Contact Jen at jfifield@votebeat.org. The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would dissolve Walt Disney World's private government. The media firestorm over Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent paper linking vaccines and autism boosted VAERS reporting rates for the MMR vaccine. I also worked in Australia (although I didnt live there), and the process of getting that work-permit, just like with Germany, also took a couple of months. Ron DeSantis speaks, Feb. 15, 2023, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla. Gov. 0000040582 00000 n Disney, which employs more than 75,000 people in Florida, has said it will not fight the reforms. Florida's governor seized control of Walt Disney World's self-governing district on Monday, hailing the end of the "corporate kingdom" as he effectively punished the entertainment giant over its "woke" opposition to his political agenda. "There's a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day." CNN reported that the president of Walt Disney World Resort, Jeff Vahle, said in a statement that the Disney company is "ready to work within this new framework, and we will continue to . He said he believes its important to point out the historical perspective that numerous counties have made the decision to transfer duties to the recorder in the past. Amazon | Press Room | Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that gives him new power over Disney, effectively punishing the entertainment giant for speaking out . DeSantis also discussed how there is a desire to make Disney what Walt always envisioned. pic.twitter.com/st0OEDeBaA, Anika Hope (@AnikaHopeTV) February 27, 2023. Before the new bill was introduced, it hadnt been clear what the logistics of getting rid of Reedy Creek would actually be, however, particularly after concerns were raised over the tax burden it could cause. He is expected to utilize the coming regular legislative session, which begins next week, to bolster his conservative agenda before he announces his candidacy for president. | Why should Disney be the only theme park getting special treatment? The Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has signed a bill that wrests control of Walt Disney Worlds self-governing district, in a move seen as punishing the company for its opposition to his so-called dont say gay law. If you are aware of legal authority for the draft Agreement, please promptly provide it to us, Solicitor General Joshua Bendor wrote. But the county more specifically noted that the supervisors technically retained their responsibilities for elections under state law, even if the recorder was running them. The park opened to the public in 1971. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida Gov. These were tough jobs, but in both cases provided people who just had a high school education with a solid entry card into the American Dream. Disney owns construction companies, luxury cruises, hotels, theme parks, music producers, libraries, digital marketing companies, web streaming services, photography companies, video game studios, television and radio stations, magazines and book publishers, financial and real-estate firms, and more. The district had operated largely without controversy until last year when Florida enacted the Dont Say Gay law, which broadly restricts the discussion of LGBTQ topics in schools. The end of Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District has finally arrived.. EPCOT. It says that he will have the ability to appoint the permanent elections director. Media and internet exposure also drive VAERS reporting. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images. The investigation was closed after the tipster clammed up. The creation of the self-governing district was instrumental in Disney's decision to build near Orlando in the 1960s. The system is working just the way Reagan envisioned it. 0000002523 00000 n You can see the full press conference below. Orlando International Airport receives grant for airport expansion. Here are the details. As it previously stood, Reedy Creek is independent from Disney, but the company wields large power over its board, which is elected by the districts landowners: Disney, which owns two thirds of the districts land, and a small number of local residents and affiliates who the company has hand-picked to reside there, according to the Orlando Sentinel. According to Mr. Fogelsong, when Mr. Disney saw from the airplane a parcel of land near the intersection of two highways about 12 miles southwest of Orlando, he said, 'Thats it, thats where we go.'. Meaning the new board could control what new areas of WDW are developed and what Disney wants to do with it? But thats it.). Allowing a corporation to control its own government is bad policy, especially when the corporation makes decisions that impact an entire region, he said. Walt Disney World is governed by the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which functions like a county government and takes care of things like roads, construction permits, fire services, building codes, water and waste collection, among other infrastructure concerns. The move will require Disney and the nearby counties to come up with an alternative arrangement for governing and taxing Disney World. standards and applicable government regulations. trailer <]/Prev 89027>> startxref 0 %%EOF 77 0 obj <>stream State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D), who represents the area around Walt Disney World, told Fox 35 after the bill was introduced she believes the legislation is a complete power grab by DeSantis to award his friends these positions of authority, which can then lead to contracts being pushed toward his friends as well. Eskamani introduced an amendment to the bill that would rename the district Florida's Attempt to Silence Critical and Independent Speech and Thought (FASCIST), which did not pass. