nationwide, public concerns usually focus on the potential strain to local water and energy supplies. However, a …
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 02/06/2026
“Ultimately, it isn’t a good idea to allow a billionaire corporation to build and profit from a stadium without paying property taxes on it,” Good Jobs First's Kristan Wong Karinen told the @chicagotribune.com. There are no exceptions. www.yahoo.com/news/politic...
yahoo.com
Mayor Brandon Johnson sees opening in latest stadium proposal to keep Bears in Chicago
After Illinois lawmakers failed to pass legislation to help the Chicago Bears move to Arlington Heights, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed a new proposal as an opening to reconsider Chicago as th...
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John Farrell @johnffarrell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
A city taxing large retailers 1% to fund community solar, free AC for low-income households, and clean energy job training. Turns out when communities design the policy, they build things that actually help people. vist.ly/55wve via Monica Samayoa at WGLT
wglt.org
How one Oregon city has raised a billion dollars for climate change
The Portland Clean Energy Fund has raised a billion dollars for climate change action via a retail tax on large corporations in the city. Other cities are starting to shape similar funds.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 01/06/2026
At least for now, the owners of the Chicago Bears and other wealthy owners/developers have been blocked from getting the massive taxpayer subsidies they tried to score. chicago.suntimes.com/bears-stadiu...
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Critical Takes on Corporate Power @criticaltakes.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
New on Critical Takes: The Violation Tracker databases are valuable tools for anyone tracking bad behaviour by thousands of corporations around the world. Philip Mattera of @goodjobsfirst.org explains how they work. Read the Q&A here: criticaltakes.org/society-and-... 1/2
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Amanda Kass @akass.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
It is eye popping how wildly inaccurate estimates for data center tax breaks have been. Ohio thought its program would cost less than $150million, but it’s actually over $1billion
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 28/05/2026
Ohio is the newest member of the billion-dollar subsidy club, alongside Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. Shout-out to Signal Ohio for breaking the Ohio news, which led to the governor pausing *new* data center tax breaks. goodjobsfirst.org/ohio-data-ce...
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