# DeSantis's war on Disney **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 19, 2022, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073 "2022-04-19T18:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/101 "2022-04-22T00:04:52Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > The burden is on Disney to prove the legislature’s action is retaliation for protected speech, which is easier said than done. DeSatanis and his cronies have said out loud, on film, that that’s what they’re doing, so it should be as difficult as rolling a TV into the courtroom and playing the tape. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/102 "2022-04-22T00:40:50Z")
ISTM a movement which has a state government nuke much of the financial and business-case basis of one of their largest private employers for the sole purpose of continuing their discrimination of people for ‘gender fluidity’… this movement is not going to be satisfied until the internment camp stage. If then. > **[Florida lawmakers vote to dismantle Disney’s special privileges over 'Don't...](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/21/florida-lawmakers-vote-to-dismantle-disneys-special-privileges-over-dont-say-gay-00026954)** > > The legislation could spell the end of special benefits afforded to Disney since the 1960s that allow it to self-govern the land surrounding its Disney World theme park in Central Florida. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/103 "2022-04-22T01:07:20Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Disney would need to demonstrate that this was a retaliatory measure but, I suspect, that’s easy enough to do with minimal discovery. Quite possibly, there’s already sufficient public information already to make a case. Disney would also have to prove the case that retaliation against the Reedy Creek Improvement District (a government agency) is the same as retaliation against Disney. Nobody has the right to continuation of the municipal governance of their choosing. Everyone knows that the RCID is a cutout for Disney, but does that limit the state’s otherwise absolute and (federally) unreviewable authority to abolish a municipality? I really feel like _something_ along these lines must have come up during the civil rights era, but I’m not finding anything. I know there were places that abolished public schools for a period of time to punish the black population for seeking integration, but I don’t know that there were ever consequences for that. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/104 "2022-04-22T02:12:54Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Disney would need to demonstrate that this was a retaliatory measure but, I suspect, that’s easy enough to do with minimal discovery. Quite possibly, there’s already sufficient public information already to make a case. Unless, of course, the case should happen to land in [Judge Kathryn Mizelle](https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/19/politics/who-is-judge-kathryn-kimball-mizelle-biden-mask-mandate/index.html)’s courtroom. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/105 "2022-04-22T02:18:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@ekedolphin](#): > > > > Yeah, with Republicans these days, the cruelty is the point. > > I don’t feel this is true. I feel the point for Republicans is about having power. > > Republican politicians don’t really care about the issues they espouse. It’s just stuff they say because getting Republican voters angry or scared is how they manipulate them into voting. The Republican political figures might or might not understand cruelty as part of their purpose–certainly at least some of them do. But their performed cruelty is part of the appeal to their supporters. A significant chunk of conservative/Republican voters relish in cruelty. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/106 "2022-04-22T02:46:14Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > Not if they did so because of your speech, and essentially admit as such. That what appears to be going on here. The fig leaf explanation would need to be believed by jury.⁢ > > You have it backwards. The burden is on Disney to prove the legislature’s action is retaliation for protected speech, which is easier said than done. > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > Also, you do realize you’re arguing freedom of speech doesn’t exist in the US, right? That seems at odds with positions you’ve taken before.⁢ > > Uh, no. Uh, yes. The definition of freedom of speech requires at the very least that the government cannot punish you for the content of your speech. You flat out argued that the government can, with a fig leaf, punish someone for the contents of their speech. This is a basic logical syllogism: we have if P then Q (if we have freedom of speech, then the government cannot punish you for the content of your speech). You have argued not P (the government can punish you for your speech). Therefore not Q (we do not have freedom of speech). I can understand some cynical person taking your position that the government will do whatever they want and ignore people’s rights. That is arguing that the rule of law does not apply. But if you do think the rule of law applies, and you see an action where the perpetrator admits they are doing something illegal—i.e. retaliating against Disney for taking a political stance—then the rule of law says that it should be stopped. A non-corrupt government could NOT use eminent domain simply because they dislike you. ---
**Author:** ![NotaDuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/notaduck/32/10822_2.png) [@NotaDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotaDuck)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/107 "2022-04-22T10:27:15Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/107))_ ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/108 "2022-04-22T10:47:26Z")
Should that last poll about Disney/DeSantis have had an “All of the above” option"? _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/108))_ ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/109 "2022-04-22T11:38:22Z")
> **[Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made A Great Point](https://clickhole.com/heartbreaking-the-worst-person-you-know-just-made-a-gr-1825121606/)** > > A heartbreaking story is currently unfolding that’s sure to have devastating ramifications for years to come. Just moments ago, without any warning, the worst person… ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/110 "2022-04-22T12:13:05Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I can understand some cynical person taking your position that the government will do whatever they want and ignore people’s rights. That is arguing that the rule of law does not apply. And if that happened to you, then you’d probably be screwed. If you go to a lawyer, they’d probably say, “Sure, you are in the right, and you _might_ even win, after a decade or more of court battles and millions in legal fees.” Mere peons like us would just have to sit back and take it, but Disney has a bit more resources. There’s also the fact that not only Disney may have standing here. The governments and the people of Orange and Osceola counties are being harmed by Florida’s actions as well. I don’t know if the courts would recognize that, but IMHO, they should. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/111 "2022-04-22T12:31:37Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > No such thing as WOKE Disney exists. Dollar Signs Disney, sure, first, last, and always. DeSantis excelled at picking foes that couldn’t fight back, but Disney won’t let a penny go unclutched. This is what it comes down to. Disney is doing this because they’ve made the calculation that looking like transphobic pieces of shit will lose them more money than anything DeSantis can do to them. That’s the saving grace of the Free Market. Sometimes preverse incentives line up and all of a sudden Progress has some truly titanic forces on its side. