The Right's War Against Disney

[47of74]

I don't know how reliable this information is but if this is true it would be a pretty big deal.

Quote

However, exclusive information from our trusted and proven source revealed that Disney will now relocate some of its Florida operations entirely. 

Our insider says Disney will move Imagineers out of Florida and back to the Burbank offices. “All Florida work will be conducted in Burbank moving forward.” This is a big deal. Imagineers play an integral role at Disney’s Florida parks. They are the brilliant minds behind all of the rides and attractions that embody the very magic of Disney World itself. At present, Disney employs as many as 1,800 Imagineers at its Florida campuses. Disney’s decision to uproot the very backbone that creates the magic inside their parks not only speaks to the gravity of the situation, but to the consequences the Florida controversy could inflict upon the very essence that makes Disney World what it is.

 

[Cartmann99]

Florida’s Contractual Obligations to Bond Holders Block Repeal of Disney’s Special Taxing District, Says Reedy Creek in New Statement

Quote

Ever since Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed the bill repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), the special taxing district operating on the 25,000 acre parcel the Walt Disney Company owns in Central Florida, there has been a lot of discussion of various ways Disney might challenge the bill, chiefly on First Amendment grounds. A new statement issued by RCID brings to light a simpler and direct obstacle to repealing the district’s existence: the state’s contractual obligations related to RCID’s bond debts.

Last week, this reporter wrote a deep-dive analysis of the repeal of RCID for Mediaite, including the looming consequences thereof, not just for Disney but for the Central Florida economy as a whole. Specifically, the elimination of RCID as a legal entity does not eliminate the district’s $2 billion bond debt and would instead transfer that to Orange and Osceola Counties.

Florida law prohibits counties from treating taxpayers differently by charging different tax rates unless there is a special taxing district specifically authorizing such differential treatment, so Orange and Osceola would have to spread that debt payment across all of their taxpayers. Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph estimated that this would raise taxes in his county between $2,200 and $2,800 per family of four.

Two Central Florida local government attorneys were cited in the previous Mediaite article raising objections about the complexity of unwinding RCID; another one is now speaking out on this issue of RCID’s bond debt. In an article for Bloomberg Tax, Jacob Schumer of the firm of Shepard, Smith, Kohlmyer & Hand pointed out the “contractual impossibility of unwinding” RCID.

RCID is structured to operate in many ways like a local government entity, and like many cities and counties across the country it borrows money for ongoing infrastructure development by issuing bonds. This type of debt is usually viewed as very secure by the lenders due to the real property that secures it and the transparency of the district’s governing rules and financial records, meaning RCID can borrow money in this way with a low interest rate.

Further adding to the stability of RCID’s bonds is a pledge the state of Florida made within the 1967 statute that created the district and granted RCID its powers, including issuing bonds. As Schumer wrote:

In authorizing Reedy Creek to issue bonds, the Florida legislature included a remarkable statement—included in Reedy Creek’s bond offerings—regarding its own promise to bondholders: “The State of Florida pledges to the holders of any bonds issued under this Act that it will not limit or alter the rights of the District to own, acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, maintain, operate or furnish the projects or to levy and collect the taxes, assessments, rentals, rates, fees, tolls, fares and other charges provided for herein … until all such bonds together with interest thereon, and all costs and expenses in connection with any action or proceeding by or on behalf of such holders, are fully met and discharged.”

…In case it was not obvious, dissolving Reedy Creek “limited” and “altered” its ability to improve and maintain its project and collect its various charges and taxes, and thus Florida would be violating its pledge to bondholders by dissolving Reedy Creek. However, even without that explicit language, the bill dissolving Reedy Creek would have problems under contracts clauses of the Florida and U.S. constitutions.

