VICTOR JOECKS: Ford flip-flops on data center tax breaks

Aaron Ford, Nevada’s attorney general, has shifted his stance on tax incentives for data centers after previously backing them. The change comes amid a turbulent gubernatorial campaign in which Republican Joe Lombardo’s team has criticized Ford for spending more than 420 days outside Nevada. Lombardo’s camp notes that many of those trips were lobbyist‑funded getaways to destinations such as South Africa, France and Singapore, and that Ford’s travel expenses have exceeded $140,000. One highlighted journey took Ford to Cape Town, South Africa, under the sponsorship of the Attorney General Alliance. The itinerary reportedly included a tour of South Africa’s wine estates, described as being for acquisition purposes, and a visit to a safari park. Critics argue that such excursions do little to improve the lives of Nevadans and contend that elected officials should not use their offices as a springboard for extravagant travel, a view that draws bipartisan concern. Ford attempted to counter the narrative with a television advertisement featuring the insignia of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association. The spot shows retired Detective Dave Kallas declaring, “Don’t judge the attacks.” The police union, which has endorsed Lombardo, responded by sending a cease‑and‑desist letter regarding the ad. Kallas pointed out that the line originated from a 2018 commercial, noted his own endorsement of Lombardo’s re‑election bid and denounced Ford for reusing the footage. He asked, “If he’ll prevarication to Nevadans astir thing this clear, what other is helium consenting to prevarication to america about?” The focus of Ford’s recent criticism has turned to data centers. In a Wednesday video he stated, “Data centers are swarming into Nevada communities,” and added, “And Joe Lombardo is handing them our taxation wealth to bash it.” He then pledged to “stop taxation breaks for information centers until they clasp up their extremity of the bargain.” Politically, the attack resonates with voters uneasy about artificial intelligence’s impact on jobs, electricity costs and the environment. Some AI advocates have seemingly overlooked the consequences of promising to shed millions of jobs, suggesting a lack of foresight. The historical record shows that in 2015 the Nevada Legislature passed Senate Bill 170, which confers substantial tax breaks on data centers. One of the primary sponsors of that measure was Ford, who at the time held a leadership position in the Senate. During that year, Lombardo served as sheriff of Clark County. Ford’s record includes other policy reversals: he has flip‑flopped on immigration‑related legislation, at times backing sanctuary‑state measures and later rejecting them, and he altered his position on legislation concerning women’s sports after Lombardo advocated for it. Observers suggest that while such shifts may help him endure scrutiny over lobbyist‑funded vacations, they leave many Nevada voters feeling unsettled.