Microsoft Faces Community Pressure Over Data Center Tax Deal

Faith leaders in South Bend are calling on Microsoft to share its tax savings with the community as it builds a new data center in Granger.

Last Thursday, members of We Make Indiana staged a press conference at Transpo's downtown transfer station and then rode the No. 5 bus across town to another press conference at Christ the King Church.

The group is protesting the fact that Microsoft will save hundreds of millions of dollars in sales taxes due to an exemption granted by the Indiana General Assembly.

We Make Indiana wants Microsoft to pay into a fund that will meet the community's growing social service needs. Ryan Juskus, a lay leader at Church of the Savior, said 'At the moment what we've had is county officials really kind of standing with Microsoft and saying that a couple grants to local nonprofits is going to be enough to kind of appease the community, whereas we see a whole lot more.'