Mickey Mouse vs Pudding Fingers Ron: Desantis’s War on Disney! Should Disney leave?

[China]

 

[Larry]

Let It Go.  

[China]

DeSantis asks federal judge to dismiss Disney suit, claiming broad immunity

 

Attorneys for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday asked a federal court to dismiss Disney

’s lawsuit that alleges political retaliation against the company, arguing that he and at least one other defendant are “immune” and that Disney lacks standing to sue them.

 

The attorneys also argued that Disney’s complaint — that DeSantis targeted the company after it denounced the controversial state classroom bill derided as “Don’t Say Gay” by critics — “fails to state a claim on which relief can be granted.”

 

A spokesman for Disney did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the court filing.

 

The governor’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit comes as he has leaned into his drawn-out battle with Disney while campaigning in the Republican presidential primary. The fight between DeSantis, the top GOP contender behind former President Donald Trump, and Disney, one of Florida’s top employers, has been brewing for well over a year.

 

The 27-page motion to dismiss was filed by attorneys for DeSantis and Meredith Ivey, named as secretary for Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity.

 

“Disney lacks standing to sue the Governor and Secretary, who are also immune from suit,” they argued in a filing in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Fergasun]

DeSantis is arguing that the Governor and Legisture are allowed to "retaliate" based on 11th Circuit and Supreme Court precedent.  Because it is a legislative act, it doesn't matter that is retalitory. 

 

I am inclined to think that a judge might rule that the law is valid and Disney's actions for their board were also valid... this seems like a novel issue.  Wonder if it makes the Supreme Court.

[China]

Judge recuses himself from Disney suit against DeSantis and accuses governor of 'rank judge-shopping'

 

A federal judge in Florida overseeing Walt Disney Co.'s lawsuit against GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis recused himself Thursday, saying he has a relative who owns Disney stock and could be affected by the case's outcome.

 

In a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Judge Mark E. Walker, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, responded to a motion by DeSantis' legal team requesting he remove himself from the case.

 

"Defendants seek to disqualify me from presiding over this case because, in their view, questions I have asked in previous, related cases raise substantial doubts about my impartiality," Walker wrote.

 

Walker, however, said the DeSantis team's motion was "based on a misapprehension of the law and a misstatement of the facts." The judge said the motion cited cases "for their convenient language without acknowledging the chasm between my statements in this case and the conduct at issue in those cases."

 

The motion, therefore, is "wholly without merit," Walker wrote in the filing Thursday.

 

"I find the motion is nothing more than rank judge-shopping. Sadly, this practice has become all too common in this district," he said.

 

Walker, however, said that he had determined that he has to disqualify himself from the case because he learned last week "that a relative within the third degree of relationship owns thirty shares of stock in Plaintiff’s parent corporation, The Walt Disney Company." He said this could be "substantially affected by the outcome of this case."

 

The case has been reassigned to Judge Allen C. Winsor, who was nominated by President Donald Trump.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[PleaseBlitz]

5 hours ago, China said:

Walker, however, said that he had determined that he has to disqualify himself from the case because he learned last week "that a relative within the third degree of relationship owns thirty shares of stock in Plaintiff’s parent corporation, The Walt Disney Company." He said this could be "substantially affected by the outcome of this case."

Noting that this is the same federal circuit as Trump’s documents case, where the judge’s impartiality has been called into question. And now the standard has just become “when a 3rd degree relative owns about $2,500 worth of stock,” which seems like a pretty low bar for recusal. 

[China]

On 5/19/2023 at 7:29 AM, Larry said:

He makes some really good points here, about Disney canceling their big construction project. 
 

One is that the economic impact being reported is vastly underestimated. He estimates (by pulling unsupported numbers out of his ass) impact of more like $200 million, per year, continuing basically forever. 
 

The other is that no, we don't know that this decision was because of the fight with Ron. We may all believe in our guts that it was a factor. But we don't know. 
 

Another is that, while we don't know that this individual decision was due to the rising dictatorship?  It is absolutely certain that hundreds, thousands, of other businesses are making the same decision. They just aren't making the newspapers. 

