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

[LAKid53]

Should a CEO publicly condemn a state politician though? Chapek specifically took on DeSantis and his popular legislation, to apparently appease 98 hipsters who walked out in Burbank and who don't vote in Florida. How stupid does Chapek have to be to not know that? Who the heck was writing Chapek's public statements in open criticism of a popular governor and popular legislation?

Not a single person walked out at Disneyland, that employs 30,000 people on site.

In Florida, that employs 65,000+ on site, exactly one (1) Disney employee walked out. It was a lone hourly CM who works in a Disney World gift shop.

And I thought that kid was 100 times braver and has far more respect from me than any salaried hipsters who took a Comp Day to parade around the Burbank campus for 20 minutes before going to Brunch to brag about "how brave we are!" over Mimosas. When they were anything but brave, because they know not only will they not get any pushback or career damage for their Comp Day stunt, but they will be lauded and praised by coworkers and on Instagram for... taking a Comp Day from their salary cubicle jobs at a liberal company in a very liberal town.

Yes. Because when a politician does something as unneeded as DeSantis has done, those whose employees are affected should speak out.

I've spent nearly 40 years in state government. You don't think corporations in this state haven't criticized the actions of the governor or the Legislature before?

 

[LAKid53]

I wrote a grad thesis on preferential public spending on sports stadiums.... where do I sign up?!?

Oh, I've got a list of one time state appropriations that somehow magically became recurring ones year after year after year...once the original purpose was fulfilled.

 

[mikejs78]

Should a CEO publicly condemn a state politician though?

It is absolutely everyone's right in this country, whether they are a CEO or someone making minimum wage, to be able to speak their mind on political legislation without fear of retaliation.

 

[celluloid]

"You know that business of yours that is responsible for billions of dollars of tourism revenue? Yeah, you're just a guest in this here state." What a warm, business-friendly message to send. I'm sure no other large corporations considering moving their headquarters in the future will ever remember that.

Disney and others is fine doing business in China and many other areas with questionable moves. I don't think even if things got rough that they will pull the billions they make out of Florida to this one that the majority people have no strong aversion to.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think it's because he said something at all. I believe if he had either ignored the issue and let the employees rant and rave on twitter and protest the story would have been done and over by now. He may have lost some employees but I don't think it would have hurt the company much. It also would have set the precedent that the company under his "leadership" would be less political going forward without him having to actually say it. Lots of people would be upset for a while but they'd get over it. Also lots of people wouldn't have been upset at all.

I know most people are not in management, but Bob C. was under moral obligation to support his staff just like Eisner did back in the day when the all powerful religious organizations threatened to boycott WDW because they allowed Guy Day to happen. He knew like Bob did that a large portion of CM's are part of LGBQA. Financially Disney's strength makes Florida seem like a pauper. They have unlimited resources available to not only outlive Gov. DeSenseless they are really looking at him as not much more then a minor annoyance.

 

[Andrew C]

The state of Florida as a shareholder should have no more or less input into the workings of a company than any other stockholder. The state of Florida could express their views about the makeup of Twitter via normal corporate governance dash shareholder meetings, votes, letters to the board, etc. Using governmental levers of legislation to protect the states interest in a particular stock smacks of government cronyism.

Ok?

 

[mikejs78]

Disney and others is fine doing business in China and many other areas with questionable moves. I don't think even if things got rough that they will pull the billions they make out of Florida to this one that the majority people have no strong aversion to.

It's gotten to the point where we're comparing politics in a US state to that of China?

 

[celluloid]

It is absolutely everyone's right in this country, whether they are a CEO or someone making minimum wage, to be able to speak their mind on political legislation without fear of retaliation.

Free to speak, but the law can act within the law to change things. You can do it without fear, but the leadership can still enact legal changes. It may suck, but that is what Desantis is doing.

 

[celluloid]

It's gotten to the point where we're comparing politics in a US state to that of China?

If the terrible things that occur in China are ok, and all Disney Employees are fine with the profits made the way they are from there and other cultures, why would that business suddenly care from this situation?

 

[mikejs78]

Free to speak, but the law can act within the law to change things. You can do it without fear, but the leadership can still enact legal changes. It may suck, but that is what Desantis is doing.

No that's not the case. Governments are expressly prohibited from preventing the free exercise of speech. The courts have held a retaliation doctrine exists where someone cannot be retaliated against for their speech. It's never been tested in regards to a corporation or to legislation but given citizens united, there's a potential for some interesting case law here.

 

[mikejs78]

If the terrible things that occur in China are ok, and all Disney Employees are fine with the profits made the way they are from there and other cultures, why would that business suddenly care from this situation?

I care because I live in the United States and I believe in what this country is supposed to stand for, and what's happening in Florida right now is the antithesis of that.

