Fido Chuckwagon
Well-Known Member
Unlikely.
-
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News Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
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tissandtully
Well-Known Member
works for DVC
MagicHappens1971
Well-Known Member
They also just announced $17 billion in investments in Florida over the next 10 years. Unreasonable to think that juries won’t side with Disney, aside from the reasons based in law.
RamblinWreck
Well-Known Member
Coming back to Disney pointing out that they are able to fight back against this while others in the state can’t…
Maybe Disney should bankroll several more lawsuits for people and companies who have been obvious targets of the governor’s retaliatory tendencies.
Maybe Disney should bankroll several more lawsuits for people and companies who have been obvious targets of the governor’s retaliatory tendencies.
V.i.n.c.e.n.t.
Member
They will make more money this year than ever...
Last edited by a moderator:
Read the lawsuit. Here's the link: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23789600-file-stamped-disney-complaint1
Also, given how busy the parks have been, they're clearly not suffering.
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
Tell me you don't know any of the facts without telling me you don't know any of the facts
Doubt it. Assistant State Attorney looks good on a resume.
Yep
The taxpayers of Florida.
Fido Chuckwagon
Well-Known Member
It's just extremely unlikely this thing ever gets to a jury. Juries decide issues of fact. What issue of fact is in dispute here? Desantis and the members of the legislature admitted to all of Disney's allegations, through their public statements, and through Desantis book! Most, if not all of it is going to get decided in a summary judgment motion.
Disney Sues DeSantis Over Control of Its Florida Resort
The company claimed “a targeted campaign of government retaliation,” which it said stemmed from its criticism of a contentious state education law.
Disney Sues DeSantis Over Control of Its Florida Resort
The company claimed “a targeted campaign of government retaliation,” which it said stemmed from its criticism of a contentious state education law.
By Brooks Barnes
April 26, 2023Updated 12:01 p.m. ET
The fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Walt Disney Company is headed to court.
On Wednesday, a board appointed by Mr. DeSantis to oversee government services at Disney World voted to nullify two agreements that gave Disney vast control over expansion at the 25,000-acre resort complex. Within minutes, Disney sued Mr. DeSantis, the five-member board and other state officials in federal court, claiming “a targeted campaign of government retaliation.”
Last year, under pressure from its employees, Disney criticized a Florida education law labeled “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents and halted political donations in the state — and landed in the cross hairs of Mr. DeSantis, who put a plan in motion to revoke Disney World’s self-governing privileges. Disney’s lawsuit accused Mr. DeSantis of a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint.” The campaign, the complaint added, “now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region and violates its constitutional rights.”
A spokeswoman for Mr. DeSantis had no immediate comment.
At the center of the fight between Mr. DeSantis and Disney is a special tax district that encompasses Disney World, which employs 75,000 people and attracts 50 million visitors annually. The district, created in 1967 southwest of Orlando, effectively turned the property into its own county, giving Disney unusual control over fire protection, policing, waste management, energy generation, road maintenance, bond issuance and development planning.
In February, lawmakers decided to allow the governor to appoint an oversight board for the district in an attempt to curtail the company’s autonomy. The state previously allowed Disney, Florida’s largest taxpayer, to select the board members.
Before the new board was in place, however, Disney pushed through the agreements in early February — in public meetings advertised in The Orlando Sentinel. One of the agreements gives Disney the ability to build 14,000 additional hotel rooms, a fifth theme park and three smaller parks. The other restricts the use of abutting land; no strip clubs, for instance.
When the DeSantis appointees reported for duty last month, they were outraged to discover that the previous, Disney-controlled board had approved the development agreement and restrictive covenants, limiting the new board’s power for decades to come.
Mr. DeSantis — a leading Republican presidential contender although he has not officially declared that he is running — also reacted with fury. He suggested a variety of potential punitive actions against Disney, including reappraising the value of the resort for property tax levies and developing land near the entrances to the resort. “Maybe create a state park, maybe try to do more amusement parks — someone even said, like, maybe you need another state prison,” he said at an April 17 news conference.