 

Some other things that are no longer happening in Florida:

 

Black fraternity moves Florida event over DeSantis’s ‘assault’ on minorities

 

A historic Black fraternity is pulling its 2025 conference from Florida to protest the rightwing governor Ron DeSantis’s “continued assault” on minority communities, which includes new state teaching standards that forced labor was beneficial to enslaved people.

 

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated said the decision to move its event from Orlando, joining a growing number of companies and organizations boycotting the state, was to highlight DeSantis’s “harmful, racist and insensitive policies against the Black community”.

 

Last month, the National Society of Black Engineers announced it was relocating next year’s conference from Orlando in opposition to DeSantis’s extremist positions on “race, sexual orientation, gender and guns”.

 

In May, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issued a travel warning and declared Florida “actively hostile” to Black and other minority communities.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

DeSantis’ Controversial Policies Spark Florida Convention Cancellations—As Tourism Shows Signs Of Slowing

 

A growing number of conventions and conferences are refusing to hold events in Florida in response to the state’s political climate, as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers’ controversial policies involving LGBTQ rights and race have prompted a backlash that could hurt a key part of Florida's economy—adding to a broader slowdown in tourism sectors like theme parks.

 

At least five groups have canceled planned events in Orange County, where Orlando is located, or announced plans to hold them elsewhere, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

 

Game of Thrones convention Con of Thrones canceled its event due to “the increasingly anti-humanitarian legislation and atmosphere in Florida,” for instance, while the National Society of Black Engineers moved its 2024 convention from Orlando to Atlanta, saying the state’s political climate “seeks to undermine what we stand for.”

 

Tourism officials in Fort Lauderdale also report at least six organizations have pulled out of holding their events in Broward County, where the city is located, due to concerns about the state’s policies, local outlet 7News Miami reports.

 

Local officials projected to the Wall Street Journal the cancellations would cost the county’s economy more than $20 million, taking into account lost revenue from hotel bookings, transportation, food and other travel costs.

 

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning moved its conference from Miami to Chicago, saying it would pay a “steep penalty” for moving the event but members had expressed “significant concerns” about holding the event in Florida, particularly in light of the state’s controversial educational policies targeting diversity initiatives.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Simmsy]

On 7/27/2023 at 8:42 PM, China said:

while the National Society of Black Engineers moved its 2024 convention from Orlando to Atlanta, saying the state’s political climate “seeks to undermine what we stand for.”

 

 

Imagine how messed up of a state you have to be to have black people say "Screw this! We're going to Georgia!".

[China]

Disney’s governing district in Florida slashes all DEI programs

 

In the ongoing battle between Walt Disney World and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Disney’s governing district – whose current board was hand-picked by DeSantis and took control of the district in February – abolished all of its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the district said in a Tuesday news release.

 

The statement from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District cited an internal investigation into the Reedy Creek Improvement District’s policies, claiming the district “implemented hiring and contracting programs that discriminated against Americans based on gender and race, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.”

 

“The so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were advanced during the tenure of the previous board and they were illegal and simply un-American,” district administrator Glenton Gilzean said. “Our district will no longer participate in any attempt to divide us by race or advance the notion that we are not created equal.”

 

CFTOD will dissolve the district’s DEI committee and eliminate any job duties relating to DEI. District employees will also be prohibited from using staff time to pursue DEI initiatives, the statement said. However, this change affects only the government and not the companies that operate inside the district (i.e. Disney) and would seem to eliminate contracting protocols that in the past gave special consideration of women and minority owned businesses during the procurement processes.

 

According to the new oversight district, Reedy Creek “wasted taxpayer dollars” by entering into contracts based on race- and gender-driven goals and “aggressively” monitoring contractors’ race and gender practices under its Minority/Women Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs. CFTOD said it estimates the previous district spent millions of dollars finding businesses who helped meet these DEI quotas.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

This is the guy who vows to end the weaponization of government.

[China]

DeSantis' 'War on Woke' Backfires As Disney Ends $1 Billion Spending in Florida – Controversial Policies Spur Convention Cancellations, Tourism Downturn, and Struggles for Local Businesses

 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's war against The Walt Disney Co. has impacted the state's biggest tourism attraction and is leading to a broader backlash that could seriously hurt the state's economy.

