Why? Data centers provide a small number of jobs and use enormous amounts of electricity. They gave Apple $46m to get 50 jobs that pay $50k a year. Do the math, Apple got essentially free labor for the next 18 years.

That's not quite correct. They didn't give Apple $46m. The $46m that they're "giving up" is money they would never have had otherwise. The town had 2 choices:

1) Don't give any tax break. Apple will likely go elsewhere, and the town doesn't get any additional tax revenue.

2) Give Apple a break on some fraction of their taxes, amounting to $46m. They will still get some tax revenue from Apple.

It's like saying a store is giving money when it puts a product on sale. The town is just lowering the price to sell more goods.

I wonder if all the small businesses in the city could get together and bluff the city: say then wanted the same deal as apple, or they will all close?

Don't these schemes seem illegal under the 14th amendment?

they also use a lot of water