Schumer highlights the well-established case law on this issue, going as far back as a 1866 U.S. Supreme Court case, Von Hoffman v. City of Quincy, which “held that once a local government issues a bond based on an authorized taxing power, the state is contract-bound and cannot eliminate the taxing power supporting the bond.” There is “even greater protection” within the Florida Constitution blocking the state from breaching its contractual obligations to maintain the authorization for RCID’s existence.

RCID issued a statement to their bondholders that points to the same obligation by the state to “not limit or alter the rights” of RCID to fulfill its bond obligations and “not in any way impair the rights or remedies of the [bond] holders” until the bonds, along with interest, costs, and expenses, are fully paid. The statement was filed in accordance to RCID’s compliance requirements related to publicly-traded bonds.

“In light of the State of Florida’s pledge to the District’s bondholders,” the statement concluded, “Reedy Creek expects to explore its options while continuing its present operations, including levying and collecting its ad valorem taxes and collecting its utility revenues, paying debt service on its ad valorem tax bonds and utility revenue bonds, complying with its bond covenants and operating and maintaining its properties.”

On Apr. 22, New York-based Fitch Ratings issued a notice regarding RCID’s bond rating, placing it under a “negative watch,” signaling a potential rating downgrade, in direct response to the bill DeSantis signed. “Fitch believes the mechanics of implementation will be complicated, increasing the probability of negative rating action,” the notice said.

The full statement from Reedy Creek Improvement District reads as follows:

STATEMENT RE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION

On April 20, 2022 in a special legislative session called by Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Senate passed a bill (S 4C), providing for the dissolution, effective June 1, 2023, of any independent special district established by special act of the Florida legislature prior to the effective date of the current Florida Constitution, which was November 5, 1968. The Florida House of Representatives is expected to vote on an identical bill (HB 3C, and collectively with S 4C, the “Bill”) today which, if passed by the House, is expected to be signed into law by the Governor at the end of the special session on April 22, 2022. Reedy Creek Improvement District (“Reedy Creek” or the “District”) was established as a public corporation of the State by Chapter 67-764 Laws of Florida, effective May 12, 1967 (the “Reedy Creek Act”). Pursuant to the Bill Reedy Creek will be scheduled for dissolution on June 1, 2023. The Bill further provides that any special districts dissolved as a result of the Bill (including the District) may be reestablished on or after June 1, 2023 pursuant to the requirements and limitations of Florida’s Uniform Special District Accountability Act, which provides, among other things, that unless otherwise provided by law, the dissolution of a special district government shall transfer title to all of its property to the local general purpose government, which shall also assume all indebtedness of the preexisting special district.

In the Reedy Creek Act the State of Florida has pledged to the holders of any bonds issued by the District:

(1) that it will not limit or alter the rights of the District (a) to own, acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, maintain, operate or furnish the projects or to levy and collect the taxes, assessments, rentals, rates, fees, tolls, fares and other charges provided for in the Reedy Creek Act, and (b) to fulfill the terms of any agreement made with the holders of any bonds or other obligations of the District; and (2) that it will not in any way impair the rights or remedies of the holders, and that it will not modify in any way the exemption from taxation provided in the Reedy Creek Act, until all such bonds together with interest thereon, and all costs and expenses in connection with any act or proceeding by or on behalf of such holders, are fully met and discharged.

In light of the State of Florida’s pledge to the District’s bondholders, Reedy Creek expects to explore its options while continuing its present operations, including levying and collecting its ad valorem taxes and collecting its utility revenues, paying debt service on its ad valorem tax bonds and utility revenue bonds, complying with its bond covenants and operating and maintaining its properties.

 

[Cartmann99]

Rest of thread under the spoiler:

Spoiler

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[WiseGirl]

DeSantis has made bank on the war with Disney.  Tampa newspaper article So many out of state big money donors which reminded me why I don't go to Home Depot.

