06/11/2026
Your daily reminder that neither Democrats or Republicans care about what you want.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer caught on hot mic bragging to Oracle CEO Clay Magouyrk about how she ignores the people's concerns and does whatever she wants
“We’re used to people saying 'f*ck no,' and doing it anyway.”
Her comments came while she was at the event for the $16 billion “The Barn” AI data center campus (part of the OpenAI-Oracle Stargate project)
Local residents in he rural Washtenaw County township heavily opposed the Data center, however Whitmer and state officials ignored the will of the people and approved the project.
The Democrat governor stood with Magouyrk and other executives and celebrated.
Critics say this should outrage Michigan residents over Democrat's elite disregard for the everyday people they represent.
Details:
In September 2025, the Saline Township Board voted 4-1 to reject rezoning for the massive data center on agricultural land.
Residents packed meetings, citing heavy concerns over skyrocketing water and electricity use, increased traffic and noise, loss of prime farmland, and strain on local services in a quiet farming area.
The developer, Related Digital, sued the township just two days later, claiming “exclusionary zoning” because the township had no land zoned industrial.
Facing unaffordable legal costs, township officials settled in October 2025.
The deal let the project move forward in exchange for about $14 million in promised community funds, farmland preservation pledges, and some environmental limits.
Construction started anyway.
By the June groundbreaking - with Sam Altman of OpenAI, Clay Magouyrk of Oracle Whitmer, and others on hand—the locals’ “f*ck no” had been ignored.
Project:
♦️$16 billion initial cost for a campus on over 250 acres, with buildings totaling around 2.2 million square feet.
♦️It’s pitched as the largest single economic investment in Michigan history.
♦️Up to 1.4-1.65 gigawatts of electricity will be used, with a closed-loop cooling system claimed to use less water than the farmland it replaced.
♦️Critics say grid strain and overall energy demands will still hit ratepayers.
♦️The promised to provide more than 2,500 union construction jobs, 450 permanent on-site roles, and another 1,500 indirect in the county.
♦️Skeptics note data centers are automated and many ♦️construction crews come from out of state.
♦️Officials claim 2,000 times more tax revenue than farmland, with Saline Township getting about $1.6 million a year (after abatements), plus funds for schools and fire services.
♦️The settlement included a 50% property tax break for 12 years.
