News DeSantis moves to bring state safety oversight of the Walt Disney World Monorail including suspending the service for inspections

[Kamikaze]

If I don't think your scenario is plausible, why would I have any concerns about it?

Because its infinitely more plausible than DeSantis appointing a non-partisan to the position. Every other person he's appointed to 'fight' Disney is someone that wants to fight with him. Why would a safety inspector be any different?

Do you really think the CFTOD Board wasn't picked because they want to 'get' Disney just like DeSantis does?

 

[Andrew C]

Because its infinitely more plausible than DeSantis appointing a non-partisan to the position

It is more plausible that he will not be doing any selecting...

Why would a safety inspector be any different?

Because safety...and the pool of those to inspect theme parks is somewhat limited.

 

[flynnibus]

I would normally be concerned about a company being allowed to do their own inspections, but Disney already has a very powerful form of oversite. If there is an accident at Disney, the worldwide media will be all over it within hours. Disney has a very strong incentive to not let that happen.

Yes, but Disney has also proven in the past to fail to prioritize safety too. They generally have been a good steward, but are not immune from their own pressures and failures.

The last monorail accident is a good example of how internal culture allowed a decline of operating standards that ultimately led to fatal mistakes. That's not to say inspections would have solved that - but is to point out that oversight in itself can be necessary even for an entity that historically has had a good record. It's about staying on top, not just relaxing based on previous success.

I personally think this change is more about a tool in the gov's toolbox then it is about the fear of puppet inspectors finding nitpicks.

Think about the recent ABC licensing issues in the state. With that kind of regulatory power, the gov with a wave of his hand basically stick his regulators onto an entity to cause grief or disruption... even if the intervention doesn't result in a total loss of privilege.

It becomes something that the Gov can whip up on-demand when he wants to cause pain. I don't like what I heard lately.. or there was another monorail image on the news I didn't like... so let's send in the inspectors to 'make sure' everything is up to snuff. If that causes more bad PR and grief for Disney... then job done.

By ensuring the operation is under the regulatory oversight of an exec branch entity... it becomes a point of leverage and a stick the governor can pull out to intimidate or punish with. In the current fight, he's looking for more sticks to intimidate Disney with and on a mission to eliminate any carve-outs Disney has had previously.

Some will argue defeating the carve-outs is a good thing on it's own. That's a difficult discussion to have broadly.

 

[SeaHorse!]

That is fair. You cannot like the reason it is coming about, but you would have to believe that everyone that will be involved will only act on corruption to make it a forever bad thing to go into place.

You are ok with inspections regardless. An extreme example, I don't like the way we have much of our modern medical knowledge, but I am glad we use the knowledge.

You don't like the guy and the appearance of timing and reason it is being proposed, and that is fair. It does not mean that every inspector from the state and method will be working to shut them down. That would go into conspiracy mode you have to believe everyone is corrupt and wants to shut Disney monorails down.

Well, lets compare to other state run/maintained systems with respect to safety, highways, bridges, ports, public transport, are they being maintained to the standard that this obviously partisan legislation is targeting?

 

[Kamikaze]

It is more plausible that he will not be doing any selecting...

Because safety...and the pool of those to inspect theme parks is somewhat limited.

You do realize that for the CFTOD Board he specifically required that no one had any experience, right?

 

[flynnibus]

Dumb question maybe but does this go into effect immediately? Can they technically shut down the monorail starting today or is there more that needs to be done before this starts happening

No - at this point this isn't even a law. It's a bill in the state house.

 

[flynnibus]

You do realize that for the CFTOD Board he specifically required that no one had any experience, right?

Unlike the district... he's not setting up a new and separate agency to do this work - just changing the scope of an existing agency, that isn't filled with direct gov reports, but actually hires professionals.

 

[Kamikaze]

Unlike the district... he's not setting up a new and separate agency to do this work - just changing the scope of an existing agency, that isn't filled with direct gov reports, but actually hires professionals.

Fair, but that doesn't mean he can't direct them to do certain things.

 

[Andrew C]

You do realize that for the CFTOD Board he specifically required that no one had any experience, right?

That is not true, though...see Brian August, Jr. and Michael Sasso. Love them or hate them, they brought in relevant experience for this specific role. You can even make an argument for the experience of Ron Peri prior to his time with The Gathering...

Also, don't see how this directly relates to individuals that may be doing inspections...

 

[Kamikaze]

That is not true, though...see Brian August, Jr. and Michael Sasso. Love them or hate them, they brought in relevant experience for this specific role. You can even make an argument for the experience of Ron Peri prior to his time with The Gathering...

Also, don't see how this directly relates to individuals that may be doing inspections...

Experience with theme parks and tourism. I didn't mean 'never worked in their lives'. Clearly.

It has to do with inspections because its a pattern that we're following here. Do you think they're going to turn over a new leaf in their attempt to get Disney and try to do things on the level, all of a sudden, out of the goodness of their little hearts?