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/112 "2022-04-22T12:40:51Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > this movement is not going to be satisfied until the internment camp stage. Please: the “special security operation” stage. > [@Babale](#): > > Disney is doing this because they’ve made the calculation that looking like transphobic pieces of shit will lose them more money than anything DeSantis can do to them. And DeSantis and the FlaGops are responding with a massive _“oh yeah? well take THIS!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/113 "2022-04-22T12:58:53Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > DeSatanis and his cronies have said out loud, on film, that that’s what they’re doing, so it should be as difficult as rolling a TV into the courtroom and playing the tape. _John Goodman Southern Lawyer Voice_ “Your honor, the statements made by my client in that footage were clearly meant as rhetorical, part of a long tradition of grandstanding meant for campaigning and entertainment purposes only. They are entirely irrelevant to the case, and as such do not constitute admissible evidence.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/114 "2022-04-22T13:02:43Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > This is what it comes down to. Disney is doing this because they’ve made the calculation that looking like transphobic pieces of shit will lose them more money than anything DeSantis can do to them. Yep. Beyond throwing lots and lots of money around, Disney is actually relatively quiet when it comes to active lobbying. [In an article from late last year:](https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/14/walt-disney-world-remains-florida-biggest-political-power-50-years-later/5919720001/) > Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said she watches Disney lobbyists sit silently in committee meetings while other lobbyists work to persuade lawmakers how to vote. > > “Disney is not going to be front and center against bills to protect workers from wage theft, or in support of state plans to preempt local authorities on ordinances to benefit a community,” she said. “They play both sides, but their entire legislative agenda is very focused on their bottom line.” I’m sure the one-two punch of Disney pulling its donations and speaking up feels very, very, very much like betrayal of the most insidious kind. Like if your faithful dog not only bit you on the hand, but served you court papers demanding back wages for all the years of guard duty. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/115 "2022-04-22T13:07:53Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > meant as rhetorical, part of a long tradition of grandstanding meant for campaigning and entertainment purposes only. I certainly see that as a defense that would be trotted out, but it has the problem that then they went and did the thing that they were just talking about for grandstanding and entertainment. The actions taken by Florida are the harm that Disney would be seeking to remedy, and their statements on why they took them should certainly be considered to be admissible. > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Like if your faithful dog not only bit you on the hand, but served you court papers demanding back wages for all the years of guard duty. And it does so because it has grown weary of how you bully your neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/116 "2022-04-22T13:36:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The definition of freedom of speech requires at the very least that the government **cannot** punish you for the content of your speech. Nitpick: does not. > [@BigT](#): > > This is a basic logical syllogism: we have if P then Q (if we have freedom of speech, then the government cannot punish you for the content of your speech). You have argued not P (the government can punish you for your speech). Therefore not Q (we do not have freedom of speech). In some situations you don’t. It doesn’t follow that freedom of speech doesn’t exist at all in the United States. > [@BigT](#): > > I can understand some cynical person taking your position that the government will do whatever they want and ignore people’s rights. That is arguing that the rule of law does not apply. And it doesn’t, not all the time. > [@BigT](#): > > A non-corrupt government could NOT use eminent domain simply because they dislike you. By definition, a city that takes a bribe is corrupt. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/117 "2022-04-22T13:36:44Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > And it does so because it has grown weary of how you bully your neighbor. I’m still not convinced that Disney as a corporation gives a particular shit about any marginalized community. It’s just the bottom line. But it’s always nice to see the calculus changing, much in the same way advertisers feel showing same-sex couples will make more money in goodwill than what they lose in outrage. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/118 "2022-04-22T14:01:00Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Disney should be paying it’s fair share to the community instead of getting tax breaks. In what way is Disney not paying its fair share of taxes? Do you have any examples of how the RCID reduces Disney’s tax burden? As far as I know, Disney pays property tax and sales tax and hotel taxes within all of its Florida properties. What specific tax is Disney avoiding? From what I’m reading, RCID allows Disney _flexibility,_ which I suppose is a benefit, but it’s hardly the financial gift Republicans are making it out to be. Local counties are against removing the district and are upset that the state didn’t ask them their opinion at all. Furthermore, RCID (Disney) pays their employees (e.g. fire department) more than their county counterparts so (1) Disney is paying more with RCID than without and (2) this sets up a huge headache for the counties as they have no way to absorb these employees in a fair way. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/119 "2022-04-22T14:25:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I’m still not convinced that Disney as a corporation gives a particular shit about any marginalized community. It’s just the bottom line. Yes, but the bottom line is that they make a luxury product for a very fickle audience. If they made gasoline, then I can’t effectively boycott them and still go to work. Same situation if they made cars or food or housing, removing them from my life is not easy. Even Amazon is a much more “vital” service than Disney. If Disney fumbles its PR, and turns people off of it, they lose money. They also depend on a number of creative types to create the content they sell, and those creative types are increasingly part of or sympathetic to marginalized communities. Now, I _was_ continuing your dog analogy, and gave a motivation as to why this loyal dog has turned on you. To update the dog analogy, he is weary of you bullying the neighbor, who is actually the one who feeds him. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2022, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/120 "2022-04-22T14:48:06Z")
As far as I can tell, the only financial savings to Disney are that they don’t have the costs of dealing with a municipal or county government for permits and such ( since Disney effectively _is_ the government) and they probably save on some taxes that they would have to pay if they were part of a county - for example, school taxes. ( There are under 100 residents as Celebration was de-annexed and is not part of the special district.) . Those savings most likely don’t make up for the costs of maintaining all the infrastructure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073.md?page=7)