Andrew C
You know what's funny?
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.
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News DeSantis moves to bring state safety oversight of the Walt Disney World Monorail including suspending the service for inspections
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
flynnibus
Premium Member
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.
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
Well-Known Member
You do realize that for the CFTOD Board he specifically required that no one had any experience, right?
flynnibus
Premium Member
No - at this point this isn't even a law. It's a bill in the state house.
flynnibus
Premium Member
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
Well-Known Member
Fair, but that doesn't mean he can't direct them to do certain things.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
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
Well-Known Member
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
Premium Member
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.
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
You know what's funny?
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
You know what's funny?
Yes, they are politicians...disappointing. But not that surprising...
Kamikaze
Well-Known Member
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
Premium Member
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.
One must naive if one doesn't think the other way around with Disney getting what they want
You help me I help you.
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.
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
Well-Known Member
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.
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.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
As I have said, I am not comfortable with the gov's actions...and this isn't the time or place to review the records on executive overreach of other gov's or presidents.