One small town in Louisiana allowed Meta to build a data center. It agreed teachers would get a bonus from the increase in sales tax as the result of the center at the end of the year. Boy, did teachers ever get a bonus.
Amazing.
— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) August 20, 2026
A parish in Louisiana tied teacher bonuses to local sales taxes, so when Meta built a data center in the area, the teacher bonuses skyrocketed so much that they more than doubled their paychecks: pic.twitter.com/wR7xR9z5Rs
Source: https://t.co/RS2Hq2aCLQ
— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) August 20, 2026
A couple of weeks after schools let out for the summer in rural Richland Parish, La., teachers there got the biggest year-end bonuses they had ever seen.
The money was tied to a spike in sales tax revenue generated by an enormous Meta data center under construction near Rayville, the parish seat. This year, many teachers got a deposit of nearly $51,000 — more than most of them make in annual salary.
“It really feels like something that happens to people in movies,” said Lauren Yates, 32, who teaches first grade at an elementary school in Start, a small community just west of Rayville.
Data centers, many powering artificial intelligence, often come to underserved rural areas with promises of revitalization, a meeting of the superhot tech economy and the flagging agricultural sector. The Richland Parish windfall is one of the most striking examples.
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remember that when you read about XYX corporation getting a $60 million tax abatement for opening up in your county
— Matt Bramanti (@mattbramanti) August 21, 2026
and you think, "man, why shouldn't XYZ have to pay the same taxes I do"
this is why https://t.co/7EmLsvhspe
It's almost like companies employ people, stimulate business and do all kind of other things to create revenue for a community.
If data centers are to exist, they must work with and serve local communities.
— Jesse Hughes ✝️🇺🇸 (@JesseHughesNC) August 21, 2026
This is a great example of how that can work. https://t.co/SLuGxKNVKM
Can we please get creative with possibility instead of losing potential outside the box opportunity?
— Cat Parks (@CatParksTX) August 21, 2026
The US doesn’t need to lose opportunity to China. Texas doesn’t need to lose opportunity to other states. And rural Texas doesn’t need to lose opportunity to urban vultures. https://t.co/UceeZyV3Ea
If we don't get creative with ways to use this to enhance American communities then China will. It's not if, it's when.
Guess what?
— BladeoftheSun (@BladeoftheS) August 21, 2026
You get that once, then your Water and Power bills go up forever.
Soon you are back where you started, and then in more and more and more debt.
How nice. https://t.co/9MNGGh3uYv
That's also a possibility and why good legislation must also accompany any permitted data centers.
So, uh, hypothetically if you wanted to get paid to live near a data center, where would you move?
— Paul Bohm (@paulbohm) August 21, 2026
West Virginia?
— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) August 21, 2026
It's possible.
Aka the thing that capitalism always does (raise the standard of living for everyone) can continue to happen if we allow it
— Pariah The Doll (@DollPariah) August 21, 2026
Sounds like a plan.