 

DeSantis, a right-wing candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, singled out Disney because of its LGBTQ+ values and inclusivity, which he disagrees with. In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has seized the opportunity to embrace Disney for its diversity, making his state a more attractive option for Disney's future investments.

 

Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek opposed DeSantis's so-called "Don't Say Gay" legislation, triggering the clash between the company and the governor.

 

Although Florida is home to other left-leaning companies, they have not explicitly targeted DeSantis. As part of his "war on woke" campaign, DeSantis took control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special taxing district for the Disney resort's land, resulting in legal battles and strained relations with the entertainment giant.

 

In May, Disney made headlines when it canceled a $1 billion project to construct an office campus and transfer 2,000 employees to Orlando. The company also pulled the plug on a promising Star Wars hotel that had only been operational at Disney World for a short time.

 

These actions were followed by pointed remarks from Disney CEO Bob Iger, who criticized DeSantis, branding him as "anti-business" and "anti-Florida."

 

Disney has turned its focus to a new endeavor known as Disneyland Forward. The program is aimed at rejuvenating its two theme parks in Anaheim, California. The company envisions Disneyland Forward as a catalyst for significant growth, projecting an annual revenue of $253 million and the creation of more than 2,200 new jobs.

 

The consequences of DeSantis's actions are not limited to the Disney dispute. Florida's political climate, characterized by controversial policies concerning LGBTQ rights and race, has led to a growing number of conventions and conferences avoiding the state altogether. At least five groups have canceled or moved their events out of Orange County and Fort Lauderdale over concerns about the state's policies.

 

Florida's tourism industry is displaying broader signs of decline, particularly in the Orlando area. The Orange County comptroller's office reported a 6.7% decrease in tourist development tax collections for May compared to the previous year, marking the second consecutive decrease since February 2021.

 

Hotel occupancy in the Orlando area during May was down by 2.5% year over year.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

DeSantis appointee to Disney board taught seminar using discredited research claiming White people were slaves in America

 

An appointee by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to an oversight board of Disney’s special tax district taught a seminar in 2021 falsely claiming “Whites were also slaves in America,” using discredited research to say there was an “Irish slave trade.”

 

The comments were made by Ron Peri, one of five people DeSantis appointed earlier this year to oversee the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to replace the old board after the company spoke out against what critics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida.

 

Peri, an Orlando-based pastor and CEO of a Christian ministry group called The Gathering, made the comments in an hourlong class for his group posted on YouTube about critical race theory called “Cunningly Devised Fables.”

 

In other comments Peri spread false claims that Irish slaves were forcibly bred with enslaved Africans. He also said a “significant” number of free Blacks in the antebellum era owned slaves, claims disputed by reputable historians who say the number was minimal. CNN archived Peri’s comments from 2021, which he deleted from YouTube following his appointment to the Disney oversight board.

 

The oversight board, previously called the Reedy Creek Improvement District, governed Disney’s sprawling 25,000 acre footprint around Orlando. Created in 1967, its duties include providing services like sewage, fire rescue and road maintenance and issuing debt for infrastructure projects supporting Disney’s theme park empire.

 

“Slavery is a moral wrong wherever it exists or existed and is one of America’s great historical wrongs,” Peri told CNN in a statement Tuesday. “Similarly, racism is likewise wrong. I countenance neither to any degree, so the criticism of the belief that thousands of people being held in slavery was significant and a terrible wrong is severely misplaced. Even one person in slavery is egregious and morally reprehensible, regardless of race.”

 

The DeSantis administration but did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

 

Peri’s 2021 comments came in the context of him pushing back on claims of “systemic racism” in the United States from past White ownership of slaves.

 

“Look at old newspapers, as old as you can find, and you’ll find that Whites were also slaves in America,” said Peri. “The Irish slave trade began when James II sold 30,000 Irish prisoners as slaves to the new world. His proclamation of 1625, which you can go back and see, required Irish political prisoners be sent overseas and sold to English settlers in the West Indies.”

 

“By the mid 1600s, the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat,” Peri added. “From 1641 to 1652, over 500,000 Irish were killed by the English, and another 300,000 were sold as slaves.”

 

“The settlers began to breed Irish women and girls with African men to produce slaves with a distinct complexion,” Peri added.

