News Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

[mikejs78]

So reading the bill text, I think I see the play here. Revoke RCID (giving Desantis the win and final word), then reorganize as a standard CDD under the post 1968 framework. "New" RCID takes on the existing debt and assets, circumventing the issue of the counties absorbing it, but naturally has a lot less power and is no more special than anybody else in the state.

I don't support retaliatory action by the Governor, and I'm not even going to start on the issues that got us here in the first place... but I kinda support this outcome? It puts Disney on a level playing field and they still get the powers they need, and not the ones they don't.

I just read the text. That may be the case, but it also may be to cover other districts created before 1968 and leave Disney out in the cold... There's nothing in this legislation that says that repealed districts *will* be reconstituted.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The positions of what was conservative and liberal have changed since Walt's time, and beyond that, Disney has always been political.

Disney has needed/used political influence since the 1930’s.

You must be talking about another “non-political company”

Good luck finding one

"Disney being involved in politics" means at least four or five different things that we've been talking about interchangeably, but I think are very different.

Meaning 1: Disney, as a company, lobbying for things in which it has direct interest. Things like casino zoning, copyright protection, corporate tax rates, maritime regulations, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, etc.

Meaning 2: Disney, as a company, lobbying for things in which it has indirect interest or no interest whatsoever. This is where opposition to HB 1557 falls, or their decision to "boycott Georgia" when Georgia passed some election reform legislation. This is where they get into the most trouble because it opens them up to criticism and accusations of hypocrisy given their entanglements in China.

Meaning 3: Disney, as a company, including political messaging in their content. This is more of a mixed bag. I'm a right-of-center guy, but I have no objection to Disney talking about climate change in Awesome Planet, or promoting fellowship among the international community in World Showcase. I do have a problem with Questlove teaching my children about microaggressions in Disney Junior shows.

Meaning 4: Disney, as a company, pushing a political agenda among its cast, crew, and employees. Everyone should feel welcome to work at a company as diverse as Disney, but their approach to DE&I has been ham-fisted so as to make politically conservative employees feel unwelcome.

Meaning 5: Disney leaders, including senior executives, participating in politics in their personal lives.

IMO, #1 and #5 are entirely legitimate. #2 and #4 are entirely illegitimate. And #3 needs to be done right.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

…the second biggest narcissist in America not a member of Kris jenner’s family

Elon Musk?

 

[drnilescrane]

I just read the text. That may be the case, but it also may be to cover other districts created before 1968 and leave Disney out in the cold... There's nothing in this legislation that says that repealed districts *will* be reconstituted.

Yeah but they have to solve the debt/infrastructure/successor agency issue. A CDD makes the money Disney's problem while still limiting their power.

Also, anybody can apply to form a CDD so it's not a special benefit - the same logic they used to justify still giving them the tax break for Imagineering to move over.

Ultimately, these guys are smart even if they are really, really, really stupid. They found a way to be perceived as screwing Disney while limiting the blowback.

 

[WDWFanRay]

I was born and raised in SoCal and spent 45 years there before moving to Central Florida. Make no mistake, a majority of Californians think Floridians (and most southerners) are backwards bumpkins. They have absolutely no respect for you and think of you as low class - poor relations. The mere fact that a California based company (which Disney is) feels that they have the right and power to tell another state what to do, should be proof enough. Imagine if the tables were turned and it Florida demanding that California change one of their liberal state laws. The laughter would be deafening. The fact that Florida is merely trying to protect itself from a California ideology attack is not an act of bigotry or racism, it’s an act of states rights and states values. One state (no matter how large it is) should be able to come into another state and impose their will. Those are basic founding father ideals.

 

[Casper Gutman]

It kinda feels like we should all be a lot more outraged by government retaliating against a private corporation for political speech, and the fact that we aren't is a pretty big problem with the country right now.

 

[donsullivan]

All of the sales taxes that you pay at Disney (hotels, tickets, food, etc.) go back to Disney. They also control all of the building permits and zoning. All of those taxes would go to Orange County (probably a huge win for them). It would be a HUGE loss for Disney and a big win for Orange County.

Sales tax goes to the state and counties (Orange and Osceola), not RCID.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Seems like the district will simply be reestablished with less favorable tax exemption status. Clearly everyone knows OC absorbing the district would be quite messy.

