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

[GoofGoof]

I am still seeing people who think that Disney somehow uses RCID to "pay itself" in taxes and circumvents it's obligation to pay FL state taxes.

In defense of some of those people they may be a casual observer and they believe those things because that’s what they have been told. They turn on a certain network and the talking heads or even the Governor himself is on the air railing on about making Disney pay their fair share of taxes. Many people don’t assume they are being lied to….they probably should…..but they don’t.

 

[GBAB1973]

So the new Reedy Creek board has chosen Fishback Dominick as special counsel to the board. This law firm was selected before they knew about the agreements and it was actually this firm that discovered the documents and presented them to the board. Fishback Dominick is the same law firm that wrote the Reedy Creek bill that DeSantis signed. The firm is now saying that the board needs to hire better lawyers in order to take on Disney.

How embarrassing!

I still utterly perplexed (and amused) that no one........... the prospective board, their attorneys, DeSantis, his admin, his lawyers, the legislature, their attorneys................ even saw what Disney was doing in plain sight.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Can a district sue a developer for an agreement that it itself legally entered into with itself?

I don’t see why not and I actually would hope so.

It’s that classic movie scenario: if we don’t raise enough money by Saturday they’re going to tear down the community center! Let’s say a local government did do something shady. Knowing it would be unpopular, an outgoing county commission made a secret deal with a developer. They didn’t give proper public notice because they knew it would not be popular. Wouldn’t you want there to be some way for the new commissioners to get out of that deal?

I even understand there being concerns and issues with a governing body enacting last minute deals. I would raise an eyebrow over a big deal made during a lame duck session. I think this would be more suspect if it was done between the legislation being signed and the new board being confirmed (and why didn’t they need to be confirmed?!). That’s why, while I do thinks it’s motivated by partisan politics, I don’t think the attorney general is out of line for seeking public records.

 

[mmascari]

(and why didn’t they need to be confirmed?!)

It's not just me then. It's not that I just missed the news. Not that nobody did any reporting on the confirmation votes, or any conformation hearings.

It's that it didn't even happen?

The press conference announced board just showed up for work and started holding meetings.
No nomination paperwork.
No nomination votes.
No senate approval, even though that's what the law says.

I thought maybe I nodded off for a few days, maybe had a stroke or something, and completely missed those events. If someone shares a link to the confirmation votes, I'll assume it was the nodding off and not a stroke, for now......

 

[LittleBuford]

I still utterly perplexed (and amused) that no one........... the prospective board, their attorneys, DeSantis, his admin, his lawyers, the legislature, their attorneys................ even saw what Disney was doing in plain sight.

Beyond that, I find it interesting and surprising that journalists and others who follow Disney closely were seemingly likewise in the dark. Part of me wonders whether any pro-Disney people did notice but chose to keep quiet so as not to spoil the plan.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I feel like because the complicated arrangement Disney had with Florida and the complex nature of special taxing districts like RCID makes a lot of people feel like because they can't understand how it all works, it must somehow be a bad thing and the state is correct in resolving it to make it uncomplicated. It makes it ripe for a politician like DeSantis to step in and look like he's sticking it to a well known entity that has a complex arrangement with the state to make it seem like that arrangement let's Disney "get away" with something for so long, and DeSantis gets to look like a hero to some for "fixing" it.

Of course, I'm willing to bet most of those who support DeSantis doing this didn't have a problem with Disney and the RCID arrangement until they were told it was a problem that needed correcting. Nuisance about what actually started this dispute aside.

The situation is also unintuitive for a lot of people. Tell most people they can get a special deal on their property and most are going to want something like less taxes. Pretty much no one is going to ask for more control over the sewer line and to do so on their own dime.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It's not just me then. It's not that I just missed the news. Not that nobody did any reporting on the confirmation votes, or any conformation hearings.

It's that it didn't even happen?

The press conference announced board just showed up for work and started holding meetings.
No nomination paperwork.
No nomination votes.
No senate approval, even though that's what the law says.

I thought maybe I nodded off for a few days, maybe had a stroke or something, and completely missed those events. If someone shares a link to the confirmation votes, I'll assume it was the nodding off and not a stroke, for now......

I haven’t gone back to check the ethics committee but they weren’t on the agenda for those few days between the session starting and that first meeting.

