Disney waved the white flag of surrender in this fight over woke ideology
Corporate America has become one of the Democrat Party’s most reliable allies.
That isn’t working out so great for business.
And Disney waved the white flag of surrender in this fight over woke ideology.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stands up to Disney’s woke bullying
The trouble for Disney all began when then CEO Bob Chapek caved to a pressure campaign from woke employees and the media by announcing the company would try to defeat legislation in Florida that prevented teachers from brainwashing children in grades K-3 into transgenderism by using sexually explicit and inappropriate lesson plans.
Conservatives were sick of red states folding when corporations threatened economic boycotts to force the Left’s culture wars on their communities.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refused to back down and signed legislation appointing a new board in the Reedy Creek special taxing district where Disney previously operated as its own government.
The pro-Disney board passed a number of rules in the 11th hour curtailing the powers of the new board.
This led to years’ worth of litigation as DeSantis argued the old, pro-Disney board lacked the authority to constrain the new board since it was backed by the force of an act of the legislature.
DeSantis emerges the clear winner
Both sides agreed to settle the lawsuit, but there was only one winner.
The settlement stipulated that DeSantis was right and the new rules passed by the pro-Disney board in the Reedy Creek District were “null and void.”
“The board sued in state court, and Wednesday’s settlement declares that actions taken by the former Reedy Creek special taxing district days before it was taken over by DeSantis appointees would be ‘null and void.’ That included a long-lasting development agreement that would have greatly limited what the new board could do,” the Washington Post reported.
Disney tried to spin this as a win-win.
“This agreement opens a new chapter of constructive engagement with the new leadership of the district and serves the interests of all parties by enabling significant continued investment and the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and economic opportunity in the State,” a statement from President of Walt Disney World Resort Jeff Vahle read.
But everyone else knew what the score was.
“This is a political victory for Gov. DeSantis,” political science professor at the University of Central Florida Aubrey Jewett told the Washington Post. “It seems like the white flag of surrender has been raised over Cinderella’s castle.”
DeSantis also knew he won and took the high road pledging to work with Disney in whatever manner would be helpful to boost the state’s tourism industry.
“Moving forward, we stand ready to work with Disney and the District to help promote economic growth, family-friendly tourism, and accountable government in Central Florida,” DeSantis communications director Bryan Griffin stated.