"An independent special district affected by this subsection may be reestablished on or after June 1, 2023, pursuant to the requirements and limitations of this chapter."

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022C/3C/BillText/Filed/PDF

 

[castlecake2.0]

All of the sales taxes that you pay at Disney (hotels, tickets, food, etc.) go back to Disney. They also control all of the building permits and zoning. All of those taxes would go to Orange County (probably a huge win for them). It would be a HUGE loss for Disney and a big win for Orange County.

That’s not really how it works

 

[drnilescrane]

Section 190.012 of the act limits the special powers of the CDD to a defined set of services and facilities:
• Water management and control
• Water supply, sewerage, and wastewater management
• Bridges and culverts
• District roads and street lights
• Public transportation including buses, trolleys, transit shelters, rideshareing facilities and services, parking infrastructure and related signage
• Investigation and remediation of environmental contamination
• Conservation areas, parks and recreational facilities
• Fire prevention and control
• School buildings and related structures
• Security, but not the exercise of any police power
• Waste collection & disposal
• Mosquito control

Those are the powers of a post 1968 CDD BTW - so Disney really only loses the planning/permitting authority. Which Orange County would rubber stamp regardless.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It kinda feels like we should all be a lot more outraged by government retaliating against a private corporation for political speech, and the fact that we aren't is a pretty big problem with the country right now.

I don't like corporations having special benefits in the first place. Revocation of an unjust privilege is not, itself, unjust.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

All of the sales taxes that you pay at Disney (hotels, tickets, food, etc.) go back to Disney

This is completely untrue.

 

[donsullivan]

(Treading dangerously political) There are a growing number of reports that the reason this was injected into the dialog this week was to distract attention away from the congressional redistricting plan DeSantis is trying to push through. It’s a touch on the controversial side and this creates a smoke-screen of noise to distract attention.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

This is completely untrue.

Yeah but besides that...

 

[peter11435]

All of the sales taxes that you pay at Disney (hotels, tickets, food, etc.) go back to Disney.

This is completely false. None of the sales tax you pay at Disney goes back to Disney.

 

[kong1802]

It kinda feels like we should all be a lot more outraged by government retaliating against a private corporation for political speech, and the fact that we aren't is a pretty big problem with the country right now.

This isn't the first time the current Floridian administration has tried to limit private speech. This is a REALLY big deal.

Now, if Disney was just a bakery.....

 

[Casper Gutman]

I was born and raised in SoCal and spent 45 years there before moving to Central Florida. Make no mistake, a majority of Californians think Floridians (and most southerners) are backwards bumpkins. They have absolutely no respect for you and think of you as low class - poor relations. The mere fact that a California based company (which Disney is) feels that they have the right and power to tell another state what to do, should be proof enough. Imagine if the tables were turned and it Florida demanding that California change one of their liberal state laws. The laughter would be deafening. The fact that Florida is merely trying to protect itself from a California ideology attack is not an act of bigotry or racism, it’s an act of states rights and states values. One state (no matter how large it is) should be able to come into another state and impose their will. Those are basic founding father ideals.

This is utterly incoherent. You understand that Disney is a private actor, right? In no way are they a representative of California or any other state. And politicians from red states CONSTANTLY attack and criticize blue state policies. Its one of the primary things they do, and there are entire television networks letting them do so.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This is completely false. None of the sales tax you pay at Disney goes back to Disney.

We need to go back to the first day of school apparently on this one?

If the idea was “Disney gets benefits from Florida Equal to what they generate for Florida”…then that’s a different argument.

Not a good one…but at least an argument.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Any project that falls under the prevue of RCID can be developed tax exempt. Things like roads, power plants, infrastructure, etc. This does not include theme parks or expansions, resorts, etc. Sometimes the lines are a bit blurred like how the Disney Springs parking facilities were developed tax exempt.

But by no stretch does losing this district result in an absurd financial burden for Disney.

 

[el_super]

This is completely false. None of the sales tax you pay at Disney goes back to Disney.

Ehhhhhhh..... maybe? Florida has a direct pay program that allows companies to collect the tax and defer payment back to the state.... so that Disney can collect the interest (at least for some period of time). It's weird.