Even now, their entries on the Senate’s Executive Appointments website are weird. Their term begins before their receipt date (I believe this is the required official notice to the Senate) and no Senate actions is listed either.

Executive Appointments - The Florida Senate

www.flsenate.gov

Executive Appointments - The Florida Senate

www.flsenate.gov

Executive Appointments - The Florida Senate

www.flsenate.gov

Executive Appointments - The Florida Senate

www.flsenate.gov

Executive Appointments - The Florida Senate

www.flsenate.gov

 

[Mr. Stay Puft]

I don’t see why not and I actually would hope so.

It’s that classic movie scenario: if we don’t raise enough money by Saturday they’re going to tear down the community center! Let’s say a local government did do something shady. Knowing it would be unpopular, an outgoing county commission made a secret deal with a developer. They didn’t give proper public notice because they knew it would not be popular. Wouldn’t you want there to be some way for the new commissioners to get out of that deal?

I even understand there being concerns and issues with a governing body enacting last minute deals. I would raise an eyebrow over a big deal made during a lame duck session. I think this would be more suspect if it was done between the legislation being signed and the new board being confirmed (and why didn’t they need to be confirmed?!). That’s why, while I do thinks it’s motivated by partisan politics, I don’t think the attorney general is out of line for seeking public records.

It wasn't a secret deal though. It was done in public. They just didn't make a grandiose public announcement about it.

 

[Mr. Stay Puft]

In defense of some of those people they may be a casual observer and they believe those things because that’s what they have been told. They turn on a certain network and the talking heads or even the Governor himself is on the air railing on about making Disney pay their fair share of taxes. Many people don’t assume they are being lied to….they probably should…..but they don’t.

And they're choosing to be willfully ignorant on the matter and are doubling down on it, even after being explained to how it all works.

Leading to a whole lot of bad faith discussions on this subject. Not necessarily here, but in other areas of discourse.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It wasn't a secret deal though. It was done in public. They just didn't make a grandiose public announcement about it.

I’m not sure what this is directed towards. I didn’t say anything about the Disney deal being done in secret.

 

[Mr. Stay Puft]

I’m not sure what this is directed towards. I didn’t say anything about the Disney deal being done in secret.

I'm just saying in the example scenario you laid out about there being a secret deal. Those do happen all time in civic institutions and in corporate dealings as we all know. Just that in this particular instance, this deal between Disney and the former board wasn't actually done in secret.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you yourself attend this public hearing?

 

[JoeCamel]

Publicly… but do we really know what they’re doing behind the scenes? I’d be shocked if Disney isn’t still greasing palms with PACs and other “harder to track” ways of donating, there’s too much money involved for Disney not to be playing the game.

DeSantis should have realized Disney is above his league, they are the masters at this game, I’ve always been impressed how they can maintain a squeaky clean public image while simultaneously being absolutely cut throat behind closed doors. He chose the wrong company to mess with.

He mistook woke for weak

 

[GoofGoof]

And they're choosing to be willfully ignorant on the matter and are doubling down on it, even after being explained to how it all works.

Leading to a whole lot of bad faith discussions on this subject. Not necessarily here, but in other areas of discourse.

I don’t disagree some are. Those who follow politics and “have a side” they strongly support.

For the average American they read the original headlines and saw “Governor stripping Disney of tax benefit“ and assumed Disney had an actual tax benefit. Now that the new headline is “Disney‘s lawyers outsmart Governor in attempted takeover of District”and most people never bothered reading the original story or the follow up or looking into the actual facts they conclude that Disney had a tax break, the Governor tried to eliminate the tax break but got outplayed by a much smarter company so the tax break still stands. It’s what happens when people’s primary source of information is 280 character tweets and 30 second TikTok videos.

 

[Riviera Rita]

I don’t disagree some are. Those who follow politics and “have a side” they strongly support.

For the average American they read the original headlines and saw “Governor stripping Disney of tax benefit“ and assumed Disney had an actual tax benefit. Now that the new headline is “Disney‘s lawyers outsmart Governor in attempted takeover of District”and most people never bothered reading the original story or the follow up or looking into the actual facts they conclude that Disney had a tax break, the Governor tried to eliminate the tax break but got outplayed by a much smarter company so the tax break still stands. It’s what happens when people’s primary source of information is 280 character tweets and 30 second TikTok videos.