 

Peri’s claims are based on fabricated material that has circled the Internet over the last two decades and has been the subject of repeated debunkings from news organizations like the New York Times, Reuters, the Associated Press, Snopes, and frustrated historians – many of whom signed an open letter in 2016 disputing the claims.

 

Even the article Peri cited as evidence was updated before he used it in the seminar to note it contained a number of factual errors.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

On 7/27/2023 at 8:42 PM, China said:

 

Some other things that are no longer happening in Florida:

 

Black fraternity moves Florida event over DeSantis’s ‘assault’ on minorities

 

A historic Black fraternity is pulling its 2025 conference from Florida to protest the rightwing governor Ron DeSantis’s “continued assault” on minority communities, which includes new state teaching standards that forced labor was beneficial to enslaved people.

 

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated said the decision to move its event from Orlando, joining a growing number of companies and organizations boycotting the state, was to highlight DeSantis’s “harmful, racist and insensitive policies against the Black community”.

 

Last month, the National Society of Black Engineers announced it was relocating next year’s conference from Orlando in opposition to DeSantis’s extremist positions on “race, sexual orientation, gender and guns”.

 

In May, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issued a travel warning and declared Florida “actively hostile” to Black and other minority communities.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

DeSantis’ Controversial Policies Spark Florida Convention Cancellations—As Tourism Shows Signs Of Slowing

 

A growing number of conventions and conferences are refusing to hold events in Florida in response to the state’s political climate, as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers’ controversial policies involving LGBTQ rights and race have prompted a backlash that could hurt a key part of Florida's economy—adding to a broader slowdown in tourism sectors like theme parks.

 

At least five groups have canceled planned events in Orange County, where Orlando is located, or announced plans to hold them elsewhere, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

 

Game of Thrones convention Con of Thrones canceled its event due to “the increasingly anti-humanitarian legislation and atmosphere in Florida,” for instance, while the National Society of Black Engineers moved its 2024 convention from Orlando to Atlanta, saying the state’s political climate “seeks to undermine what we stand for.”

 

Tourism officials in Fort Lauderdale also report at least six organizations have pulled out of holding their events in Broward County, where the city is located, due to concerns about the state’s policies, local outlet 7News Miami reports.

 

Local officials projected to the Wall Street Journal the cancellations would cost the county’s economy more than $20 million, taking into account lost revenue from hotel bookings, transportation, food and other travel costs.

 

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning moved its conference from Miami to Chicago, saying it would pay a “steep penalty” for moving the event but members had expressed “significant concerns” about holding the event in Florida, particularly in light of the state’s controversial educational policies targeting diversity initiatives.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

DeSantis’ ‘anti-woke’ bills are costing Florida millions of dollars in business

 

A slew of new bills signed into law by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has draped the Sunshine State in controversy, spurring protests, lawsuits and travel advisories warning the state is “openly hostile” toward people of color, immigrants, women and LGBTQ+ community members.

 

The fallout is starting to spread to a key economic artery for an income-tax-free state heavily reliant upon tourism taxes: Florida’s convention business.

 

In recent weeks, at least a dozen organizations have announced plans to either cancel or relocate their upcoming conferences scheduled to take place in Florida, making a statement by having their thousands of attendees and millions of dollars flow into other states deemed safer and more welcoming.

 

While DeSantis’ office brushes this off as a “media-driven stunt,” tourism officials and community organizations in the state say what’s happening now may be just the beginning.

 

“Unlike leisure business, which is a very short-term booking window [in weeks or months], conference business is long term,” said Stacy Ritter, president and chief executive officer of the Visit Lauderdale tourism marketing agency in Broward County, Florida. “We’re booking ’26 to ‘30 now, so any impact that this might have is not going to be seen for years to come.”

 

As of July 26, Ritter said that Visit Lauderdale has tallied 10 events and conventions that were canceled by organizations citing recently enacted laws, policies and travel advisories. That amounts to 15,000 lost hotel room nights and an estimated $20 million economic impact, she said.

 

For now, the estimated losses — especially when spread out over a period of years — represent a small percentage of Broward County’s annual Tourist Development Tax collections, which were $123.9 million in the 2022 fiscal year. But Ritter said any loss of business is potentially concerning, especially in light of some large-scale investments made in recent years.

