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Post by aj2hall on Mar 5, 2023 16:19:13 GMT
We were recently in Disney World, this was all over the local news. Admittedly, my perspective on this is colored by my hatred of DeSantis' fascist, authoritarian tendencies. This is a new ultra MAGA party where not even corporations are safe from the far right. www.npr.org/2023/02/28/1160018771/disney-world-desantis-special-district"The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end," DeSantis said during a news conference announcing the move on Monday. "There's a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day."
The heart of the bill is the appointment of a five-person state board to oversee municipal services, such as fire protection and road maintenance, where Disney World operates.
DeSantis' opinion in the WSJ www.wsj.com/articles/why-i-stood-up-to-disney-florida-woke-corporatism-seaworld-universal-esg-parents-choice-education-defa2506The regrettable upshot of the woke ascendancy is that publicly traded corporations have become combatants in battles over American politics and culture, almost invariably siding with leftist causes. It is unthinkable that large companies would side with conservative Americans on the Second Amendment, the right to life, election integrity or religious liberty.
In this environment, old-guard corporate Republicanism isn’t up to the task at hand. For decades, GOP elected officials have campaigned on free-market principles but governed as corporatists—supporting subsidies, tax breaks and legislative carve-outs to confer special benefits on entrenched corporate interests. But policies that benefit corporate America don’t necessarily serve the interests of America’s people and economy.
When corporations try to use their economic power to advance a woke agenda, they become political, and not merely economic, actors. In such an environment, reflexively deferring to big business effectively surrenders the political battlefield to the militant left. Having private companies wield de facto public power isn’t in the best interests of most Americans.“Woke ideology is a form of cultural Marxism. Leaders must stand up and fight back when big corporations make the mistake, as Disney did, of using their economic might to advance a political agenda. We are making Florida the state where the economy flourishes because we are the state where woke goes to die.”
In other words, we supported corporations until they spoke out against our voting restrictions, fascist, censorship, discriminatory laws, pro Christian nationalism etc |
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Bridget in MD
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Post by Bridget in MD on Mar 5, 2023 16:32:59 GMT
I have sort of followed this, and honestly do not really understand, bc it sounds like Disney basically said, ok go for it, dissolve the Reedy Creek District, but really, FL will have to pay for the 1 billion dollar Disney debt. I also saw Disney was scouting for proptery in TX, which honestly, isn't that basically one awful location swapped for another awful location?
I have seen Disney people claim that FL/DeSantis will be the ones "punished" and that the CEO that recently took back over the park is 3 steps ahead which is why he is not fighting this.
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Post by aj2hall on Mar 5, 2023 16:40:58 GMT
It's my understanding that the FL legislature took a step back and didn't completely dissolve the district. Disney still owns the debt but now there's an oversight board with 5 members appointed by DeSantis that will oversee development. The 5 members are all loyal to him, some have given big donations but none are really qualified to oversee development. Before this went into effect, Disney green lighted projects for the next 10 years.
I'm not sure why Disney is not fighting this.
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Post by alsomsknit on Mar 5, 2023 17:59:57 GMT
I would like to see Disney close shop, breakdown or tear down everything, and move what is moveable to a more liberal state. Let’s see how DeS likes to lose all the tourist and Disney dollars.
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casii
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Post by casii on Mar 5, 2023 18:08:46 GMT
As much as I'd love to see Disney pull up stakes in FL, they would need an alternative location that meets a whole host of criteria few areas can meet. Year round weather suited for the parks for one. Proximity to major airports. Significant land for growth.
Disney really should be fighting this and I'm not sure why they're not. Maybe it's time to start paying attention to some shareholder meetings. They also have 1000's of property owners under the vacation club owners to consider.
I can only hope they have a plan because the new board members will act only in the best interests of Desantis. They have no experience in leading a rural development HOA much less a Disney sized development.