Or Fox News

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

And they're choosing to be willfully ignorant on the matter and are doubling down on it, even after being explained to how it all works.

Leading to a whole lot of bad faith discussions on this subject. Not necessarily here, but in other areas of discourse.

I don’t disagree some are. Those who follow politics and “have a side” they strongly support.

For the average American they read the original headlines and saw “Governor stripping Disney of tax benefit“ and assumed Disney had an actual tax benefit. Now that the new headline is “Disney‘s lawyers outsmart Governor in attempted takeover of District”and most people never bothered reading the original story or the follow up or looking into the actual facts they conclude that Disney had a tax break, the Governor tried to eliminate the tax break but got outplayed by a much smarter company so the tax break still stands. It’s what happens when people’s primary source of information is 280 character tweets and 30 second TikTok videos.

This country desperately needs another Walter Cronkite, someone both sides view as impartial and just reporting the news. Unfortunately I think those days of an impartial reporter are behind us.

It’s pretty telling when polls find the most trusted news source in America is the BBC.

 

[flynnibus]

This country desperately needs another Walter Cronkite, someone both sides view as impartial and just reporting the news.

Those types weren't impartial - they just had standards in their reporting that kept them from reporting on unqualified things and to aim to keep commentary out of reporting segments. Reporting and commentary were meant to be separate topics.

The reason why people don't do the same now is not for lack of a character like Cronkite but because the mob doesn't want the objectivity. The masses respond to being fluffed, stroked, and pushing something to focus anger at. This is not new, but with the deregulation of the airwaves and the expansion of media outlets... the barrier to getting an audience has collapsed and the worst is easily spread.

The technique of creating boogiemen is as old as time... the problem is not lack of a beacon, the problem is the audience. The problem is us.

 

[danlb_2000]

Those types weren't impartial - they just had standards in their reporting that kept them from reporting on unqualified things and to aim to keep commentary out of reporting segments. Reporting and commentary were meant to be separate topics.

The reason why people don't do the same now is not for lack of a character like Cronkite but because the mob doesn't want the objectivity. The masses respond to being fluffed, stroked, and pushing something to focus anger at. This is not new, but with the deregulation of the airwaves and the expansion of media outlets... the barrier to getting an audience has collapsed and the worst is easily spread.

The technique of creating boogiemen is as old as time... the problem is not lack of a beacon, the problem is the audience. The problem is us.

Being at one extreme or the other will get more eyeballs then being impartial.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

A possible development (sorry if this is not news). The writer of this article also believes the developer agreement will stand and the covenant restriction may not.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' new appointees on the board of directors of The Walt Disney Co.'s once self-governing district have hired four law firms to fight agreements approved by the outgoing board last month that strip the current board of much of its power, but experts told Law360 they face a tough battle challenging the agreements.

Old Disney District Board's Deals Likely Legal, Experts Say - Law360

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' new appointees on the board of directors of The Walt Disney Co.'s once self-governing district have hired four law firms to fight agreements approved by the outgoing board last month that strip the current board of much of its power, but experts told Law360 they face a...

www.law360.com

 

[peter11435]

COURT time.... and I do not go to places under litigation...
First? State - and an appeal.
2nd? Federal area.
3rd? Potentially Supreme.

Not dealing with it....

Then you honestly couldn’t ever go just about anywhere.

 

[GoofGoof]

This country desperately needs another Walter Cronkite, someone both sides view as impartial and just reporting the news. Unfortunately I think those days of an impartial reporter are behind us.

It’s pretty telling when polls find the most trusted news source in America is the BBC.

I don’t disagree. I actually don‘t have a huge problem with being somewhat partisan or having a biased slant but that doesn’t mean you can’t challenge a blatant lie or ask someone a tough question. If you aren’t willing to do that then you are just a PR extension of the side you support (AKA cable news). As @flynnibus and @danlb_2000 pointed out, at least based on ratings, the masses prefer the overly biased coverage. I think the disconnect between tv ratings for cable news and the polls you are describing is that a lot of people in the middle won’t watch cable news at all so the networks have raced towards the extremes where they get the most viewers who actually will watch.