Autocrats gonna autocrat. Via NBC News:
The legislation would dismantle Disney's special district on June 1 of next year. The special status, which was granted by a state law in 1967, allows Disney to self-govern by collecting taxes and providing emergency services. Disney controls about 25,000 acres in the Orlando area, and the district allows the company to build new structures and pay impact fees for such construction without the approval of a local planning commission.
The effort to eliminate Disney's district, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, comes after DeSantis began targeting the corporation over its leaders' criticism of legislation he recently signed that would prevent classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through the third grade.
The district in question - the Reedy Creek Improvement District - was set up so that Disney could fund construction of infrastructure improvements via taxes, provide emergency services, etc.
The $2bn in debt that Disney is carrying will now be transferred to – guess who? – Florida taxpayers in surrounding Orange & Osceola counties:
The Walt Disney Company owes approximately $2 billion in debt, which would be transferred to “general purpose government,” State Senator Jennifer Bradley said. This means it would likely go to the residents of Orange County and Osceola County, assessed at $2,200 per family.
I would say unbelievable, but it's Ron Desantis' Florida we're talking about.