Disney did not use their might to advance a political agenda, but Desantis is weilding his political agenda like a hammer.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 5, 2023 18:26:57 GMT
DeSantis picked real gems.. DeSantis is a winner, not. More like whiner... A man appointed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Disney oversight board has a history of making anti-LGBTQ comments, including a claim that tap water could be turning people gay, CNN reported. Ron Peri, an Orlando-based former pastor and the CEO of a Christian ministry, is one of five people who will oversee the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the government body that has given Disney unique powers in Central Florida for more than half a century, according to CNN. In a January 2022 Zoom call, Ron Peri asked, “So why are there homosexuals today?" www.rawstory.com/desantis-2659498268/BTW: There have been homosexuals forever!! Humans, including royals and animals! Men in drag for centuries on stage, in theaters. |
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Post by 5peanutsnana on Mar 5, 2023 18:33:16 GMT
I will never understand how DeSantis went from getting married at WDW to waging a war against them. I have zero interest in spending time or money in FL.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 5, 2023 18:36:38 GMT
Disney will now have to pay for fire services, garbage etc. I guess whatever fees to the district or counties charge. Not sure that the fire dept will be dedicated to serve Disney first.. that could become a safety issue for the park.
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Post by aj2hall on Mar 5, 2023 18:52:39 GMT
I will never understand how DeSantis went from getting married at WDW to waging a war against them. I have zero interest in spending time or money in FL. political ambition & political calculation. Even though he hasn't officially announced, he's running for president and hopes going after Disney will score points with the base |
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Post by aj2hall on Mar 5, 2023 18:55:36 GMT
DeSantis picked real gems.. DeSantis is a winner, not. More like whiner... A man appointed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Disney oversight board has a history of making anti-LGBTQ comments, including a claim that tap water could be turning people gay, CNN reported. Ron Peri, an Orlando-based former pastor and the CEO of a Christian ministry, is one of five people who will oversee the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the government body that has given Disney unique powers in Central Florida for more than half a century, according to CNN. In a January 2022 Zoom call, Ron Peri asked, “So why are there homosexuals today?" www.rawstory.com/desantis-2659498268/BTW: There have been homosexuals forever!! Humans, including royals and animals! Men in drag for centuries on stage, in theaters. None of them are qualified to be on a development board. They are all political appointees including a woman from Moms of Liberty. From the npr article The members include Martin Garcia, whose private investment firm regularly donates to Republican candidates, Michael Sasso, a local elections lawyer, and Bridget Ziegler, a conservative school board member and wife of the Florida Republican Party chairman. |
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Post by aj2hall on Mar 5, 2023 19:00:14 GMT
Disney will now have to pay for fire services, garbage etc. I guess whatever fees to the district or counties charge. Not sure that the fire dept will be dedicated to serve Disney first.. that could become a safety issue for the park. I think Disney currently pays for those services and will continue to pay for them. It's my understanding that the new board will have oversight of new development only. Disney also pays taxes, contrary to DeSantis's claims. |
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Post by Lurkingpea on Mar 5, 2023 19:06:33 GMT
Disney will now have to pay for fire services, garbage etc. I guess whatever fees to the district or counties charge. Not sure that the fire dept will be dedicated to serve Disney first.. that could become a safety issue for the park. But Florida is now going to have to fund those departments. I believe Disney funds them now. I am almost positive they paid for the infrastructure and maintain it. It is apparently a huge amount of land. Now I think the state will be paying for road maintenance and fire department. Disney will now pay taxes. But will that offset the cost Florida will now have? Doubtful. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 5, 2023 19:10:48 GMT
Disney will now have to pay for fire services, garbage etc. I guess whatever fees to the district or counties charge. Not sure that the fire dept will be dedicated to serve Disney first.. that could become a safety issue for the park. But Florida is now going to have to fund those departments. I believe Disney funds them now. I am almost positive they paid for the infrastructure and maintain it. It is apparently a huge amount of land. Now I think the state will be paying for road maintenance and fire department. Disney will now pay taxes. But will that offset the cost Florida will now have? Doubtful. I've lost track of of the division of costs.. DeSantis has said all along that HE would make. Disney pay the billion dollar bill plus . |
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Post by Lurkingpea on Mar 5, 2023 19:24:19 GMT
But Florida is now going to have to fund those departments. I believe Disney funds them now. I am almost positive they paid for the infrastructure and maintain it. It is apparently a huge amount of land. Now I think the state will be paying for road maintenance and fire department. Disney will now pay taxes. But will that offset the cost Florida will now have? Doubtful. I've lost track of of the division of costs.. DeSantis has said all along that HE would make. Disney pay the billion dollar bill plus . Like Trump had Mexico pay for the wall. I recently read an article that said no studies had been done on what costs would result. |
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Post by aj2hall on Mar 5, 2023 22:29:45 GMT
The Republican Legislature threatened to pull Disney's special tax status but pulled back and fell short of that. My understanding is that the bill changed the name of the district and gave DeSantis control of who to appoint to the board. It's still unclear to me why Disney isn't fighting back. www.nytimes.com/article/disney-florida-desantis.htmlThe Legislature allowed Mr. DeSantis to take away Disney’s special status in 2022 until it realized that the abolishment of the district — set for June 1, 2023 — would require taxpayers in Orange and Osceola Counties to pick up the tab for Disney World services like fire protection, policing and road maintenance.