He also said that an effort was underway to give the state new authority over ride safety inspections at Disney World, as well as its 15-mile monorail transportation system, which carries an estimated 150,000 passengers a day.
The nullification vote by the board came after its general counsel, Daniel Langley, presented evidence of what he called “self-dealing” and “procedural unconscionability” by Disney in pushing through the agreements earlier this year. Mr. Langley and another board lawyer said Disney violated Florida law in multiple ways, including by failing to fully notify the public of the actions it took.
“What they created is an absolute legal mess,” Martin Garcia, the board chairman, said of Disney during the meeting.
Disney’s lawsuit called the board’s action “patently retaliatory, patently anti-business and patently unconstitutional.”
Daniel M. Petrocelli, a high-powered Los Angeles litigator, filed the complaints on Disney’s behalf in United States District Court in Tallahassee. Mr. Petrocelli was the lawyer who former President Donald J. Trump turned to in 2016 when dealing with a class-action fraud case against the defunct Trump University.
Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, has characterized Mr. DeSantis as “anti-business” and “anti-Florida” for his actions. Mr. Iger has also signaled that future investment in Disney World could be at risk if the governor continued to use Disney as a political punching bag; the company has earmarked more than $17 billion in spending at the resort over the next decade, growth that would create an estimated 13,000 jobs at the company.
Disney paid and collected a total of $1.2 billion in state and local taxes in 2022, according to company disclosures.
“A company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do,” Mr. Iger said at Disney’s annual shareholder meeting this month. “The governor got very angry over the position Disney took and seems like he’s decided to retaliate against us, including the naming of a new board to oversee the property, in effect to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right. And that just seems really wrong to me.”
Kamikaze
Well-Known Member
RCID/CFTOD
That's the primary reason they are planning on raising taxes. They can't run a deficit so they have to come up with the attorney's fees somewhere.
Figgy1
Well-Known Member
Yes but there's probably going to be an injunction so I don't see how they can raise taxes when they have no power and how can RC be held accountable for the bills if the district is restored
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/26/desantis-disney-lawsuit/
Walt Disney Co. is suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over what it calls a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” — a major escalation of the year-long clash between the entertainment giant and conservative governor.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida came the same day the governor’s handpicked board declared a Disney-friendly deal null and void. Disney and DeSantis’s office have been tussling privately for the past year, but the frequency and intensity of their sparring has intensified dramatically in recent days.
The standoff, which could have major political and economic consequences, began in early 2022 when Disney leaders criticized a controversial education bill advanced by DeSantis and other Florida Republicans. Disney’s resorts in Florida are some of the state’s prime attractions, but DeSantis expressed outrage that the company dare criticize the education bill, and he began attacking the company, saying it had received preferential treatment for too long.
DeSantis, whom many consider a top presidential contender, has repeatedly turned to the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to help him rein in Disney. The first effort came in a special session in April 2022, when lawmakers dissolved the special taxing district created in 1967 to help the company develop and control its vast property near Orlando.
But that move quickly caused concerns about what would happen with Disney’s tax and debt burden. Local government officials called it “a $1 billion debt bomb” and said they could have been forced to raise taxes on property owners to pay for what Disney’s district used to fund, such as roads and other services.
DeSantis ordered another special session in February to address that issue by keeping the tax district, but replacing the board selected by Disney — called the Reedy Creek Improvement District — with a new panel. DeSantis chose the five new board members and called the agency the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board. When the new board held its first meeting in March, members said they discovered that the outgoing Disney board had handed over most of their power to Disney. That’s what they voted to overturn on Wednesday.
Local business owners who run cafes and restaurants on Disney’s property, and nearby residents pleaded with the new board Wednesday to end the feud. They said they can’t afford to pay higher taxes that the board said will be necessary to pay legal fees, and that ideas floated by the governor — such as new toll roads within Disney’s property — would be a burden on their employees.
