Disney’s War With DeSantis Reaches Breaking Point
Things are getting even worse.
On Wednesday afternoon, Bob Iger, the CEO of Walt Disney, made a statement alleging that Florida politicians were engaging in retaliation against the company.
According to Fox, Disney says Governor Ron DeSantis and his supporters are using the state government as a tool to punish the company for exercising its right to free speech. The company’s criticism of a state law prohibiting classroom discussions on sexuality and gender identity with young children is believed to be the reason behind this alleged “weaponization” of the state government.
During a discussion on Walt Disney’s latest financial results, Iger mentioned the ongoing dispute between the company and Florida politicians.
Iger expressed concern over the efforts to dismantle the special district that he believes was instrumental in Disney’s growth. He also criticized the move to put the district under the control of state-appointed overseers.
According to Iger, Walt Disney was compelled to file a lawsuit in federal court to safeguard its business interests.
Governor DeSantis has repeatedly made public remarks critical of what he calls “woke Disney” and has stated that he is working to level the playing field for all companies, including those that he believes have benefited unfairly.
Iger noted that there are approximately 2,000 special districts in Florida, many of which were created to promote investment and development, including the one that facilitated Disney’s growth. This district made it simpler for not only Disney but also other businesses to operate in Florida, resulting in the creation of a company that employs over 75,000 individuals and draws in tens of millions of visitors to the state.
Iger also pointed out that several other special districts have been established in Florida, such as the Daytona Speedway and the Villages retirement community.
Iger further mentioned that there is a misconception that Disney is fighting to retain tax breaks as part of this dispute. However, he clarified that Disney is the largest taxpayer in central Florida and paid over $1.1 billion in state and local taxes in the previous year alone. In addition, the company pays more real estate taxes as a result of the special district.
Walt Disney has announced plans to invest $17 billion over the next ten years to expand Walt Disney World.
Iger posed the question, “Does the state want us to increase our investments, create more jobs, and pay more taxes, or not?”