 

[LAKid53]

Disney and others is fine doing business in China and many other areas with questionable moves. I don't think even if things got rough that they will pull the billions they make out of Florida to this one that the majority people have no strong aversion to.

Disney isn't going to pull out of Florida. However it will remind certain members of the Florida Legislature, privately, of the approximately $75.2B it annually contributed to the economy of Central Florida and the over $5B it contributes to tax revenues.

 

[TP2000]

It is absolutely everyone's right in this country, whether they are a CEO or someone making minimum wage, to be able to speak their mind on political legislation without fear of retaliation.

Agreed. But I think you're using a very broad definition of "retaliation". The Florida State Police will not be swooping in to Bob Chapek's home, nor will they arrive at TDO to harass employees. The governor of Florida, after being publicly attacked by a corporate CEO, is looking into the sweetheart deal that company enjoys in his state.

Bob Chapek took on a popular governor headed to easy re-election when he should not have. Bob Chapek is in charge of a giant Florida complex that has 1960's self-governance still in place. DeSantis and the Florida legislature have every legal right to take a second look at that 57 year old government deal and determine if it still has a place in the 21st century.

Quite frankly, I'm surprised it took Tallahassee this long to figure that out.

 

[LAKid53]

Free to speak, but the law can act within the law to change things. You can do it without fear, but the leadership can still enact legal changes. It may suck, but that is what Desantis is doing.

The First Amendment expressly forbids government suppressing speech. And that would include speech of a corporation.

 

[celluloid]

No that's not the case. Governments are expressly prohibited from preventing the free exercise of speech. The courts have held a retaliation doctrine exists where someone cannot be retaliated against for their speech. It's never been tested in regards to a corporation or to legislation but given citizens united, there's a potential for some interesting case law here.

They did not prevent the free speech. The speech happened. Good luck on the second part. That is like suing the federal government. Everyone has the right to take the federal government to court, if the federal government decides it is a good case.
Also, legally speaking, a company is not a someone.

 

[WDWTrojan]

Should a CEO publicly condemn a state politician though? Chapek specifically took on DeSantis and his popular legislation, to apparently appease 98 hipsters who walked out in Burbank and who don't vote in Florida. How stupid does Chapek have to be to not know that? Who the heck was writing Chapek's public statements in open criticism of a popular governor and popular legislation?

Not a single person walked out at Disneyland, that employs 30,000 people on site.

In Florida, that employs 65,000+ on site, exactly one (1) Disney employee walked out. It was a lone hourly CM who works in a Disney World gift shop.

And I thought that kid was 100 times braver and has far more respect from me than any salaried hipsters who took a Comp Day to parade around the Burbank campus for 20 minutes before going to Brunch to brag about "how brave we are!" over Mimosas. When they were anything but brave, because they know not only will they not get any pushback or career damage for their Comp Day stunt, but they will be lauded and praised by coworkers and on Instagram for... taking a Comp Day from their salary cubicle jobs at a liberal company in a very liberal town. There is no bravery or danger involved there.

You did it, hipsters! You took a Comp Day and got Likes on the 'Gram! Now it's time for Brunch!

Disney has an incredibly long history of speaking out about legislation and/or state policies they disapprove of, from California's prolonged COVID regulations to an anti-abortion bill and anti-LGBT bathroom bill in Georgia. Those issues didn't provoke any backlash because they spoke out forcefully at the beginning, not after a lengthy delay where their silence itself became a story. Plus no state legislature is dumb enough to actually take a specifically targeted action at one of the largest companies in the world.

Plus credit to the Republicans who somehow managed to make a poorly written bill that bans even things as minor as a child's family tree in the classroom and turned it into "if you're against this you must be for molesting children." It's hideous but functional.

All that said, I continue to believe this is just pandering and will wind up being DOA relatively soon. None of these legislators want to be on Disney's blacklist once they "unpause" political donations.

 

[celluloid]

The First Amendment expressly forbids government suppressing speech. And that would include speech of a corporation.

They did not suppress it. The company can say what they want all day long and still can.

 

[LAKid53]

I know most people are not in management, but Bob C. was under moral obligation to support his staff just like Eisner did back in the day when the all powerful religious organizations threatened to boycott WDW because they allowed Guy Day to happen. He knew like Bob did that a large portion of CM's are part of LGBQA. Financially Disney's strength makes Florida seem like a pauper. They have unlimited resources available to not only outlive Gov. DeSenseless they are really looking at him as not much more then a minor annoyance.

Politicians come and go....

 

[flynnibus]

McDonalds and Coca Cola and tons of other big companies exist without taking fake political stances for their audience.

Taking political stances in your publicity only serves to alienate a portion of people. Best to be neutral and not political IMO.

You might think that - but no

Public Policy & Political Engagement

www.coca-colacompany.com

 

[mkt]

They did not suppress it. The company can say what they want all day long and still can.

So why are they being penalized for it?