- 16 May 2022 22:45
#15227848
DeSantis seems to think he can cheat the laws of economics and somehow, make it to where none of Florida's taxpayers will be on the hook for $163 million dollars a year extra on their tax bill after dissolving Disney's special self-governing status. Disney certainly isn't going to pay it since they were stripped of that provision in Florida state law by DeSantis. Man, I was really thinking about buying some timeshares one day in Disney so I can vacation on Disney properties. But since this happened, I am holding off. What do you guys think? Was Disney out of line? DeSantis go too far? Or a little bit of both?
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/politics ... index.html
Steve Contorno of CNN wrote:After stripping Disney of its special governing powers last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis now says that he wants the state to take over the government body that has overseen the entertainment company's Orlando-area theme parks for half a century.
DeSantis, a Republican, told reporters Monday that it is fairer for other businesses if the state controls the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special district that, since 1967, has essentially allowed the Walt Disney Company to control the land around its properties.
"The path forward is Disney will not control its own government in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. "Disney will have to follow the same laws that every other company has to follow the state of Florida. They will pay their fair share in taxes."
The remarks offered the first glimpse into DeSantis' plan for Reedy Creek after the governor and Republican lawmakers passed a new law last month to dissolve the district in a special session -- a move that critics have said was retaliation for Disney speaking out against a new Florida law that will limit what schools can teach about sexual orientation and gender identity. The fate of Disney, Florida's largest employer, and the district's existing debt remains unclear in the weeks after the contentious vote.
Democrats and local officials have suggested that local governments and taxpayers in the surrounding counties of Osceola and Orange could be on the hook for that debt if Reedy Creek ceases to exist. That opinion is supported by Reedy Creek in a recent statement to its bondholders and an analysis by the state Senate, which concluded in April that local government "assume all indebtedness of the preexisting special district."
But DeSantis promised local and state taxpayers would not have to pay for Reedy Creek's outstanding debt, which officials have said is about $1 billion. He said the government would likely collect more taxes once Disney's special status is eliminated once it's on more equal footing with other theme parks operating in Florida.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/politics ... index.html
Last edited by Politics_Observer on 16 May 2022 22:48, edited 1 time in total.
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