The Florida governor is trying to get back at Disney for speaking out against the state's gay bill. The special district privileges of the Disney Company were ended in a special legislative session this week. Reedy Creek is a district in Florida that is home to Disney World. It handles its own infrastructures, including but not limited to fire and sheriff contracts, waste disposal systems, and city works that approve its permits as well as road construction. Disney has bypassed the state for approvals on expansions and hotel builds for Walt Disney World for the past several decades. Disney wanted to build an example of a sustainable city of the future, and he wanted to aid the creation of the special district. With the Florida Project, he wanted to create a new urban community where American free enterprise could test the latest innovations in order to fix problems that the car industry was ignoring. As long as there was still a theme park aspect to draw tourists, Florida was all in with Disney's ambitious idea. The special district was created after Disney's death in 1966 and has since been used to cut through red tape and speed up construction plans. There are some aspects of the park-to-table food service and the comprehensive recycling program that are remnants of Walt's old plans. It offers nostalgia for retro futurism and the other attractions in the park. Disney has been able to operate as an independent entity thanks to Reedy Creek, and it has also been paying high property taxes in two counties. If Reedy Creek is dissolved, it will cost Florida taxpayers one billion dollars of debt for 27 square miles of land that they don't really need to have a responsibility for. It feels like Florida is going to shoot now and realize it and its residents are going to die later.
What Is the Reedy Creek Improvement District?
The Disney Company was criticized for initially not speaking out against the gay bill in Florida, which was supported by politicians. After considerable public scrutiny, Disney released a statement against the bill.
No word on whether or not Disney is still expecting employees to relocate to its new campus in Lake Nona, Florida, if they feel they or their families are at risk if they identify as LGBTQ+. The Don't Say Gay restricts discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms. The Florida Health Dept says that social gender transition should not be a treatment option for children or adolescents.
It is up to the Florida House to decide who will pay for the billion-dollar bond debt. She thinks it's just a show and nothing more than headlines and noise.
The bill that would have dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District was pushed through the Florida House of Representatives by a 70-38 vote. The vote will be between the residents of Reedy Creek. The likelihood of it not passing and being struck down seems high, as taxpayers may prefer to not have to shoulder a huge industry that functions well in their own government and provides jobs while driving the state's economy. This could be wrapped up in a deal between Disney and Orange County. It's said that he has hopes of a Republican presidential bid in 2024, but he may just be setting himself up to take his own bait.
If we get a response from Disney, we will update this post.
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