The Launch D

The Power Was Never Missing—It Was Just Moved Earlier

The Lie That Keeps the Machine Running

You’ve heard it before.

“Your vote doesn’t matter.”
“It won’t change anything.”
“They’re going to do what they want anyway.”

That belief didn’t spread by accident.

It’s reinforced—over time, through systems that benefit when people disengage. Systems influenced by decision-makers, consultants, and industry voices that help shape how large-scale projects move forward—and how they’re communicated to the public.

Because when people believe they have no power, they stop asking questions.

And when people stop asking questions, decisions move faster, approvals get easier, and fewer obstacles stand in the way of large-scale deals.

That’s not coincidence.

That’s design.

How These Deals Actually Happen

Projects like data centers don’t just appear.

They move through systems—ones most people never see, and ones that have been shaped over time alongside the very industries that benefit from them.

It begins with agencies like the Missouri Department of Economic Development working with regional partners to identify and prepare land.

These are labeled:

• “certified sites”

• “industrial zones”

• “shovel-ready locations”

Which sounds like opportunity.

But what it often means is:

The groundwork is done before the public is meaningfully involved (Missouri Department of Economic Development [DED], n.d.).

From there, public-private partnerships align public resources with private companies. Incentives are structured. Infrastructure is planned. Zoning begins to shift.

How the Rules Got Written—A Real Example

This system didn’t happen overnight.

The expansion of data centers across the United States has been supported by years of policy changes at the state and local level, often shaped alongside the very companies building them.

Companies like Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft have worked within—and helped influence economic development frameworks across multiple states.

This has included:

• Tax exemptions on data center equipment and energy use

• Fast-tracked permitting processes

• Pre-certified industrial sites

• Utility agreements designed for high-volume users

For example, states like Virginia have offered broad tax incentives specifically for data centers, contributing to large-scale expansion (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission [JLARC], 2022).

Over time, those decisions became standard practice.

And once something becomes standard…

it stops being questioned.

Language vs. Reality

This is where influence becomes harder to see.

You’ll hear:

• “This is good for jobs”

• “This is necessary for growth”

• “This is how we’ve always done it”

But rarely:

• how few long-term jobs are created

• how much energy and water is required

• what long-term infrastructure strain looks like

• who carries the risk if systems are pushed too far

Data centers are associated with high energy demand and resource use (U.S. Department of Energy, 2023).

And when language goes unquestioned—

so do the decisions behind it.

Why Data Centers Are Different

Data centers are often framed as innovation.

But they come with tradeoffs:

• extremely high electricity consumption

• significant water usage for cooling

• limited permanent job creation

• increased pressure on local infrastructure

These impacts are well-documented in national and global research (International Energy Agency [IEA], 2023).

One Vote Can Stop It—But Only If It Makes It to the Ballot

A lot of people ask:

“Why can’t we just vote no on this?”

And the truth is—

You can.

But only after it’s forced onto a ballot.

Because in Missouri, projects like data centers are not automatically put to a public vote.

They move through:

• zoning decisions

• development agreements

• economic boards

Not ballots.

And when people believe their vote wouldn’t matter anyway, there’s even less pressure to change that system.

Because a system doesn’t have to block participation—

if it can convince people not to try.

What It Looks Like When People Actually Step In

Right now in Missouri, people are organizing.

Groups like the Missouri Rural Crisis Center are working with community members to increase awareness, encourage participation, and bring attention to the impact of large-scale development decisions.

This includes:

• community meetings

• public engagement

• legislative conversations

And for those who want to get involved, that can look like:

• attending local meetings

• connecting with organizations already doing this work

• participating in outreach or advocacy efforts

Not every detail of that work is public—and it shouldn’t be.

But one thing is clear:

Change happens when people step in early.

This Is Also Happening at the State Level

There is active discussion within the Missouri House of Representatives.

HB 3362 proposes oversight related to large-scale utility users, including data centers.

It has already been heard in committee.

Which means:

The outcome is still being shaped.

And that means people still have time to:

• contact their state representatives

• ask questions

• share concerns

How Something Actually Gets to a Ballot in Missouri

Missouri allows citizens to participate in lawmaking through initiative and referendum processes (Missouri Secretary of State, n.d.).

That means:

• citizens can propose measures

• citizens can challenge decisions

• and with enough support, issues can be placed on a ballot

But this requires:

• petitions

• signatures

• coordination

• and public engagement

Ballots don’t just happen.

They are built.

Before You Vote This Tuesday

If you are voting this week, pause for a moment.

Not to be told what to vote for—

But to think about what matters.

Ask yourself:

• Who benefits from the decisions being made?

• Who carries the long-term cost?

• Was the public meaningfully included—or informed late?

• Are you being given the full picture—or just the headline?

• Does this create short-term activity or long-term stability for the community?

Voting is powerful.

But informed voting is what actually creates change.

You Don’t Have to Be Part of an Organization to Have Power

Organizations matter.

But they are not the only path.

You can:

• attend a meeting

• ask a question

• request public records

• speak during public comment

• contact your local officials

• reach out to your state representatives

And sometimes that’s how it starts.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Pay attention to local agendas

• Show up to meetings

• Ask direct questions

• Follow legislation like HB 3362

• Contact your state representatives and senators

• Connect with organizations already doing this work

• Share what you learn

You don’t have to do everything.

But you do have to do something.

Because presence changes rooms.

Resources to Get Started

If you’re not sure where to begin, start here:

Find Your Representatives

• Missouri House: https://www.house.mo.gov

• Missouri Senate: https://www.senate.mo.gov

Understand Ballot & Petition Processes

• Missouri Secretary of State: https://www.sos.mo.gov

Get Involved with Community Organizations

• Missouri Rural Crisis Center: https://morural.org
  (Sign up for updates, events, and ways to get involved)

Find Local Government Meetings

• Search: “[your city] city council agenda”

• Check your local Planning & Zoning meeting schedule

The Truth Most People Aren’t Told

It’s not that your vote doesn’t matter.

It’s that:

By the time you’re asked to vote,
the outcome has already been shaped by those who showed up earlier.

Final Thought

No one is going to hand communities a ballot and ask:

“Do you want this here?”

That moment only exists if people create it.

And the idea that your voice doesn’t matter was never meant to reflect reality—

It was meant to keep things moving without resistance.

Because once people realize they were never powerless…

The system has to answer to them.

Closing

In solidarity,
Lyndsay LaBrier
Merchant Ship Collective
The Launch Dock

References

International Energy Agency. (2023). Data centres and data transmission networks. https://www.iea.org

Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. (2022). Data center incentives and economic impact in Virginia. https://jlarc.virginia.gov

Missouri Department of Economic Development. (n.d.). Certified sites program. https://ded.mo.gov

Missouri Secretary of State. (n.d.). Initiative and referendum process. https://www.sos.mo.gov

U.S. Department of Energy. (2023). Energy demand in data centers. https://www.energy.gov