[Cartmann99]

More from DeSantis' reelection special on Faux:

 

[Alisamer]

Why would Disney oppose dissolution of Reedy Creek even though dissolving it would give them a huge tax break? Control. Pure and simple. Everything at Walt Disney World is carefully planned and executed to improve the guest experience, from what you see and hear to what you smell. That tax break is not enough to make them willing to give up even part of that control to the county or state. They need to be able to build where and when they want. They need to have their own police and fire department who are quick, quiet, and discreet. They need to have work done in some areas ONLY at night, when guests aren't present.

Ever wonder why the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios is built in the style that it is?

Here, look:

Because you can see it from Epcot. Looking across the lake at Epcot toward Morocco, you can see the back of Tower of Terror. So they built it to blend in as much as possible with the Morocco pavilion. It blends even better when the lighting is more even, and the Tower isn't sitting in a sunbeam.

It's worth money to Disney to be able to tightly control everything on their property as much as possible.

[Cartmann99]

13 minutes ago, Alisamer said:

Everything at Walt Disney World is carefully planned and executed to improve the guest experience, from what you see and hear to what you smell.

I've read about Florida residents saying they wished Disney owned their streets because the ones under Disney's control are kept in pristine condition.

[TuringMachine]

So the answer to how they're gonna make Disney pay Reedy Creek's outstanding bond debt and the cost for all the municipal services the area needs is "just trust me bro"

Cool. Never knew governing could be so easy.

[Alisamer]

1 minute ago, Cartmann99 said:

I've read about Florida residents saying they wished Disney owned their streets because the ones under Disney's control are kept in pristine condition.

I don't remember every seeing or noticing any bad streets at Disney. They are meticulous, and not only that, they do as much work as possible out of guests view. Things get repainted overnight, every plant in the parks has an "understudy" plant in the back in case they need to be switched out. You leave the parks on October 31 enjoying the fall and halloween decorations, and when you go back the next morning Christmas trees are up. They don't want to have to have city or county workers fixing potholes only after they've gotten annoyingly big, and in the middle of the day. 

Another thing that makes it good for Disney to have it's own control in some ways - when building Animal Kingdom Lodge, they were building with a traditional thatch roof. They had brought in experienced craftsmen from an area in Africa where those are common. The craftsmen were used to working barefoot, but of course OSHA was not OK with that. After a few incidents and accidents, Disney realized the REASON they were used to working barefoot was because it was far safer, safety boots don't have the kind of traction on straw that bare feet do. They got special approval for them to work barefoot. Can you imagine if Disney had had to go through the county or state without having their own governance of any kind, instead of having essentially their own government to advocate with? Imagine trying to explain to an overworked county inspector what and why you are asking for this approval, and trying to convince them to go to OSHA with that?

And I can't see how they can possibly be like "Oh, Disney will just pay for it all, even though we're making it so they don't have any reason to." It's just common sense. You can't take on a 40 square mile area full of roads without incurring some costs. 

 

[Cartmann99]

Taxpayers sue Florida governor over anti-Disney law

Quote

MIAMI (CN) — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis violated the rights of taxpayers when he signed a law removing Disney’s self-governing status, three residents claim in a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday.

In the 11-page complaint, Michael Foronda, Edward Foronda and Vivian Gorsky — all of whom live near the Walt Disney World theme park and resort — say the state’s actions will saddle them and other taxpayers with Disney’s bond debt estimated at more than $1 billion.

“Plaintiffs, who are property owners in the surrounding counties, fear that they will now have to assume the tax burden that Disney previously assumed under the special tax status,” the complaint states. “Their fear is well founded, and it is through this taxpayer lawsuit and mandamus action that they are able to protect their rights.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, names the Republican governor, Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee and Florida Department of Revenue Director Jim Zingale as defendants. DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The GOP-controlled Florida Legislature voted to remove Disney’s self-governing status last month, following a battle over the corporation’s opposition to the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. DeSantis signed the bill, SB 4C, a few days later.

