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A proposed $2 billion data center<\/a> has become a political flashpoint in the small city of Shelbyville, Indiana. And the controversy has only grown more intense after the mayor, Scott Furgeson, was caught on camera<\/a> saying of the \u201cNo Data Center\u201d signs going up that, \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of these all over town, but I only see them in shitty houses,\u201d before adding, \u201cmost of them are rentals.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The woman speaking to him in the clip quickly pushes back, saying that they\u2019re \u201cworking class,\u201d and someone chimes in to add something that a mayor shouldn\u2019t have to be told about their constituents: \u201cit doesn\u2019t matter whether they\u2019re rentals, they\u2019re still human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Residents of Shelbyville are understandably taken<\/a> aback<\/a> by Furgeson\u2019s dismissive language used towards his constituents. Alexas Williams called the mayor\u2019s words \u201ckind of disrespectful\u201d and \u201ckind of hurtful\u201d when speaking to local NBC affiliate WTHR<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The mayor has declined to comment further, though a spokesperson for the mayor\u2019s office released a statement<\/a> saying that, \u201cThe mayor regrets that his choice of words may have caused offense.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n