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that gives him control of Walt Disney Worlds self-governing district, punishing the company over its opposition to the so-called Dont Say Gay law. DeSantis dealt another blow to Walt Disney World's autonomy by signing a bill on Monday to take control of the company's development board. The signing came as DeSantis gears up for an expected presidential run and marks a high-profile legislative victory for a governor whose leveraging of cultural and political divides has pushed him to the fore of national Republican politics. Miami (AFP) - Florida's governor seized control of Walt Disney World's self-governing district on Monday, hailing the end of the "corporate kingdom" as he effectively . It leaves the district and its financial abilities and debt obligations intact, addressing a chief concern of surrounding governments. Most of the 27,000 acres Disney bought in Florida was undeveloped swampland. In the media event, DeSantis also indicated that hed like to give control of the area over to the local county at some point if possible. The coming months will be critical to DeSantis as he builds his profile out beyond Florida. February 27, 2023, 7:43 AM. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill to revoke Disney World's self-governing status within the 39-square-mile area known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). Disney is its biggest taxpayer and effectively controls its administration. The 2023 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival brings delicious eats, entertainment, and exclusive merch to See the bags that would make the PERFECT complement to your EPCOT Flower and Garden Before you leave for your Disney vacation, make sure you familiarize yourself with Disney's rules. Approval for Land Use? Crosby and Judd dismissed Bendors letter. COVID vaccines came with much stricter VAERS reporting requirements than other adult vaccines. The move is seen as part of a broader effort by DeSantis to reform institutions which he believes have been hijacked by "woke" progressive activists and addresses criticism that the arrangement gave Disney an unfair advantage over rivals. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that gives him control of Walt Disney Worlds self-governing district, punishing the company over its opposition to the so-called Dont Say Gay law. Yuma County in 2019 shifted most election authorities under the recorder. In both cases, it was my employers who were most worried about my successfully getting the work permits and did most of the work to make it happen. Thats how many acres Reedy Creek takes up in central Florida, according to the special district. So its not me singlehandedly making these decisions, Colwell said. The dont say gay measure formed part of a spate of similar anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have swept the US amid a rightwing assault on progressive policies they mock as woke. Which is exactly what the GOP wanted. Jen Fifield is a reporter for Votebeat based in Arizona. I love Disney World , wonderful memories there. DeSantis and other Republican critics of Disney slammed the company for coming out against the education law, calling it a purveyor of woke ideology that inject inappropriate subjects into childrens entertainment. The new law leaves Reedy Creek and its debt obligations intact, changes its name to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and subjects it to closer oversight by the government in Tallahassee. What's more, the government worked to educate doctors about their new responsibilities. The new board member Bridget Ziegler is married to the chairman of the Florida Republican party. When Maricopa County agreed to grant more authority to the recorder, for example, the supervisors still approved voting locations, and the elections director still presented finalized results to the board. We built this house on sand, English said, clearly referencing the false claims about election fraud the board has heard in recent work sessions leading up to the supervisors decision. 0000008790 00000 n Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill into law that ends Disney's self-governing power and puts the media giant under the control of a state board. Its a significant setback for Disneys Florida operations. They were well-paid jobs that allowed construction and meatpacking workers to buy a home, take vacations, raise their kids and live a good, middle-class life with a pension for retirement. Between December 2020, when the COVID vaccines first rolled out to mid-August of 2021, right-wing media like Fox and Breitbart mentioned VAERS seven times more often than mainstream outlets. In taking on Disney, DeSantis furthered his reputation as a culture warrior willing to battle perceived political enemies and wield the power of state government to accomplish political goals, a strategy that is expected to continue ahead of his potential White House run. LOS ANGELES The Walt Disney Company, in an effort to address concerns about entertainment's role in childhood obesity, announced on Tuesday that all products advertised on its child-focused. . Due to this bill, the RCID now has a new name The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. He convened a special legislative session and invited the Republican-controlled legislature to dissolve Disneys self-governing district. this action by governor desantis may deter other businesses from locating in florida. 0000002793 00000 n 0000003235 00000 n Historians say Mr. Disney had been concerned with what he viewed as seedy hotels and other establishments that had sprung up around Californias Disneyland. Disney hired Paul Helliwell, a Miami-based lawyer and former CIA agent. Millions took him up on it, but his bracero program failed because employers not government controlled the permits, and far too many unscrupulous employers used the threat of canceling peoples work permits to silence workers who objected to having their wages stolen, or to intimidate workers who objected to physical or sexual abuse. Claude Kirk signed into law the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, allowing Disney World to build and expand with limited intervention by the government for more than 50 years. And its turning the politics of developed countries upside-down, ushering in hardcore rightwing governments from Sweden to Hungary to Italy. Along with the news that EPCOT Forever is returning to Disney World, Disney has shared Take a look at ALL of the merchandise at the 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Disney Employees are fighting back against CEO Bob Iger's requirement that they return to the What are the very BEST things to eat and drink at EPCOT's Flower & Garden A cheap airline will now have FOUR more nonstop flights to and from Orlando! It provoked an outcry from LGBTQ+ and other groups across the country, with Joe Biden