The law will dissolve independent special districts created before 1968, including the Reedy Creek Improvement District that contained Walt Disney World, in June 2023 unless a new agreement is reached.

The company lobbied for the special district more than 50 years ago so that it could act as a county government. Disney owns the roads and utilities in the 25,000-acre district and also operates a police force and fire department there.

Unless Disney and the state government reach another agreement, the special district will dissolve and all assets and liabilities will be transferred to local governments, according to the bill’s language. Disney would also lose the ability to construct new buildings or roads without local oversight and potentially cumbersome zoning restrictions.

The law is widely considered to be retaliation for Disney’s opposition to the state’s Parental Rights in Education law, known more commonly as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which bans the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity topics from kindergarten through third grade. Disney heavily criticized the bill, which was signed into law by DeSantis in March, and vowed to end any political contributions to state lawmakers.

The federal lawsuit makes note of this, claiming DeSantis “intended to punish Disney for a First Amendment protected ground of free speech,” which “directly resulted in a violation of plaintiffs’ Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process of law.”

The plaintiffs also allege stripping Disney of its special status, and burdening residents with debt and some public safety responsibilities now paid for by the theme park, violates the Florida Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Disney has so far stayed mum on the issue, though the Reedy Creek Improvement District did send a message to bondholders last week reminding them that the law establishing the special district mandates all debts must be paid before changing its status.

“In light of the state of Florida’s pledge to the district’s bondholders, Reedy Creek expects to explore its options while continuing its present operations, including levying and collecting its ad valorem taxes and collecting its utility revenues, paying debt service on its ad valorem tax bonds and utility revenue bonds, complying with its bond covenants and operating and maintaining its properties,” the statement reads.

The plaintiffs are represented by Miami-based attorney William Sanchez.

 

[Howl]

Holy Schmoley, do I EVER want to know what Lisa Pennington thinks about this.  This woman is BIG into Disney.  HUGE.  Big enough that they make multiple Disney trips every year, are planning more, and she worked for a bit for a travel agency as a specialist planning Disney trips.  

The text of a relatively recent Pennington Point blog post (2021?) under the spoiler. (She ends with PS. Be sure you check out my post about how to get the Smells of Disney at home!: 

Ready to Go to Disney?!

Spoiler

Update: I announced last fall that I was helping friends plan their Disney trips after becoming a travel agent specializing in Disney trips. I absolutely love doing this, but it hasn’t worked out the way I had hoped.

For now I have put a pause on planning Disney trips. The agency I was working with wasn’t the right fit for me so I am working toward doing it on my own in the future. But I have to do more training, so for now I’ll just be giving tips and helping answer questions. You’re always welcome to message me with any questions and if I know the answer I will be happy to help!

I still love Disney and I work to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening there so I can answer questions and be a help to you. But I also want to continue to grow my Young Living business (that’s my real passion….being healthy!!) so I need to give more focus to that right now.

I don’t regret trying the travel agent thing and I still think I will do it again down the road. But I will do it differently and I don’t really know how that will look. Like one friend said to me, “It’s a good thing you tried it! Now you know and you can make more informed decisions moving forward!” (don’t you just love a wise friend?!)

We will still be making plenty of Disney trips in the future and enjoying that magical time away. We already have several trips planned for 2022 and as long as we are still able to travel freely we will be making our way to Florida on the regular.

If you have any questions for me specifically about Disney you can shoot me an email (disneytogetherness@gmail.com) and we can chat about what you’re dreaming of for your magical vacation.

I still hope we can work together in the future to bring some magical happiness to your family’s life!

PS. Be sure you check out my post about how to get the Smells of Disney at home!

and more Disney blog posts here. 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Howl

[WiseGirl]

Truth. But I still want Disney to crush him somehow. Is that too much? Oh and Josh Hawley jumped on the anti Disney bandwagon.

Disney... don't carry any ads for these assholes on your stations.

