Capitol Hill Blue Forums Thread Like Summary - Disney and de Santis Clause

Could this be Ron DeSantis' Big Goof?

I predict that stripping Disney's great 'privilege' to manage its own infrastructure as punishment for corporate free speech - an act of malice without forethought - is going to be a long lasting bugaboo for the budding Strong Man.

The Reedy Creek Improvement District is a solution to a common problem for land developers, where local governmental authorities (and property owners) won't foot the bill for upfront infrastructure cost - the developer has to agree pay for that before being allowed to proceed. In the case of subdivisions, a deal is often struck where the public will assume the responsibility for maintenance of the roads, sewers, water, etc at some time in the future when the tax base resulting from the development has grown enough to cover the costs. Sometimes no deal is made (on the assumption that the infrastructure will always be the burden of the property owners), but the new residents of the subdivision eventually get to be plentiful (and loud) enough that they 'persuade' the county (or whomever) to take it over..."What are we paying property taxes for if we ain't getting services!?!?"

It's a novel concept that being on the hook for services (including police protection, and more than the short list above) is regarded as a 'privilege'.

In the instance of a mega-development like Walt Disney World, where there was not going to be an increase in the property tax base from new home buyers, that the transition to assumption of the liability to pay for services would never pass from the corporation to the local county government. Disney would pay, either by directly providing the services, or by pay taxes to the county to do it. Considering the specialized nature of the services needed, it is unlikely that a normal county would be equipped, or competent, to be the provider.

In their haste to punish Disney, the Republicans (led by His Highness, Exalted Anaconda of the Everglades) fell for the ConROT notion that being responsible for community services was a privilege, and cancelling that privilege was an easy cruise missile to launch against their rich nemesis.

But alas, and alackaday, it was the first shot in a classic war, doomed to end as they all do...

War, at first, is the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off. -Karl Kraus, writer (28 Apr 1874-1936)

What's Next?

DeSantis just self-owned without any help from a mouse.

Funny they all were for "corporations are people with the right to free speech" until the biggest employer in Florida said something they don't like. Goes to show their ideology is a sham. They don't actually believe in anything other than power and money.

OMG! This is MUCH worse than they previously thought. The state of Florida promised that the Reedy Creek district could never be dissolved until all the Disney bond debt and interest was paid off. Disney has over a BILLION dollars worth of bond debt! DeSantis didn't know that when he signed the law.



And this is the guy who wants to run for President!

Interesting that DeSantis' war on Disney is a strategy to use government to suppress free speech. Right wingers are now:

Against free speech;
For higher corporate taxation;
Against businesses bearing the burden of their own infrastructure and security;
For higher property taxes on individuals;
For bigger government.

Strange world...

Should be some tasty election fodder for the Dems.

He will become known for increasing taxes on property owners, raising taxes on corporations, and bigger government - all with reduced benefits for everyone.

Goddam Mickey hater!

The fact is, DeSantis is using his power as a right-wing authoritarian to force a responsible Capitalist enterprise into Socialism.

O, the irony!

Their ideology is power and money...no sham at all.

DeSantis says they can speak freely about any business matter that concerns them but the education bill is off-limits. If they wanted to petition the lords and ladies of the state to pay a lower salary to gay or trans employees they would be warmly welcomed in the inner circles of power.

But they listened to foolish queer employees and took a stand against homophobia.

Now they are canceled.

I heard a rumor that "Woka Cola" is the next corporation in his sights...

That all depends on whose ox is gored and how much they will contribute to his campaign, doesn't it?

In the last decade or so there's been at least a dozen stories about this or that community contracting with PRIVATIZED outfits to do what they'd like to refer to as
"policing". Law enforcement contracted to a privately owned company is a thing that raises a lot of red flags for me.

Call me crazy if you like but from where I sit, things like "sworn public servant" are one of the few absolutist positions I take on issues.

Cops MUST BE sworn public servants employed by city, county, state or federal governments.

Military, same damn thing, I am dead set against private military anything at all, under any circumstances. If it's a matter of killing people and breaking things (the military's main JOB) then it is either done at taxpayer expense and wholly under the purview OF said taxpayers and their elected reps or it doesn't get done.
Find a good enough reason to engage the democratic process on those decisions.

In a free society, mercs and paramilitaries should be flat out illegal as Hell and activity in such must be a legally actionable crime.
And free societies should never allow privatized law enforcement because the temptation for unaccountable abuse and corruption is bad enough anyway, and is always ALL the MORE SO under privatization, as we've already seen in the private corrections industry, which is by the way the third in my DON'T list...

NO privatized corrections under any circumstances.