by Ray Keating
News/Commentary
DisneyBizJournal.com
April 3, 2023
The Walt Disney Company shareholder meeting on April 3 was pretty standard stuff, for the most part, from the commercial-like video featuring Disney CEO Bob Iger to the votes on board members.
Toss in some expected shareholder questions both challenging and supporting recent decisions by Disney to weigh in on political issues – namely, the company’s stated opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act – and there was little to surprise anyone.
The only matter of some interest was Iger’s decision to directly respond to the attacks by Florida lawmakers, led by Governor Ron DeSantis, that were generated by the company’s stance against the Parental Rights in Education Act.
Iger noted that Disney was the largest taxpayer in the state of Florida, and pointed out that the company plans on making $17 billion in investments in the Sunshine State over the coming decade, which would lead to an expansion of the firm’s in-state workforce by 13,000 jobs. In turn, he called the political attacks on Disney “anti-business” and “anti-Florida.”
Iger also tried to argue that the stance on this piece of legislation, while acknowledging that it could have been handled better, was the kind of issue that “directly affects our business and our people.” To say that’s a stretch is to be generous.
However, Iger also noted that whether one agrees or disagrees with what a person or a company says, the actions by Florida lawmakers amount to an attack on freedom of speech. He argued that to “punish a company for the exercise of a constitutional right” is “really wrong.”
Iger was right regarding the sizeable role that Disney plays in the Florida economy. His position on the company taking political stands was off base, and while sounding like some guardrails were in place, in reality, that’s not the case. But in the end, his point about government taking action to punish speech that it disagrees with was correct. One can disagree with and argue about Disney’s taking a position on a piece of legislation with which its business has no possible interest in – as I have – but in turn, one should oppose government power being used to punish such speech. Indeed, such action by government is downright unAmerican.
__________
Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael 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?
Consider books by Ray Keating…
• The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.
• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon.
• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. You can pre-order the latest book in the series – Under the Golden Dome: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editions right here.
• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.
• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York – signed books or at Amazon.
• Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at Amazon in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment