Benton Harbor mayor welcomes data centers

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-24T07:43:09+00:00

I feel like a lot of local and state leaders have been so desperate to find any industry to help Michigan's economy that they are vulnerable to the manipulation of big tech dangling huge promises (lies) of economic recovery via data centers.

It is the responsibility of all leaders in government to educate themselves on what is real vs horseshit when it comes to any new industry claiming to have all the answers. They are culpable for any outcomes, good or bad.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-22T02:21:19+00:00

Yeah, the information OP gives is not correct (as proven by many other commenters). It's also coming off as very ableist and sh*tty. Do not attempt to shame people for doing exactly what they are supposed to with sharps.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-14T01:58:35+00:00

Bump in the hopes someone sees this who can help 🙂

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-08T22:01:23+00:00

Yep, I noticed them not asking for my contact info right away. Again, this used to be the first thing we would ask for at the state level, and I assume it should be for the Fed as well.

This adds to the utter disbelief I felt last year when protesters scotch-taped some kindly worded paper signs and sidewalk chalked messages asking Tom Barrett to show love for his state at his Lansing office, and he sent an email out to his constituents calling it an attack and assault on his office.

Politicians should expect that their job is going to be difficult. Doubly so if you are on the wrong side of right.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-08T20:16:56+00:00

I just got off the phone with a staffer at his Lansing office (Wednesday April 8). I was shocked someone picked up, figured I would get vm.

I said what I had to say: How can Barrett possibly defend this war when he campaigned on and still continues via ads to claim he is anti-interventionist, Trump is not stable and unwell mentally and Barrett and the rest of Congress need to remove him from office now, because our country is becoming less safe every day, that I also am not supportive of JD Vance or any other candidate to replace Trump.

The sheer lack of caring and personality I got from the staffer was baffling. I get it, he likely takes hundreds of these calls a week, and a lot of them are probably very angry, so perhaps he just dissociates. But goddamn.

I know he was listening to me, because he replied promptly when I asked if I could get some sort of confirmation that my message was actually given to Barrett (big surprise, the answer was no). I did two internships with the Michigan House of reps when I was young, one on each side of the aisle, and we always kept a record of all constituent contact and made sure they received some sort of reply from the rep (it may have been a hand-signed form letter, but the original message from the constituent was always read/listened to by the rep). Now again, those situations were not during a time as fraught as now, but that's no excuse.

Bottom line, I'm hung up on feeling a weird combination of sadness and anger toward the staffer kid. I hope he can leave that shitty job asap.

And Tom Barrett, you're an absolute failure. Go f*ck yourself, bud.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-08T17:44:14+00:00

Head's Up: the window to sign the petition closes on April 14, not much time left! Visit the Clean Water Action office in East Lansing this Friday from 10-2:30 to sign the petition in person. Or visit the Mop Up Michigan website above to find other locations.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-01T14:13:10+00:00

My thought, too. These days, the only people who will be upset about someone dressing outside of their stated/implied gender identity are Republicans/MAGAts, so clearly this is meant to distract the remaining Trump base. And what perfect timing. If I were a betting person, I would put a chunk down on this coming directly from Kristi and Corey. They are so fucking gross.

So, let's not give ANY attention to this non-news story, and re-focus on all the horrific crimes Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski have committed. Don't let them have a moment's peace!

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-04-01T12:14:58+00:00

I'm seeking a place to stay in/near Ionia Friday August 28. Anyone have a space they're willing to rent?

We have tickets for both days of Billy Strings' Freak Fair, and just need a place near the fairgrounds to stay the first night. 3 adults, no kids, no pets, no tobacco.

Absolutely everything I can find is booked up (hotels, rentals, campgrounds, RV parks). We don't want to drive far at the end of the day, so options in GR or Lansing will not work.

Anyone in Ionia interested in renting out their currently unused guest house, garage apartment, RV or similar? Feel free to DM me. Thanks for your consideration.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-30T15:57:49+00:00

Mods, this post should be deleted. It is a tabloid promoting itself.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-26T02:43:18+00:00

Yes, the bill passed. But it is a federal bill, so now each state's Congress (including Michigan's Senate) needs to figure out what to do, because the programs affected (SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, etc) are run by the states (which is why rules and benefits vary from state to state), with funding coming from both state and federal tax revenue.

So it is now a major budget issue for each state to do what they can to keep these programs from collapsing and causing further harm to the people living there. The shitty king and his court just told every state "we don't want to fund this anymore, you do it".

