Bettencourt's Agenda

I’m going to encourage everyone in our group to make Senator Bettencourt’s professional life 10% more interesting. Maybe 20% if we’re being ambitious.

You may recognize his name, you may not, Texas is a big state with a lot of politicians who need a firm talking to.

But Senator Bettencourt has been causing a fuss with the datacenters since early in the year. And he’s been on the wrong side of this issue since the beginning.

When Hood County considered a moratorium, he sent a letter and threatened to get the AG’s office involved.

As San Marcos just passed a ban, he took it upon himself, weighed in, and said he plans to challenge it personally. 

For the record - he’s not obligated to do this. This isn’t his district. Other legislators have disagreed with him. But he continues to push this pro-Datacenter agenda.

Just so you know - Republicans are traditionally big on property rights. Everyone’s property rights. As a conservative I think this is a major issue that needs to be addressed properly. But Bettencourt and a few others have been really obstinate on the issue of permeable borders - sound, light, toxic chemicals leeching into the ground, etc - these things don’t respect the boundaries of a property line. Ai Datacenters are more complicated than “a business”. Just like a strip club or a slaughterhouse - not everyone’s excited to live next door to one. We regulate them. And when such a large portion of a given population (like 7/10 Americans) say they don’t want one in their backyard, we have to consider that MAYBE the state can automatically assume a degree of property depreciation affiliated with these businesses. And giving businesses a green light where they don’t belong, leading to a mass depreciation of local properties, isn’t actually respecting property rights. It’s throwing the concept of property rights away altogether.

So why has Bettencourt been causing such a fuss?

Is it the $20,000 he got from PayPal co-founder and Ai investor, Luke Nosek? Or the $10,000+ from Energy and infrastructure pacs? He got $20,000 from Jim Smith - not a super uncommon name, but just maybe it’s the Jim Smith that is in Texas developing datacenters. He works at Smithco Developments. Who’s to say?

His "Transparency USA" page. 

Maybe it's related to his thriving Tax Advising Firm. 

Maybe Senator Bettencourt just likes attention. I think he’s earned it.

Please call his office: 512-463-0107

Send him an email: Paul.bettencourt@senate.tx.gov

Post on his Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/192bj6XMUz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Let him know he can weigh in more during a special session. We’d welcome his knowledge of the law in a session where the laws can be applied and changed for the current circumstances. If you’re from Hood County, San Marcos, or Houston - this is a task for you specifically. Your voice makes a difference in this conversation.