by Ray Keating
Commentary/Analysis
DisneyBizJournal.com
April 20, 2022
If you’re looking for principle and clearheaded thinking in politics, good luck with that. This is not an era of serious, never mind civil, discussion and debate of important issues. Instead, it’s a time for ginning up the base and pandering to activists, whether on the hard Left or the populist Right, often via nut-picking.
That’s the lens through which the political battle between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and the Walt Disney Company must be viewed.
DeSantis wants to be president, and Disney foolishly handed him a political club to hit the company over the head with when it pandered to left-wing activists on a hot, controversial political topic that has absolutely nothing to do with the company’s business. (See my piece on the issue of company’s delving into politics, including Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, and Milton Friedman’s sage analysis on the issue of corporate social responsibility here.)
Will Disney learn a lesson about playing politics? Who knows? Hollywood is drenched in tone-deaf, left-wing politics these days. But the company certainly has gone radio silent recently on this particular issue after pressing matters initially.
In the meantime, DeSantis is playing this for all its worth. On Tuesday (April 19), he announced that he was adding to the agenda of a Florida special state legislative session. Not only would lawmakers be working on a new congressional map, but he also called on them to a take up a review of independent special districts set up prior to November 5, 1968. That, of course, means the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was set up by the legislature in 1967 and granted the Walt Disney Company control over its own governmental entity covering the Walt Disney World area.
Part of DeSantis’ announcement also included a call to have legislators look at, according to the Orlando Sentinel, eliminating “the carveout Disney received from the Legislature for the so-called Big Tech law that would allow people to sue social media companies such as Facebook or Twitter if they are censored.” This is another issue rooted in partisan politics, and not sound policy or economics. A federal court has tossed out the law, but that is being appealed.
Each bill cleared committees on April 19.
Apparently, Governor DeSantis has suddenly found religion on the matter of special deals for large businesses. Or has he? In reality, of course, this isn’t about special deals for corporations. (Incidentally, as an economist, I’ve spent a good chunk of my career arguing against all forms of corporate welfare.)
All of this is about DeSantis seeking to score political points with the Republican base by attacking Disney.
By the way, what would be the effect if Disney’s Reedy Creek district were voted out of existence? Well, no one seems to have thought much about that apparently in the governor’s office. I’m just shocked.
One state legislator raised some reasonable problems with the Sentinel:
State Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, said the impact on Orange and Osceola counties could be immense. “Reedy Creek has been doing everything,” Stewart said. “The fire department, they’ve been paying for all that infrastructure. And if they take Reedy Creek away, that responsibility is going to go to a government. And the government’s not going to get reimbursed for what they have to pick up and take care of.”
Indeed, eliminating the Reedy Creek district would result in higher taxes for local taxpayers. Um, is this a Republican plan?
For good measure, according to the Sentinel report, the state lacks the authority to abolish special districts, as that could require a majority vote of the residents or land owners in the district. And that would be Disney.
Hmmm. This appears to be more about political theater than anything else. Go figure.
By the way, DeSantis made his announcement about Disney’s special district at The Villages, which benefits from its own special district. But The Villages happens to be home of many DeSantis’ political supporters, so…
__________
Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?
Two great ways to pre-order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks at
https://raykeatingonline.com/products/cathedral and/or the Kindle edition at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WYW2Q2V
Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/weeklyeconomist and/or the Kindle edition at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WKN81RG.
Get more out of 2022 with The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use.
Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com.
Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.
f disney..how can i sue their ass for tanking my stock with their woke crap? never spending another dime there
ReplyDelete