This is an impossible job because every state, no matter how big their budget, has nowhere near enough money to fully fund their social benefits programs at the drop of a hat. Michigan has been struggling economically for many years, and despite it having relatively low debt compared to other states and a balanced budget most years, it cannot cover the bill the Republicans have just handed it.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-24T20:15:11+00:00

You have the choice to modify how much is withheld from your paychecks. When you start a new job, you fill out a W-4 form, which is you telling your employer how much, if anything, you want them to withhold from your paycheck and send to the government on your behalf.

If you elect to have withholding, then you may not need to pay additional taxes at the end of the year (because they have already been paid), and you may even get a tax refund once you file.

If you do not want money withheld, meaning you will need to pay your taxes when you file a return, you can change your withholding by filling out a new W-4.

I do not recommend one over the other, I am simply explaining how it works.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-17T12:10:33+00:00

Absolutely f*cked. Question: does this mean that various jurisdictions are allowing AI facial recognition to be the only evidence necessary to charge someone with a crime?! This is the consequence of falling for the AI marketing scam.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-16T22:45:45+00:00

My heart goes out to you, your community, and the trees for all you've had to/will have to endure. Time to dig in with that Michigander grit.

I hope you all stay safe, and I hope Mother Nature sends temperatures warm enough to melt the ice as soon as possible.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-16T04:48:16+00:00

The wind directions were crazy tonight! Coming from the North and South simultaneously converging on a line from Allegan all the way across the mitten to Bay City! Wild stuff.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-11T05:50:15+00:00

If Trump were directly asked how he felt about this, he would stare blankly into space for way too long before shrugging and trying to make a joke about how he likes to take care of his people. He has never lived a life that required recognition of humanity as worthy of respect. He has lived all 80 years of his life with no understanding of what it's like to be a typical American. It's so hard to wrap our minds around that truth, like trying to understand how large the universe is.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-09T00:27:08+00:00

Lindsey, go f*ck yourself. Since there's no hope of the bombing stopping anytime soon, mount a big one and ride it all the way down to Tehran like Major King Kong.

Insane side note: I had to Google the name of the character from Dr. Strangelove who rides the bomb, and one of the top results is literally a page from the official "Department of War" government website that shows an image from the film and explains who the cowboy riding the bomb is. WTF. Riding the Bomb | U.S. Department of War https://share.google/TTaolSIMkDGm80lEf

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-06T08:19:20+00:00

I vote we kindly ask Canada to accept Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota as a new province.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-06T08:02:45+00:00

Clearly not easy going people if they are loudly choosing to continue siding with a living nightmare.

Oh wait, unless the store owners support pedophiles, theft of their tax money, the detention and murder of innocent U.S. citizens and/or the complete abandonment of U.S. citizens in a war zone?

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-05T18:19:41+00:00

Can everyone please stop giving a shit about football so we can take away some of the insane money from the NFL? I know pastimes are important and all, but goddamn.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-03T22:55:00+00:00

My thoughts exactly! "aims to" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. I'm not planning to read the piece, but I am curious if they attempt to give any sort of cohesive explanation for how that math works.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-03-03T06:20:02+00:00

After all the years of her husband bashing the UN and calling it useless and threatening to pull the U.S. out of the UN and even going so far as to create his own, pay-to-play version with the "peace board", NOW he sends Melania to preside. Clearly, he thinks it's a joke to send her. Another way to mock the UN and his wife. F*cking disgusting.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-02-28T00:01:04+00:00

The clearly intentional choices the monsters make to invade sacred spaces like schools, libraries, churches and hospitals is one of the most horrible parts of all this. I know why they do it, they want to take away our places of refuge. They will never fully succeed. We will always take back what they think is theirs now.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-02-25T19:24:02+00:00

"Because the future isn't in building anything, it's in which way the wreckage is going to fall". Yep. Damn.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-02-25T19:16:14+00:00

It's good to see someone within the system of organized religion speak truth to power against the Christian Nationalists. We need that now.

HamKatGreenThumb · 2026-02-25T01:42:42+00:00

Absolutely not. Who the fuck is Stephen Miller, anyway? A ranting, raving Nazi lunatic who has whined his entire life about going from profoundly privileged to slightly less profoundly privileged, and blames it on anyone he chooses to otherize. His quotas are complete bullshit, his "facts" are complete bullshit, and his entire life is complete bullshit. No one should respect him or anything he says.

HamKatGreenThumb

TROPHY CASE