 

Annual conferences are planned well in advance to ensure that it’s a smooth process to bring thousands of people together for a few days, and last-minute shifts are sometimes next to impossible for organizations.

 

“Broward County has invested $1.5 billion in building an 801-room Omni hotel connected to our expanding and renovated convention center, [but] we are not seeing the bookings for ’26, ‘27, ‘28, ‘29 and ‘30, which we would have anticipated — considering that we will have this shiny new toy in the neighborhood in late-2025,” she said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

DeSantis urges Bob Iger to drop Disney lawsuit, accept the end of ‘special privileges’

 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said that Disney CEO Bob Iger should drop his company’s lawsuit accusing the Republican governor of political retaliation.

 

“They’re suing the state of Florida. They’re going to lose that lawsuit,” DeSantis said in an interview with CNBC’s “Last Call” set to air in full at 7 p.m. ET.

 

“So what I would say is, drop the lawsuit,” the governor said when asked what he would tell Iger if he were to give him a call today.

 

“This is a great place to do business,” DeSantis said, citing Florida’s status as the top state economy in CNBC’s latest national survey. The Sunshine State scored eighth overall in CNBC’s ranking of America’s Top States for Business in 2023.

 

“Your competitors all do very well here, Universal, SeaWorld. They have not had the same special privileges as you have,” DeSantis said he’d tell Iger.

 

“So all we want to do is treat everybody the same, and let’s move forward. I’m totally fine with that. But I’m not fine with giving extraordinary privileges, you know, to one special company at the exclusion of everybody else,” he said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[FootballZombie]

 

[China]

Ron DeSantis wants to strip Disney workers of free passes and discounts, arguing it sucks millions from Florida’s economy

 

Already involved in two lawsuits with Disney, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees to a board that oversees Disney World’s governing district on Monday launched a battle against the company on a new front — free passes and discounts for district employees.

 

Board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District submitted a complaint to the state Inspector General, claiming that the millions of dollars in season passes, as well as discounts on hotels, merchandise, food and beverages, that their Disney-supporting predecessors provided governing district employees amount to unethical benefits and perks.

 

Last year alone, before the DeSantis appointees took over the governing board and it was still controlled by Disney backers, around $2.5 million in discounts and passes were given to district employees and their families, the board said in a news release.

 

The arrangement was self-serving to the company because it funneled money back to Disney, with the district footing the bill, the release said.

 

Disney didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. A spokesman for the board didn’t respond to a request for the letter sent to the Inspector General, which investigates fraud, mismanagement, waste and abuse.

 

The arrangement appears to be more like an employee benefit rather than a taxpayer scam, similar to the way professors at a university may get free passes to athletic events or free tuition for family members, said Richard Foglesong, a Rollins College professor emeritus who wrote a definitive account of Disney World’s governance in his book “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Workers in Disney World District Criticize DeSantis Appointees' Decision to Eliminate Free Passes

 

Employees of Walt Disney World’s governing district on Wednesday confronted new board members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis over a decision to eliminate their access to free passes and discounts to the theme park resort, saying it makes park visits unaffordable.

 

During a monthly board meeting, several current and former district firefighters spoke emotionally about how the free passes to Disney parks were a benefit for them and their families that played a major role in their decision to work for the 56-year-old district, which provides municipal services like mosquito control, drainage, wastewater treatment, planning and firefighting to Disney World.

 

“The removal of this benefit takes away, for some, their entire reason for working here,” said firefighter Pete Simon.

 

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District earlier this week said that $2.5 million in season passes and discounts on hotels, merchandise, food and beverages that their Disney-supporting predecessors provided the district's 400 employees amounted to unethical perks that benefited the company, with the district footing the bill. The district on Monday submitted a complaint to a state Inspector General, which investigates fraud, mismanagement, waste and abuse.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Larry]

Admiring the way these liars can say with a straight face, that when Disney gives tickets to a firefighter, for free, then this somehow is an illegal fraud, that's sending taxpayer money to Disney. And the State Inspector General needs to investigate this fraud. 
 

Please explain to me, Mr DeSantis liar, how Disney is stealing money from the fire department, by handing out free tickets. 

