District Round-up 03.29.26
Dear Neighbor, Thank you for reading my District Round-up. As your candidate for Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District, it is my honor and pleasure to deliver to you where I’ve been and what issues I’ve tackled in the past week. Criss-crossing the counties of Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Cumberland, and Somerset gives me great opportunities to meet with voters, hear what is on your hearts and minds, and the chance to voice my fight for Everyday Americans. If you would like to contribute to my campaign, please donate here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/beth-farnham-for-congress-1
NO KINGS 3, AN AMAZING SUCCESS!
Many thanks to All Who Participated in #NoKings yesterday.
From Mifflintown to Lewistown to Altoona to Johnstown, I witnessed firsthand your defense of Democracy. And in Gettysburg and Chambersburg, you also showed up in force for our Constitutional Rule of Law.
I could not be more proud to fight for the soul of our nation with you.
Special thanks to the Adams, Franklin, and Mifflin Democratic Committees, Spencer McLoughlin, NO KINGS Johnstown, and Indivisible Blair County for hosting the events. Johnstown even honored me with my own parking spot!
Below is my speech in Altoona.
*”voted for” the Save America Act.
Together, we #ChooseDemocracy!
It’s Springing Up Signs!
Spring has Sprung and so have yard sigs.
Many thanks to Team Beth Farnham for Congress who assembled signs last Saturday! Pictured are Team Members: Maribeth Fish, Sandra Hartzell, and Brian Ecker, and bonus volunteers Shannon Jackson, Deb Martinez, and Laura Anderson. Because of their efforts, I was able to deliver over 75 signs around the district as I participated in events. And this week I ordered 1000 signs that have a new design!
Together, we #ChooseDemocracy !
Americans suffer, Enemies plunder, under Trump
In a variety of ways, Trump’s incompetence from his emotional tariff-by-tweet policy to his illegally-declared war in Iran to his lifting of Iranian sanctions, is costing Americans at home while our identified “enemies” of Russia and Iran are making out like bandits.
For Americans, the cost of gas, groceries, fertilizer, and energy have increased substantially, especially with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, the weapons used in Iran are costing hundreds of millions, if not billions, per day. These will cost Americans more tax dollars or reduced food assistance, healthcare, and other benefits in the near future.
Meanwhile, to ease the price of gasoline, Trump lifted sanctions against Iran (the very country he choose to create a war against!) leading to them receiving $14Billion.
And with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Russia becomes the main supplier of fertilizer, creating a booming economy in this area for them.
Check out the corresponding articles:
https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/us-affordability-crisis-inflation-trump-economy-inequality/
“Farmers were already contending with high costs and plummeting sales thanks to Trump’s unprovoked trade war with China. Now that he’s instigated an actual war with Iran, prices for fuel and fertilizer are sharply rising, too, with the potential to set off a cascade of inflation that spreads from the cost of feed to prices at the butcher counter. Gas, which averaged $2.90 per gallon in February, swelled to $3.70 four weeks later—the second-largest monthly jump in 30 years.”
https://www.facebook.com/MarkRWarner
https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2026/03/russia-new-fertilizer-export
No AI Data Centers in Franklin County!
On Thursday, I attended the Franklin County Farm Bureau meeting, where Tom Beresnyak of the Penn State Extension presented on AI data centers. This was an opportunity for our farmers to understand the impact of AI data centers should they sell their farmland for this purpose.
My takeaway?
AI data centers definitely don’t belong in Franklin County.
It’s not that I don’t believe in the application of AI, but it should be very strategic in its implementation.
Unfortunately, lately, it has been used for propaganda. Indeed, the first example of AI generated content that Mr. Beresnyak shared was a video of an acquaintance driving a racecar. Honestly, if he hadn’t announced that it was AI generated, I would have believed the video to be real. And therein lies the danger. AI content should never be mistaken for actual human created content.
And though I can’t deny the “gee whiz” factor of it all I feel strongly that students especially don’t need it so much either.
Beresnyak did attempt to justify it through slides on some real and hypothetical help that federal and state departments of agriculture posited it could provide, but then he shifted his presentation to justifying data centers in general. Yes, we need data centers for storing financial and medical information, streaming videos and posting on Facebook, but those are, ahem, HUMAN GENERATED CONTENT. Real filmmakers have messages they want to impart to audiences. Real people want to connect with other real people through social media. Justifying data centers still doesn’t justify AI DATA CENTERS.
Further into the presentation, he spoke about power and water usage. I learned that a lot of AI data centers want to build near the infrastructure of natural gas because of its capacity. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Franklin County is not located within the natural gas basin, and therefore we would have to rely on nuclear power to generate the consistent power AI data centers need.
Many arguments are made against AI data centers for their water usage, but this was parsed very well in the presentation. If the AI data centers use wet cooling, that is the evaporative water, then, yes, too much water is used by the data centers, but if they used dry cooling or closed loop, think a radiator, then the draw upon the water is not as great, so there may be less draw upon water resources in the future as they perfect the closed loop systems.
However, whatever points he gained through the possibility of water mitigation, he quickly forfeited. Tom presented the creation of jobs – that high skilled labor was needed, especially plumbers or Tech Engineers – but then he joked that AI data centers are built with fake Windows because there really isn’t anyone in them.
In other words , he validated what I heard AI data centers provide – construction jobs, but not truly permanent jobs. So, that’s a real concern for the long-term investment in the community.
Lastly, he didn’t seem to know how much space, power, and water Penn State’s own AI system, Tilva, uses though he made a point to sing its virtues. He’ll get back to us on that.
All in all, it was an interesting exercise to see how those steeped in the dreams of Elon Musk sell them to others and I was grateful to attend.
Together, we #ChooseDemocracy !
Charity of the Week!
Please donate, if you can, to the Chambersburg Engagement Center (CEC)!
Streamlining student registration, access to healthcare resources, and support services like language support and social service support, including assisting 300 homeless students, the CEC works to equip students with essentials so they can apply their full potential to studies and extra-curricular activities. For more information, visit their webpage: https://www.casdonline.org/departments/esl-education/chambersburg-engagement-center-downtown
Comparing and Contrasting Votes on Legislation
Check out how Joyce recently voted, how I would have voted in comparison, and why!
If you’re like me, you love this country as much as I do and work to make a positive difference. In the midst of this Constitutional Crisis, please consider reaching out to your local Democratic committees or Democratic candidates so that we can strengthen our Democracy instead of letting it slide into fascism.
We don’t just #ChooseDemocracy, we choose Pennsylvania, we choose The United States of America, we choose Humanity and I am deeply glad to work along side you.
Sincerely,
Beth