[Howl]

On 4/29/2022 at 11:13 AM, Alisamer said:

Pure and simple. Everything at Walt Disney World is carefully planned and executed to improve the guest experience, from what you see and hear to what you smell.

I had a conversation last summer with an architect who designs at Disney and specializes in all types of immersive experiences.  Yes, yes, and yes. 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Howl

[Cartmann99]

 

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

1 hour ago, Cartmann99 said:

 

Lara voluntarily married and bred with Eric Trump.  Girl has the entire "World's Biggest Loser" sash, crown, and scepter set and dons it every time Eric takes it off. 

[Cartmann99]

 

[Becky]

56 minutes ago, Cartmann99 said:

 

Well, it's not like they have anything more important to work on, right?  🙄

[Seahorse Wrangler]

On 5/15/2022 at 7:59 PM, Howl said:

Holy Schmoley, do I EVER want to know what Lisa Pennington thinks about this.  This woman is BIG into Disney.  HUGE.  Big enough that they make multiple Disney trips every year, are planning more, and she worked for a bit for a travel agency as a specialist planning Disney trips.  

The text of a relatively recent Pennington Point blog post (2021?) under the spoiler. (She ends with PS. Be sure you check out my post about how to get the Smells of Disney at home!: 

Ready to Go to Disney?!

  Hide contents

Update: I announced last fall that I was helping friends plan their Disney trips after becoming a travel agent specializing in Disney trips. I absolutely love doing this, but it hasn’t worked out the way I had hoped.

For now I have put a pause on planning Disney trips. The agency I was working with wasn’t the right fit for me so I am working toward doing it on my own in the future. But I have to do more training, so for now I’ll just be giving tips and helping answer questions. You’re always welcome to message me with any questions and if I know the answer I will be happy to help!

I still love Disney and I work to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening there so I can answer questions and be a help to you. But I also want to continue to grow my Young Living business (that’s my real passion….being healthy!!) so I need to give more focus to that right now.

I don’t regret trying the travel agent thing and I still think I will do it again down the road. But I will do it differently and I don’t really know how that will look. Like one friend said to me, “It’s a good thing you tried it! Now you know and you can make more informed decisions moving forward!” (don’t you just love a wise friend?!)

We will still be making plenty of Disney trips in the future and enjoying that magical time away. We already have several trips planned for 2022 and as long as we are still able to travel freely we will be making our way to Florida on the regular.

If you have any questions for me specifically about Disney you can shoot me an email (disneytogetherness@gmail.com) and we can chat about what you’re dreaming of for your magical vacation.

I still hope we can work together in the future to bring some magical happiness to your family’s life!

PS. Be sure you check out my post about how to get the Smells of Disney at home!

and more Disney blog posts here. 

Scentsy, another MLM like Young Living*, has a range of Disney endorsed scents.

 

* Donald Gary Young, founder of YL is a baby killer.

[Howl]

I can't believe DeSantis is still bearing down on WDW, a major driver of the Central Florida tourist economy.   What's the upside for DeSantis?  I get that the Right is major into leveraging culture wars, but this just seems like he's shooting himself in the foot. I'm still trying to comprehend the magnitude of 36 million visitors.  36 million.  And then consider how many people are supported by those 75,000 people, and all of those people vote. 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Lol, don’t mess with the mouse:

Here’s the full tweet:

[formergothardite]

DeSantis was supposed to be a smarter version of Trump, but somehow he manages to be dumber. 

[SassyPants]

20 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

DeSantis was supposed to be a smarter version of Trump, but somehow he manages to be dumber. 

Which is reallllllllllllllly a huge feat.

[Dandruff]

4 hours ago, formergothardite said:

DeSantis was supposed to be a smarter version of Trump, but somehow he manages to be dumber. 

I feel like they're competing for who can best relate to rude, ignorant assholes.  Both certainly have skills, but I won't be surprised if DeSantis ends up sticking his (figurative) foot into something he can't pull it out from.