The Mouse That Roared - Disney vs. DeSantis

 

This cartoon posted especially for Linda Wightman

 Seminole County was once again in the "animal" news this week—it would appear we only think we're a suburb when we're just living in houses surrounded by a massive variety of animals. I tried in vain to copy a still photo of the "cow rescue" from the many posted on the net, but had to settle for a video link. If you would like to see Seminole County firemen digging out a cow that was stuck in mud for 24 hours, click here.

Yet another proud Gramma moment—our Cassidy receiving an award from at Wednesday's Air Force Junior ROTC awards ceremony at Seminole High.

 

Since I began the post below on April 3, the story has become better-known, even making it to CNN. But for those who would like to know more about the startling Disney-DeSantis conflict, I hope this week's blog will help. For a peek at the other side of the issue and a series of quotes from the Orlando Sentinel, please see Part II of THE MOUSE THAT ROARED next week.

THE MOUSE THAT ROARED

Something happened in Florida last week that had almost everyone laughing up their sleeve, if not guffawing in public. But since our governor (an as-yet-unannounced candidate for President) is likely making a huge effort to keep the news from spreading nationwide, and even more likely my international readers have no idea what's been going on in the Amusement Capital of the World—namely, Orlando, Florida—I'm going to attempt to summarize a truly convoluted situation.

The facts below are from what I witnessed on the local TV news and from several hardcopy articles and editorials in the Orlando Sentinel.

Our Governor, Ron DeSantis—or as someone named him on Facebook—Ron DeSanctimonius—is doing his best to woo Republican voters away from Donald Trump with views so far right they sometimes make Trump look like a flaming Liberal. If an issue has the slightest hint of "woke," DeSantis is opposed. He is censoring books and speech in our schools, pushing through "open carry" gun laws, making life difficult for anyone and everyone in the LGBTQ community, and in the process of reducing an already restrictive 15-week abortion law to 6 weeks.  In short, DeSantis is in a self-proclaimed crusade against anything "woke." (In a state where 49 people were killed and 53 wounded at the Pulse (gay) nightclub massacre in Orlando only a few years ago.)

One of DeSantis's more recent efforts was getting the Florida legislature to pass a bill that quickly earned the name "The Don't Say Gay Bill." (Although it forbids anything gay being mentioned in K-3, we could all see the handwriting on the wall. And, sure enough, the Florida Legislature is currently contemplating a ban on any mention of gay issues in grades up to 12.) When the "Don't Say Gay" bill was first proposed, Disney workers were among the many protestors, and after a slight hesitation, Disney's CEO also spoke out against the proposed bill.

Retaliation was swift and dramatic. DeSantis declared he was shutting down Disney's Reedy Creek governing board; the State would assume control of DisneyWorld.

Huh? The State of Florida was going to take over a private corporation, one of the largest corporations in Florida???! To demonstrate how short-sighted this cockamamie idea was, within days it was pointed out that this maneuver would make Florida taxpayers responsible for paying the interest (and full debt) on a billion dollars in bonds floated by Disney to support its many improvements. I.e., the Governor's legal team was out to lunch when the Governor went off half-cocked.

So, scramble, scramble, there were a couple of poorly thought-out, contradictory bills passed to get out of that situation, but the Governor persisted with his basic premise, somehow managing to declare that Disney would now be run by a board of his own choosing. (All Republicans, of course.)

Yet through it all, I heard the echo of my "up north" son's comment on the Disney/DeSantis brouhaha:  "Just wait 'til Disney's lawyers tackle this. They can afford the best in the world."

For a short while the Disney issue disappeared from the news, lost among all the other censorship proposals being made in the State Legislature. And then came the day the new board took over, and we all watched in amazement when there wasn't so much as a peep from Disney. But again, my son predicted Disney's lawyers would win out.

And, sure enough, just a few days ago,THE MOUSE ROARED. And waves of laughter rolled across the state as Disney-lovers (which is just about everybody) discovered how Disney's lawyers did exactly what my son anticipated, leaving egg on the faces of both our governor and the legislature in Tallahassee. Supposedly, DeSantis has consulted four different law firms, only to be told that Disney's paperwork is valid. He is still threatening to sue; i.e., use taxpayer money to counterattack an institution everyone loves. Sigh. But then, how can he admit to such a colossal error?

Below, in a nutshell, is how Disney managed to keep its power:

The new board met for the first time during the final week of March. And promptly discovered they could do NOTHING without Disney's permission. In other words, Disney was still in charge of its theme parks and all the adjacent businesses within their territory—hotels, restaurants, security, fire department, lakes, roads, bridges, etc.

How did this happen? 

On the day before the new board was scheduled to take over, the old board issued legal documents designed by Disney's band of sterling attorneys. Documents with truly unique wording maintaining Disney's right to rule until:  "21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of KIng Charles III." And since both William and Harry have children (and possibly more to come) who will likely have children, whose children will have children . . . 

Do you wonder at the snickers heard from Tallahassee to Key West? 

Grace note:  Because this story should have a bit of leavening, and also because some of the articles and editorials in the newspaper are so well-expressed, I am going to devote next week's blog to the words of professionals on the subject.

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By Blair Bancroft - Book Choice of the Week

 

In this spin-off of the Blue Moon Rising series, the Crucible Kingdom, an obscure planet far, far away, is suffering from an ancient curse—periodic bouts of violent storms, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and wildfire. To break the curse, a widowed duchess and a starship captain from the disintegrating Regulon Empire (which her ancestors fled centuries earlier) are forced to work together. Although the duchess grudgingly accepts that the captain is highly capable in emergencies, she scorns the idea that a hard-headed Reg who does not believe in the power of sorcery can be helpful in breaking a curse. And then the captain comes up with an idea no one thought of, setting off a quest that turns out to be more dangerous than the curse itself.

 ~ * ~

For a link to Blair's website, click here.

 For a link to Blair's Facebook Author Page  click here.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft)