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

[CaptainAmerica]

I’ve self-edited a lot of comments and eventually just not posted many of my thoughts. I think ultimately what makes this fascinating is how it touches on so many issues: Disney’s presence as a cultural and economic hegemon (in the world and in central Florida), it’s use as a proxy by culture warriors on both sides, presidential aspirations, local politics score-settling, legislative process and attendant hijinx, the notion of corporate cronyism, a former CEO with a titanic ego that couldn‘t help but draw contrasts between he and his successor, notions of First Amendment freedoms of a private corporation and retaliatory governmental sanction, and, at the heart of it all, a Scopes Monkey Trial type of debate in terms of appropriate in-classroom discussion.

What a time to be alive.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Can you define woke please?

Injecting modern leftist ideology into everything. The idea that, if I don’t explicitly say I’m pro xyz, then I must be anti xyz and atone for my perceived injustices.

So you’re okay with laws that target you for your political positions? Can we impose additional taxes on you and others who share your views? Or is it only okay to punish those you see as opponents?

Isn’t it unfair that Disney and not other businesses gets a special government all to itself?

 

[EricsBiscuit]

The taxpayers, many who voted DeSantis in, will pay for this fight between Disney and DeSantis.
And the law that started this fight will be overturned and RCID will still be gone and the taxpayers will be stuck with the bill.

By taxpayers do you mean Disney? Which has been skirting paying taxes through loopholes thanks to the RCID for years? Please

 

[Tha Realest]

Not sure how to interpret the talking point that this is “bad” for Orange/Osceola counties since it’s money “Disney” won’t have to pay anymore. Trust me, if the RCID had become financially disadvantageous to TWDC over time, the arrangement would’ve been changed (or done away with completely) and TWDC wouldn’t have held such a tight grip over who controls it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Isn’t it unfair that Disney and not other businesses gets a special government all to itself?

Other businesses can get similar districts created. The District means that Disney is the one paying for all sorts of things that the counties would otherwise have to finance. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t be complaining that the counties were building new roads and overpasses for the near exclusive use of Disney.

By taxpayers do you mean Disney? Which has been skirting paying taxes through loopholes thanks to the RCID for years? Please

What loopholes. Give us specifics. What taxes are the counties prohibited from collecting due to the District?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Not sure how to interpret the talking point that this is “bad” for Orange/Osceola counties since it’s money “Disney” won’t have to pay anymore. Trust me, if the RCID had become financially disadvantageous to TWDC over time, the arrangement would’ve been changed (or done away with completely) and TWDC wouldn’t have held such a tight grip over who controls it.

Disney pays a premium for a lot of things. That the District comes at a cost doesn’t mean it doesn’t have benefits to Disney, but it also has benefits to the local counties as well.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Injecting modern leftist ideology into everything. The idea that, if I don’t explicitly say I’m pro xyz, then I must be anti xyz and atone for my perceived injustices.

Isn’t it unfair that Disney and not other businesses gets a special government all to itself?

There’s over 1800 special districts in the state of Florida, Disney is not the the only one. However with the date they chose to dissolve districts, only 5 of the 1,844 districts are targeted.

 

[peter11435]

By taxpayers do you mean Disney? Which has been skirting paying taxes through loopholes thanks to the RCID for years? Please

RCID is not a tax loophole. Disney takes advantages of tax incentives and loopholes just like other individuals and corporations. Reedy Creek is not a tax loophole or incentive

 

[shambolicdefending]

All of those new flyover intersections that have been built they were able to just build, they didn’t have to convince the county to build them and work out a funding mechanism to pay for them.

This is probably more what I was getting after. At the end of the day, RDIC must be saving Disney a ton of money (not just time), otherwise they wouldn't be so opposed to getting rid of it.

 

[peter11435]

Injecting modern leftist ideology into everything. The idea that, if I don’t explicitly say I’m pro xyz, then I must be anti xyz and atone for my perceived injustices.

So you don’t actually know what it means. Good to know. You just use it as buzz word.

 

[Disstevefan1]

By taxpayers do you mean Disney? Which has been skirting paying taxes through loopholes thanks to the RCID for years? Please

After RCID is gone, Disney will continue to skirt taxes and the resident taxpayers (other than Disney) will have to pay for all work that RCID did going forward.

 

[lazyboy97o]

There’s over 1800 special districts in the state of Florida, Disney is not the the only one. However with the date they chose to dissolve districts, only 5 of the 1,844 districts are targeted.

The governor even announced the changes to the special session in one of those districts! And if honestly believed that these pre-1968 districts were unconstitutional he could simply file suit against them instead of going through the expense of a special session.

 

[Lilofan]

After RCID is gone, Disney will continue to skirt taxes and the resident taxpayers (other than Disney) will have to pay for all work that RCID did going forward.

Orange County tax appraiser Rick Singh tried to take on the Mouse every year. He kept losing in court and Disney keeps paying lower taxes.

 

[lazyboy97o]

After RCID is gone, Disney will continue to skirt taxes and the resident taxpayers (other than Disney) will have to pay for all work that RCID did going forward.

Provide evidence or just stop.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Orange County tax appraiser Rick Singh tried to take on the Mouse every year. He kept losing in court and Disney keeps paying lower taxes.

No, he did not. The appraisals Disney challenged were for specific years and Disney was not alone in successfully contesting his appraisals during that time period.

 

[fgmnt]

After RCID is gone, Disney will continue to skirt taxes and the resident taxpayers (other than Disney) will have to pay for all work that RCID did going forward.

I dont know about that, but i wonder what the impact would be on changing over things to meet state regulations including potential things like road signs, power plants, road design and construction, and other infrastructure demands. For some reason, i doubt the ivy league elite governor has had all of this researched out.

 

[PlaneCrazy1978]

Just a question I was wondering about, not taking a side. Is the corporate speech Disney made protected by the First Amendment under Citizens United? And would Desantis's actions constitute suppression of free speech? I know it was intended for elections and advertising, but would the same protection afforded in Citizens United apply here? Or not?

Again, not a law expert, most people here are not, not taking sides, just looking at it from all angles.

 

[jimbojones]

Just a question I was wondering about, not taking a side. Is the corporate speech Disney made protected by the First Amendment under Citizens United? And would Desantis's actions constitute suppression of free speech? I know it was intended for elections and advertising, but would the same protection afforded in Citizens United apply here? Or not?

Again, not a law expert, most people here are not, not taking sides, just looking at it from all angles.

I think you would need to prove this was to silence fee speech and for no other legitimate public purpose, but not I'm not a lawyer

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I think you would need to prove this was to silence fee speech and for no other legitimate public purpose, but not I'm not a lawyer

Luckily for Disney and RCID, the people pushing this legislation have already provided enough proof of that.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Other businesses can get similar districts created. The District means that Disney is the one paying for all sorts of things that the counties would otherwise have to finance. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t be complaining that the counties were building new roads and overpasses for the near exclusive use of Disney.


What loopholes. Give us specifics. What taxes are the counties prohibited from collecting due to the District?

You’re buying the Disney PR spin hook line and sinker. Parentsof64 spelled it out earlier in this thread. He’s also right that the increased taxes Disney will have to pay will be shifted to the consumer. It will be more expensive to go to Disney. But Disney should not have been given special privileges in the first place.