Mark Gibson, who owns three businesses at Disney, said he’s voted for DeSantis twice but finds the battle with Disney worrisome.
“This dispute has continued for more than a year. There’s already been a lot of negative publicity that we have to deal with, with guests and with our customers,” Gibson said. “Ultimately, we’re concerned about the repercussions for our restaurants and our employees.”
Debra McDonald said she and her family have lived at Celebration, a town built by Disney within the Reedy Creek district, for more 26 years. The company provides utilities, including electricity, to its more than 11,000 residents.
“People are afraid of losing their homes,” McDonald said. “Many people in our community are afraid. Uncertainty, fear, and controversy are not good.”
The standoff “has hurt us deeply,” she said. “It’s not just between the governor and Disney. It’s affecting everyone around you.”
Disney’s Magic Kingdom location near Orlando is considered the busiest theme park in the world, drawing nearly 13 million visitors in 2021. Its Animal Kingdom resort is also a top draw, attracting more than 7 million people that year, according to AECOM and the Themed Entertainment Association.
In its legal complaint, Disney accused DeSantis of punishing it for protected speech, threatening its business operations, jeopardizing its economic future in the region and violating its constitutional rights.
“Having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution,” the complaint said, “the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.”
A DeSantis spokeswoman called Disney’s lawsuit “another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters” and circumvent state law.
“We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state,” said Taryn Fenske, communications director for the governor’s office.
What started with criticism over a controversial education bill has turned into a high profile tug-of-war between two of the state’s most powerful entities: Disney, which employs more than 75,000 people, and DeSantis, who is expected to announce his bid for the GOP presidential nomination in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, business goes on as usual at the Magic Kingdom.
Matt Roseboom, the editor and publisher of Attractions Magazine, which covers Disney and other theme parks, said the Disney-DeSantis feud hasn’t impacted visitors to the Florida park. “The average guest that’s coming to Disney probably has heard something about the feud, but it’s really not affecting anything.”
The new board said it may have to raise taxes on Disney to pay for attorneys to fight the company in court. DeSantis has floated the idea of building another theme park on Disney property, or even a state prison.
But the notion seems far-fetched, Roseboom said.
“I think everybody’s pretty confident that Disney is not going to have to have a prison in the Magic Kingdom,” he said. “I think people are just more making a joke out of it right now.”
Disney sues Gov. Ron DeSantis, alleging political retaliation
The Florida governor is working with the legislature to overturn the entertainment giant’s latest oversight agreementWalt Disney Co. is suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over what it calls a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” — a major escalation of the year-long clash between the entertainment giant and conservative governor.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida came the same day the governor’s handpicked board declared a Disney-friendly deal null and void. Disney and DeSantis’s office have been tussling privately for the past year, but the frequency and intensity of their sparring has intensified dramatically in recent days.
The standoff, which could have major political and economic consequences, began in early 2022 when Disney leaders criticized a controversial education bill advanced by DeSantis and other Florida Republicans. Disney’s resorts in Florida are some of the state’s prime attractions, but DeSantis expressed outrage that the company dare criticize the education bill, and he began attacking the company, saying it had received preferential treatment for too long.
DeSantis, whom many consider a top presidential contender, has repeatedly turned to the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to help him rein in Disney. The first effort came in a special session in April 2022, when lawmakers dissolved the special taxing district created in 1967 to help the company develop and control its vast property near Orlando.
But that move quickly caused concerns about what would happen with Disney’s tax and debt burden. Local government officials called it “a $1 billion debt bomb” and said they could have been forced to raise taxes on property owners to pay for what Disney’s district used to fund, such as roads and other services.
