Protect Fauquier Member Responds to Town Council’s Claims of Citizen Support for Amazon Data Center
The following are Protect Fauquier member Cindy Burbank’s public comments to the Warrenton Town Council regarding select council members’ claim that “numerous” citizens supported the Amazon data center and the Warrenton Town Council’s vote to approve the special use permit for the construction of the facility:
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Throughout the past year, there was massive citizen opposition to the Amazon data center. We all know this.
Yet several Council members alleged that there were many citizens who supported the data center.
On February 21, after the Valentine’s Day vote, the Fauquier Times published a story which said “All the Council members who voted in favor of Amazon…. say they have received numerous emails, texts, notes, and cards saying “Thank you” for … voting yes.”
Protect Fauquier decided to do a Fact Check. We submitted FOIAs for the Town’s official “Citizen Comment” email box, and also for Jay Heroux’s emails, texts, notes, and cards.
Here are the results:
389 individuals wrote in opposition to Amazon. Also, over 2,000 citizens signed a petition against Amazon which was filed with the town – a total of over 2,389 opponents. This does not include the hundreds of citizens who spoke at hearings.
11 individuals favored Amazon. Eleven. There was no pro-Amazon petition. As for those who spoke in favor at hearings, I estimate there were 3. I guess I need to pump up that number after tonight, based on the 2 individuals who spoke tonight in favor of Amazon.
But still the final tally of those who went on the record, in writing: 2,389 against, 11 for.
Let’s visualize that for a moment. If a football score were 2,389 to 11, would you say that the loser scored “numerous” points?
If you were researching a product on the Amazon website, and 2,389 reviewers said the product was useless, while 11 said it was wonderful, would you say there were “numerous” positive reviews?
We do not believe this is over. And we will always remember the attempt to dismiss us, diminish us, and deceive us.
I present this tonight to set the record straight. Let it be known: there were not “NUMEROUS” citizens supporting Amazon. There was an avalanche of opposition.