In this April monthly newsletter, I reflect on why the oligarchs are eyeing the South, details for upcoming events, including a REAL ID town hall and a "Bless this Mess" end-of-session variety show.
I have lived in Tennessee 8 decades and graduated high school and law school in Memphis. I have visited all 95 counties in Tennessee at least once and I know that there are many poverty stricken areas in Tennessee, west, middle and east. Additionally, everyone in the country knows now that Musk has no interest in bringing high paying tech jobs to poverty areas any where. If he did, he would have never illegally shut down USAID which supplied surplus food grown in America to poor people all over the world, including parts of the USA.
So what is Musk's real interest in building a Supercomputer in Memphis or somewhere in West Tennessee? The geography of west Tennessee from the Mississippi R. east to Jackson and north to Dyersburg and Union City is flat, open farmland with few industrial facilities. Additionally and most importantly, west Tennessee is the home of the largest deep water aquifer east of the Mississippi River and possibly the nation. It stretches from just west of the Tennessee River to UNDER the Mississippi River into Arkansas, and lays under more than 300 ft. of thick clay overburden, with only a few areas more shallow. It has supplied all of west Tennessee cities, towns and farmers pure, clean drinking water for more than 100 years. The depth of the aquifer is speculated but not known exactly. Also, the area contains numerous surface streams and small rivers, all of which flow into the Mississippi R.
How many thousand gallons of water will a Supercomputer facility require daily? How many gallons of wastewater will be discharged daily into surface streams and what chemicals will that discharge contain? What kind of pretreatment will be required before discharge? Will TDEC be allowed to regulate the discharge of wastewater and air particulates without interference from our governor and republican supermajority in the state legislature; or will Musk call on his teddy bear buddy in the WH to make sure he gets permits pronto without public hearing and comment? Will Musk allow community involvement in decisions that will impact the community around the facility; maybe a stakeholder committee? Lots of questions about the chosen site for this Supercomputer.
Now, what about those "hundreds of jobs", Mr. Hooven? What kind of jobs? Do you really think we country boy Tennesseans are so naive to believe that Musk will hire local Tennesseans for high tech jobs or managerial jobs? NO! He will bring those jobs into Tennessee from other places, maybe his other companies and fill janitorial, truck drivers, dock workers, secretaries, receptionists, yard maintenance with local hires for minimum wage or less if he can. And what about black, brown, women and other non-white applicants? He will bid the construction of the facility out across the country and some local workers, skilled or unskilled, may be hired for a short term, or maybe not.
Elon Musk has no interest whatever in bringing employment to a poverty area in the west Tennessee Mississippi Delta. His interest is making money at the lowest costs possible because he, of course, doesn't have enough! And the natural and human resources the area offers are enticing.
I appreciate you information. I have a different view on Elon investing in Memphis. It’s funny if he built in another part of Tennessee he would be criticized for ignoring the west Tennessee poverty area. Now he is criticized for supplying hundreds of jobs?
Jobs trump all weal fair programs. Government programs seem to have no ending or cut back dates. It’s like cocaine, easy to get started, hard to stop.
In reply to David Hooven.
I have lived in Tennessee 8 decades and graduated high school and law school in Memphis. I have visited all 95 counties in Tennessee at least once and I know that there are many poverty stricken areas in Tennessee, west, middle and east. Additionally, everyone in the country knows now that Musk has no interest in bringing high paying tech jobs to poverty areas any where. If he did, he would have never illegally shut down USAID which supplied surplus food grown in America to poor people all over the world, including parts of the USA.
So what is Musk's real interest in building a Supercomputer in Memphis or somewhere in West Tennessee? The geography of west Tennessee from the Mississippi R. east to Jackson and north to Dyersburg and Union City is flat, open farmland with few industrial facilities. Additionally and most importantly, west Tennessee is the home of the largest deep water aquifer east of the Mississippi River and possibly the nation. It stretches from just west of the Tennessee River to UNDER the Mississippi River into Arkansas, and lays under more than 300 ft. of thick clay overburden, with only a few areas more shallow. It has supplied all of west Tennessee cities, towns and farmers pure, clean drinking water for more than 100 years. The depth of the aquifer is speculated but not known exactly. Also, the area contains numerous surface streams and small rivers, all of which flow into the Mississippi R.
How many thousand gallons of water will a Supercomputer facility require daily? How many gallons of wastewater will be discharged daily into surface streams and what chemicals will that discharge contain? What kind of pretreatment will be required before discharge? Will TDEC be allowed to regulate the discharge of wastewater and air particulates without interference from our governor and republican supermajority in the state legislature; or will Musk call on his teddy bear buddy in the WH to make sure he gets permits pronto without public hearing and comment? Will Musk allow community involvement in decisions that will impact the community around the facility; maybe a stakeholder committee? Lots of questions about the chosen site for this Supercomputer.
Now, what about those "hundreds of jobs", Mr. Hooven? What kind of jobs? Do you really think we country boy Tennesseans are so naive to believe that Musk will hire local Tennesseans for high tech jobs or managerial jobs? NO! He will bring those jobs into Tennessee from other places, maybe his other companies and fill janitorial, truck drivers, dock workers, secretaries, receptionists, yard maintenance with local hires for minimum wage or less if he can. And what about black, brown, women and other non-white applicants? He will bid the construction of the facility out across the country and some local workers, skilled or unskilled, may be hired for a short term, or maybe not.
Elon Musk has no interest whatever in bringing employment to a poverty area in the west Tennessee Mississippi Delta. His interest is making money at the lowest costs possible because he, of course, doesn't have enough! And the natural and human resources the area offers are enticing.
Joe McCaleb
short term, or maybe not.
You sure pack a lot of excellent information into your newsletter !!
Thanks for all you do!
I appreciate you information. I have a different view on Elon investing in Memphis. It’s funny if he built in another part of Tennessee he would be criticized for ignoring the west Tennessee poverty area. Now he is criticized for supplying hundreds of jobs?
Jobs trump all weal fair programs. Government programs seem to have no ending or cut back dates. It’s like cocaine, easy to get started, hard to stop.