The district also carried roughly $1 billion in debt. If the district had been abolished, that debt would have been transferred to the counties.
Looking to avoid the implications of abolishing the district, the Florida Legislature held a special session this month, during which state lawmakers decided to allow Disney to keep the special tax district and other perks, including the ability to issue tax-exempt bonds.
But Disney, which employs roughly 80,000 people, will no longer be able to appoint the members of the tax district’s board. Mr. DeSantis will now get to do that.
How has Disney responded to losing its control of the board?
After the Legislature voted to take away Disney’s control of the board, Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement that Disney was “ready to work within this new framework.”
“We will continue to innovate, inspire and bring joy to the millions of guests who come to Florida to visit Walt Disney World each year,” Mr. Vahle said.
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Post by hop2 on Mar 6, 2023 0:31:36 GMT
I actually agree that the corporation of Disney, who stands to make or loose money on every square foot, should not be the sole arbiter of wether or not they are adhering to fire safety codes and building codes. They never should have been.
HOWEVER, I doubt a 5 person panel of political appointees would do any better. Will they have the proper certifications & licenses to oversee the review of plans & granting of permits? Will they have the appropriate staff to perform ongoing follow up inspections? At the very least, while Disney owns the ‘municipality’? they exist in & build in, Reedy Creek has had properly licensed officials & professionals on staff. While the possibility of conflict of interest existed for Reedy Creek, a 5 person possibly unqualified group beholden to someone who wants to make Disney pay will definitely have a conflict of interest.
There should always have been an independent fire official, an independent building official and zoning official to oversee permits on those properties. Safety needs to be the priority not making money from every square foot but also not making the corporation ‘pay’ by throwing roadblocks in their way.
But that doesn’t make DeSantis any less of an ass.
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Post by mollycoddle on Mar 6, 2023 1:02:02 GMT
I will never understand how DeSantis went from getting married at WDW to waging a war against them. I have zero interest in spending time or money in FL. political ambition & political calculation. Even though he hasn't officially announced, he's running for president and hopes going after Disney will score points with the base Yup. This is red meat for his base. He wants to be the new and improved Trump. But I doubt that he will be able to pull it off when Trump really starts attacking him and his family. It’s the one area where Trump excels. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2023 5:38:36 GMT
Is it possible Disney sees DeSantis as a temporary problem and will no doubt be moved on at some point....either by his own political ambitions or through power that Disney wields in some way.
If they see him moving on at some point, maybe they are just biding time until DeSantis moves on and the next guy gets 'persuaded' to undo what DeSantis did?