DeSantis ordered another special session in February to address that issue by keeping the tax district, but replacing the board selected by Disney — called the Reedy Creek Improvement District — with a new panel. DeSantis chose the five new board members and called the agency the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board. When the new board held its first meeting in March, members said they discovered that the outgoing Disney board had handed over most of their power to Disney. That’s what they voted to overturn on Wednesday.
Local business owners who run cafes and restaurants on Disney’s property, and nearby residents pleaded with the new board Wednesday to end the feud. They said they can’t afford to pay higher taxes that the board said will be necessary to pay legal fees, and that ideas floated by the governor — such as new toll roads within Disney’s property — would be a burden on their employees.
Mark Gibson, who owns three businesses at Disney, said he’s voted for DeSantis twice but finds the battle with Disney worrisome.
“This dispute has continued for more than a year. There’s already been a lot of negative publicity that we have to deal with, with guests and with our customers,” Gibson said. “Ultimately, we’re concerned about the repercussions for our restaurants and our employees.”
Debra McDonald said she and her family have lived at Celebration, a town built by Disney within the Reedy Creek district, for more 26 years. The company provides utilities, including electricity, to its more than 11,000 residents.
“People are afraid of losing their homes,” McDonald said. “Many people in our community are afraid. Uncertainty, fear, and controversy are not good.”
The standoff “has hurt us deeply,” she said. “It’s not just between the governor and Disney. It’s affecting everyone around you.”
Disney’s Magic Kingdom location near Orlando is considered the busiest theme park in the world, drawing nearly 13 million visitors in 2021. Its Animal Kingdom resort is also a top draw, attracting more than 7 million people that year, according to AECOM and the Themed Entertainment Association.
In its legal complaint, Disney accused DeSantis of punishing it for protected speech, threatening its business operations, jeopardizing its economic future in the region and violating its constitutional rights.
“Having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution,” the complaint said, “the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.”
A DeSantis spokeswoman called Disney’s lawsuit “another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters” and circumvent state law.
“We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state,” said Taryn Fenske, communications director for the governor’s office.
What started with criticism over a controversial education bill has turned into a high profile tug-of-war between two of the state’s most powerful entities: Disney, which employs more than 75,000 people, and DeSantis, who is expected to announce his bid for the GOP presidential nomination in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, business goes on as usual at the Magic Kingdom.
Matt Roseboom, the editor and publisher of Attractions Magazine, which covers Disney and other theme parks, said the Disney-DeSantis feud hasn’t impacted visitors to the Florida park. “The average guest that’s coming to Disney probably has heard something about the feud, but it’s really not affecting anything.”
The new board said it may have to raise taxes on Disney to pay for attorneys to fight the company in court. DeSantis has floated the idea of building another theme park on Disney property, or even a state prison.
But the notion seems far-fetched, Roseboom said.
“I think everybody’s pretty confident that Disney is not going to have to have a prison in the Magic Kingdom,” he said. “I think people are just more making a joke out of it right now.”
MagicHappens1971
Well-Known Member
I mean Disney is also suing for their legal fees, wouldn’t the state pay? Not the District?
Dranth
Well-Known Member
Ah yes, the sneaky tactic of having publicly noticed, open to anyone meetings before the new bill had even been introduced.
I think your definition of sneaky is very different than mine.
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Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
It’s rare that Disney can so completely complain to be “the victim”. That’s tough for any large corporation
They can do that here. 100%
Yup
AEfx
Well-Known Member
Well, no - I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the jurors to make their decision based solely on the law - I mean, they are going to take a legal oath pledging to do just that.
That said, I don't think that argument would hold as much sway as you think it would. I mean, a single mother working two jobs just to keep a one-bedroom apartment running, or a single person who can just barely afford to live with roommates who's big dream is to get an apartment of their own some day, etc. - I don't think they are going to be swayed with "Hey, Disney says they are going to spend billions in the next ten years, surely my life will improve if they do!"
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
To be fair no one who needed to see it reads the Orlando Sentinel, maybe they should have noticed it on Fox News or OAN