 

[danlb_2000]

I am attempting to steer you away from negative assumptions, but I see I am failing miserably. You are assuming the worst in them, and I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt (and there is a lot of doubt). I am comfortable with where I stand when it comes to this particular topic..as I am comfortable with being uncomfortable about the gov's actions.

I have a hard time giving the benefit of the doubt in this situation when the governor and legislature has flat out said they are trying to punish Disney.

 

[LAKid53]

I am attempting to steer you away from negative assumptions, but I see I am failing miserably. You are assuming the worst in them, and I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt (and there is a lot of doubt). I am comfortable with where I stand when it comes to this particular topic..as I am comfortable with being uncomfortable about the gov's actions.

In EVERY public situation the governor has used the opportunity to make negative comments about the corporation. And it's not just the governor - members of the Florida Legislature (especially those who sponsored the 2 bills), the Lt. governor, the attorney general.

 

[Andrew C]

Experience with theme parks and tourism. I didn't mean 'never worked in their lives'. Clearly.

It has to do with inspections because its a pattern that we're following here. Do you think they're going to turn over a new leaf in their attempt to get Disney and try to do things on the level, all of a sudden, out of the goodness of their little hearts?

I think it is possible that they will try to stick it to Disney from time to time...but I am not leaping to "palms of inspectors being greased." Sorry, just not a plausible scenario in this situation.

Also, Aungst has experience in tourism and commercial development while Sasso has experience in construction litigation. Relevant IMO. But yes, all appointed by the gov.

 

[Andrew C]

In EVERY public situation the governor has used the opportunity to make negative comments about the corporation. And it's not just the governor - members of the Florida Legislature (especially those who sponsored the 2 bills), the Lt. governor, the attorney general.

Yes, they are politicians...disappointing. But not that surprising...

 

[Kamikaze]

I think it is possible that they will try to stick it to Disney from time to time...but I am not leaping to "palms of inspectors being greased." Sorry, just not a plausible scenario in this situation.

Also, Aungst has experience in tourism and commercial development while Sasso has experience in construction litigation. Relevant IMO. But yes, all appointed by the gov.

Saying someone who ran a Chamber has experience in tourism is like saying I'm a baseball scout because I watch the Yankees.

And the Board isn't doing any development themselves, nor should they be litigating anything. So no, completely irrelevant.

 

[flynnibus]

Fair, but that doesn't mean he can't direct them to do certain things.

But I again point to the ABC issue of late. The Gov tells the liquor board to go and investigate these venues... and what does the investigation find? No violations.

But as I said in my other post, I don't think the Gov needs them to nitpick or find issues... just having the oversight, the threat, and the ability to force you over some speed bumps is power enough to make the move have some teeth.

 

[Lilofan]

I think it is possible that they will try to stick it to Disney from time to time...but I am not leaping to "palms of inspectors being greased." Sorry, just not a plausible scenario in this situation.

Also, Aungst has experience in tourism and commercial development while Sasso has experience in construction litigation. Relevant IMO. But yes, all appointed by the gov.

One must naive if one doesn't think the other way around with Disney getting what they want
You help me I help you.

 

[celluloid]

A motivated safety inspector can ALWAYS find a violation. “Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime.”

You’re positing that safety inspectors are America’s Last Honest Men, incorruptible by the administration that hires and pays them. It’s incredibly willfully naive.

Finding a violation and suddenly being able to shut everything down are not the same thing.


Everyone loves Tokyo Disney and its upkeep, You know how regulated they are? Do you think that there is no corruption in eastern government? Disney has food health inspectors. It would be far easier and more detrimental to business to shut restaurants down vs transportation when Disney would have other options and only one or two systems to fix and meet reasonable infractions. Go outside and touch grass if you are going to call reasonable people naive.


What we do know, as fact is that the current monorails are past their original intended service life, they have more operational issues than ever before and the doors have literally fallen off, or been stuck open with guests on board far more frequently than such a thing would occur. Not to mention pieces of vehicle and track breaking and or falling into guest areas.

It is not like Disney is full of only honesty. That would be a fallacy too. So inspections are not exactly unnecessary.

 

[LAKid53]

Yes, they are politicians...disappointing. But not that surprising...

I cannot remember in my nearly 57 years residing in this state and nearly 40 years working in state government a politician, much less the governor, using the weight of the state to punish a major source of the state's revenues for releasing a statement about a bill it felt impacted a segment of its employees. And that's ALL that happened on TWDC's part...Chapek released a statement about HB1557. AFTER he privately spoke to DeSantis.

 

[EeyoreFan#24]

So if the state was to go on the hunt for inspectors that are expert in the systems proposed in the bill….where is that pool of talent located in fl. Hmmmm…Mabye Central Florida?

There’s probably a few more around, but my point is the experts would need to come from somewhere, so I ask the question if the state would hire any Disney people that applied based on experience to regulate safety or would there just be other qualifications that have nothing to do with the transportation system.

Also, the monorail is not the first transport system the government allows private companies to inspect themselves. Nor will it be the last.