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Post by zuke on Mar 6, 2023 11:52:01 GMT
Disney will now have to pay for fire services, garbage etc. I guess whatever fees to the district or counties charge. Not sure that the fire dept will be dedicated to serve Disney first.. that could become a safety issue for the park. I think Disney currently pays for those services and will continue to pay for them. It's my understanding that the new board will have oversight of new development only. Disney also pays taxes, contrary to DeSantis's claims. |
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Post by zuke on Mar 6, 2023 11:55:27 GMT
It's still unclear to me why Disney isn't fighting back. Just my opinion but I think Disney is keeping quiet about the next step. Why give DeSantis a heads up? I think time will tell... I HOPE! |
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Bridget in MD
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Post by Bridget in MD on Mar 6, 2023 12:22:45 GMT
It's still unclear to me why Disney isn't fighting back. Just my opinion but I think Disney is keeping quiet about the next step. Why give DeSantis a heads up? I think time will tell... I HOPE! my sources on TT and IG  claim the CEO is brilliant and has a plan. I sure hope so. |
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casii
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Post by casii on Mar 6, 2023 12:59:36 GMT
Just my opinion but I think Disney is keeping quiet about the next step. Why give DeSantis a heads up? I think time will tell... I HOPE! my sources on TT and IG claim the CEO is brilliant and has a plan. I sure hope so. He is brilliant but I think his focus is to reset the company after Chapek was ousted. Maybe he's got a strategy or a team working on one. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 6, 2023 15:15:52 GMT
Is it possible Disney sees DeSantis as a temporary problem and will no doubt be moved on at some point....either by his own political ambitions or through power that Disney wields in some way. If they see him moving on at some point, maybe they are just biding time until DeSantis moves on and the next guy gets 'persuaded' to undo what DeSantis did? This is what I’m thinking too. DeSatan is too power hungry to stay where he is, and I’m hoping that his presidential bid will be crushed just like Trump’s was by an overwhelming majority of people who understand what is truly at stake. |
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peppermintpatty
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Post by peppermintpatty on Mar 6, 2023 15:35:42 GMT
Someone needs to take a "woke" stick and shove it right up his ass.
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tracylynn
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Post by tracylynn on Mar 6, 2023 17:57:52 GMT
I think Disney is keeping quiet because in the long run this doesn't really hurt them. Plus, they sneaky and have a plan! Desantis is an idiot who can't think into the future more than what can get him cheers from his base in that moment.
This will end up costing the Florida tax payers in the end. Those that are cheering it are just not smart enough to understand that.
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Post by papersilly on Mar 6, 2023 18:37:42 GMT
I'm not sure why Disney is not fighting this. i have no doubt Disney is fighting this....just very very quietly. for PR sake, i'm sure they don't want a very public showdown. also, they are heavily invested in the area and picking up and leaving is not as easy as it is for a 30-person company. it's hard to believe that someone in an elected high office would allow for over 50,000 employees to lose their jobs without that affecting them on election day (let's not forget they have voting family members too and surrounding affected business who are voters too). plus, disney probably figures they can outlast ron desantis and will jut bide their time until a more disney friendly/tolerant person takes his place. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Mar 6, 2023 19:41:27 GMT
It looks like even if he doesn’t win the bid to run for president he can’t run again in the next election for governor unless he changes the rules. You can only serve two consecutive terms. Still that’s a long time to have to deal with him. I think they are smart to keep silent at this point.
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Post by aj2hall on Mar 6, 2023 20:58:58 GMT
It looks like even if he doesn’t win the bid to run for president he can’t run again in the next election for governor unless he changes the rules. You can only serve two consecutive terms. Still that’s a long time to have to deal with him. I think they are smart to keep silent at this point. Given DeSantis' authoritarian/ fascist tendencies and a super majority, changing the rules seems like a very real possibility. Lots of good points. Disney may very likely be playing the waiting game and just biding their time, waiting for the players to change. Or quietly working behind the scenes and not showing their cards. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Mar 6, 2023 23:25:07 GMT
So, it's not ok for corporations to take a stance on issues if they take the "side" of the "woke" but it is ok for government to give them consequences for that? How would he be acting if it was the other way around...if let's say, a democratic governor would be doing to a company that takes the "deplorable" stance by treating the company the way he is treating Disney? Something tells me he wouldn't be ok with that.
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Post by aj2hall on Mar 6, 2023 23:57:01 GMT
I know. It's a lot like Mitch McConnell who was fine with taking donations from big corporations, fine with the Citizens United Supreme Court decision that allowed companies to donate without restriction. But, as soon as companies spoke out against Republicans and voter suppression bills, Georgia in particular, Mitch thought companies should stay quiet.
DeSantis was fine taking money from Disney for his campaign but he expected them to stay quiet and not criticize him.
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claim the CEO is brilliant and has a plan. I sure hope so.