[China]

Florida's Broward County says losses mount for tourism as more conventions stay away, citing fear for safety of diverse groups

 

Broward County tourism officials say that financial losses are continuing to mount as conventions once scheduled for Fort Lauderdale have opted to go someplace else.

 

The tally now stands at 14, with four of those conventions backing out in August alone, according to Visit Lauderdale, the agency formerly known as the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

 

They cite Florida’s culture wars on issues that critics say attack Blacks, gays, and transgender youth, as well as policies targeting state universities as well as migrants.

 

Broward’s tourism arm said the lost conventions could have brought hotel stays to Fort Lauderdale and its surrounding cities, which also meant money spent on restaurants and attractions.

 

On the updated list now includes the National Sales Network Conference, whose founder and CEO emailed the county Monday: “Moving forward, we will not consider conducting any future conferences in the state of Florida given the Governor’s statement that slavery was good for Black people.”

 

And the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology wasn’t planning its annual convention until 2028, but backed out last week, citing in an email: “At the moment, we aren’t able to consider any Florida cities because of the political issues around women’s health and the added challenges with higher education there.”

 

It adds to the laundry list of groups including the Chicago-based American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, which had planned a 3,000-person conference in Fort Lauderdale in 2026, and cited the “unfriendly political environment in Florida.” The Washington, D.C.-based Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, which was scheduled to come to Fort Lauderdale in January, diverted to New Orleans instead because of what’s perceived as anti-migrant policies. And the Atlanta-based aParent Miracles Foundation for this November is headed to Texas instead after the NAACP issued a travel advisory for Florida “in direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis’ attempts to erase Black history, and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools,” the organizer wrote the county’s tourism office.

 

Last month, the Tom Joyner Foundation, and the 1,700 hotel rooms it wanted, disappeared, too. “If this were about economics, that would be one thing, but what is at the core of the issue from the above, is fear for the safety of African-American, LGBTQ+ and a smaller portion of even Latino students and others traveling to Florida to participate in what is a national event,” an organizer wrote the tourism office.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[EmirOfShmo]

Thread...

 

 

[Larry]

The Republican "style of government" is to gain control of something that's working.  And intentionally break it.  

 

It's why they like Trump so much.  

 

And that is the trait that DeSantis chose his demons based on.  The marching orders they were given.  "Get in there, and **** things up."  

[China]

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Propose $3.1 Million Cut to Roadway Repair and Maintenance Around Walt Disney World

 

The budget notes “Repairs and maintenance services decreased due to option to due [sic] less paving rehab.” The District budgeted $18.3 million and spent $16.6 million for roadway repairs and maintenance in FY 2023. They propose a budget of $13.4 million for FY 2024.

 

The roadways owned by CFTOD include World Drive, which has been undergoing a years-long update to improve traffic around Magic Kingdom. Other affected roadways could include Buena Vista Drive, EPCOT Center Drive, Osceola Parkway, and Western Way.

 

The cut budget wouldn’t necessarily mean significant problems for the roads, unless serious issues arise.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

The roads 5 years from now:

 

[Larry]

Just had a coworker inform me that Ron DeSantis attacked Disney because he discovered that Disney is actually owned by the Queen of England, which makes Disney exempt from all US taxes, because the Queen isn't a US resident.  

 

When I inform her that corporations in the US pay taxes, regardless of who owns them, she simply informed me that Disney isn't in the US, because it's owned by the Queen of England.  

 

When I inform her that according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, at least back when he was alive, the biggest stockholder in the Disney corporation was Steve Jobs (who got 5% ownership of Disney when he sold them Pixar), she informs me that the real owner is the Queen of England, and that I should Google it, because it's all over the Internet.

 

When I explain to her that Disney not only pays taxes, but that it chooses to pay taxes that are actually higher than what it would be paying, if it were part of Orange County.  And that it chooses to pay higher taxes because that allows it to, for example, get better road maintenance than what most of Florida gets, she seems to be accepting this information.    

[Bang]

Inform her to go play on the highway. Tell her there is a special TrumpyQ present in the heaviest traveled lane and in it contains an envelope that proves George Soros sold Disney to the Queen of England and turned Mickey Mouse gay.

 

~Bang

[Captain Wiggles]

The Queen of England Camilla Rosemary Shand?