denouncing it as hateful. DeSantiss head-on dispute with Disney, and the legislation banning classroom teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity that prompted it, are two signature moves by the Republican designed to affirm his status as a culture warrior. The bill requires DeSantis, a Republican, to appoint a five-member board to oversee the government services . Without acknowledging that it was Reagan himself who set up the crisis, Republicans today hold serious-sounding conferences and press availabilities about how illegals are trying to steal Americans jobs! Theyre all over right-wing hate radio and in the conservative media on a near-daily basis. Instead, under Reagans new law, employers could easily avoid sanctions by simply having undocumented immigrants give them paperwork (often supplied by the employers themselves) that met the new requirement that it reasonably appears on its face to be genuine., Further reducing the burden on employers, an amendment to the law under the guise of preventing discrimination penalized employers for conducting overly aggressive scrutiny of workers legal status on the basis of their nationality or national origin.. Disney envisioned a theme park, hotels, resorts and golf courses, all centered around the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or Epcot. This is not the first time Ladapo has misused surveillance data to push governor Ron DeSantis's antivax agenda. The bills provisions took effect Monday, but the legislation allows the district to keep doing business as Reedy Creek for up to two years during the transition. Wanting to replicate the success of Disneyland, the brothers imagined an 'East Coast Disneyland.' AllEars Merchandise | The futuristic city never materialized and instead morphed into a second theme park that opened in 1982. The bill gives DeSantis the power to appoint the five members of the board that controls government services for the Reedy Creek district covering Disneys Florida theme park properties that stretch over 27,000 acres (11,000 hectares). 0000015269 00000 n As any Republican will proudly tell you, there were huge surges of desperate would-be immigrants and asylum seekers during each of the last three Democratic presidents administrations. Walt Disney World Resort and Reedy Creek Improvement District teamed up with local utility partners to begin development of two new 75MW solar facilities, which are . Last year, he disregarded CDC guidelines and recommended against covid mRNA vaccines for men aged 18 to 39. During the media event for the signing, DeSantis also said something to the effect of whats good for SeaWorld is good for Disney, which seems to emphasize more of his claims that this will put Disney on an even playing field with other parks in Florida. To make matters worse, some major antivax groups and personal injury attorneys coach their followers to make VAERS reports about third parties. In 1966, running for California governor, he supported a ballot initiative to end Fair Housing laws in the state, saying: Similarly, when running for president in 1980, Reagans biographer Lou Cannon notes on page 520 of his book that Reagan called the 1965 Voting Rights Act a humiliation of the South.. It leaves the district and its financial abilities and debt obligations intact, addressing a chief concern of surrounding governments. Disney did not immediately return an emailed request for comment. DeSantiss retaliation came swiftly. As a contributor to the USA Today network put it, "Ladapo is emerging as a central player in the governor's outreach to vaccine skeptics and opponents who now form a stunningly large part of the GOP's national voter base.". According to memos in the Disney archives reviewed by Mr. Fogelsong, Mr. Helliwell told the Disneys that 'the challenge was democracy.'. Board members were previously named through entities controlled by Disney. First up was the GOPs longest con regarding immigration. What state other than California could handle year round attendance that can provide great weather. I realize we have been advised, we have this letter, oh my gosh, but it doesnt sound like it has enough character or meat, Judd said. Disney World, with its 75,000 employees, is the largest employer in central Florida. i believe he may have bit off more than he can chew. And those same companies then fund Republican politicians who pushed under-the-radar social media ads at African Americans and blue-collar whites in 2016 and the last election saying that Democrats wanted Hispanic illegals to come in to replace them and take their jobs. What better way to crush unions than to replace their members with non-union workers who were legally invisible? 0000005347 00000 n Because there was so much demand for low-wage immigrant labor in the food belt of California during harvest season, President Dwight Eisenhower experimented with a program in the 1950s that granted season-long passes to workers from Mexico. DeSantis new effort to hand-pick the special district board is part of a broader effort by the GOP governor and potential 2024 candidate to reshape state institutions he believes are opposed to his policies. Ron DeSantis revoked a special tax privilege that allows Walt Disney Co. to govern the land housing its theme parks, escalating a dispute over Disney's opposition to legislation. Under the new bill, the District will have some new responsibilities, like filing certain reports. Quite literally taking their lives in their hands because they believed cynical, unfeeling, uncaring, sociopathic Republican politicians who are lying for political gain. Forty-dollar-an-hour American-citizen unionized workers were replaced with seven-dollar-an-hour undocumented workers desperate for a chance at a life in America for themselves and their children. Walt Disney World, near Orlando, is the largest theme park in the world and has been governed since it opened in the 1970s by the Reedy Creek Improvement District, an independent authority with broad local management autonomy that exempted it from most state regulations. This was the same project that generated the investigation into potential data falsification. READ MORE: The inherent racism of anti-vaxx movements. We respect your right to privacy. Undocumented immigrants working here even end up afraid to call the police when theyre the victims of, or witnesses to, crime. 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