Ron DeSantis Signs Bill That Allows Florida And Him To Take Control Of Disney District And Direct Company To Do What The State Wants

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has had its own quasi-government and state with their own jurisdiction for a long time. But that is no more, as Governor Ron DeSantis passed a bill on Monday that strips Disney of it’s corporate governance and transfers that power to the state. The boardroom has now been reformed and DeSantis has hand-picked those he wants to make some of the decisions for Disney.

This ordeal has been going on for roughly a year since DeSantis passed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which has been dubbed as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by mainstream and liberal media even though the bill does not state that. The bill bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and lessons deemed not age-appropriate.

SEE: Florida Governor DeSantis’ Administration Releases Some Of The Pornographic And BDSM Books Being Shown To Young Children At Schools

Disney took issue with that bill and challenged DeSantis and state lawmakers. Disney has of course continued to push for more and more inclusivity and ‘tolerance,’ and more things that would be considered “woke.” When Disney started to pushback against the bill, DeSantis then began to become more vocal in wanting to strip away Disney’s pseudo-autonomy.

The Associated Press wrote, ‘DeSantis moved to quickly to penalize the company, directing lawmakers in the GOP-dominated Legislature to dissolve Disney’s self-governing district during a special legislative session last year, beginning a closely watched restructuring process. In February, DeSantis called on lawmakers to again return to deal with Disney and finalize state control over the district in another hastily called special session that signaled the governor’s willingness to wield the power of state government to accomplish political goals, a strategy that is expected to continue in the coming months ahead of his potential White House run.’

On Monday, February 27th, DeSantis and the state of Florida officially took over Walt Disney World and the company’s self-governance has now been dissolved and transferred to the state.

Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end. There’s a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day.

DeSantis said at the bill signing , repeating a line that has become a new catchphrase

Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District has now been renamed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

DeSantis selected five new members to control this new board. The old law allowed the district to elect new board members that Disney would control, but under the new law DeSantis chooses who he wants and then the state Senate confirms them. The Orlando Sentinel wrote,

DeSantis named five Republicans to the board. Those members are Bridget Ziegler, a member of the Sarasota County School Board and a co-founder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty group; Seminole County attorney Michael Sasso; attorney Martin Garcia of Tampa, a DeSantis political donor; Ron Peri, CEO of The Gathering USA, a ministry that focuses on faith and culture; and Clearwater attorney Brian Aungst.

‘Ron Peri, CEO of The Gathering USA ministry and a Windermere resident, has defended Christian nationalism in his lectures. Peri said he views America as being defined by Christianity and that God has blessed America above other nations,’ The Sentinel noted.

Last year during the mid-term rallies Donald Trump was in Pennsylvania campaigning for Dr. Mehmet Oz, and infamous televangelist and Word of Faith preacher Kenneth Copeland took to the stage, and he too referred to himself as a “Christian Nationalist.” Andrew Torba, CEO of alt-social media outlet GAB, has also called for Christian Nationalism, and has co-authored a book titled, “Christian Nationalism: A Biblical Guide For Taking Dominion And Discipling Nations Paperback.”

Christian Nationalism has been on the rise as of late, especially in very pro-Trump circles, and some having loose affiliations with Qanon, or things like “The Great Awakening Vs. The Great Reset Tour.”

Christian Nationalism is sometimes seen as a pseudonym for other titles like the New Apostolic Reformation which teaches a concept called “dominion theology,” where Christians are obligated to takeover and “Christianize” seven core tenets of society and government.

At the bill signing DeSantis said, “All these board members very much would like to see the type of entertainment that all families can appreciate.” These new board members will now have the ability ‘to influence the corporation’s new attractions, movies and other shows,’ the Sentinel added. A parent was also allowed to speak there and stated that Disney is programming children and are “promoting more and more immorality.”

We have people who very much want to see Disney be what Walt envisioned.

DeSantis said, defending his selections

The board has no direct control over Disney’s business decisions, such as whether to close a ride or what to feature in its next cartoon. But DeSantis’ selection of like-minded conservatives indicate the board could try to pressure the entertainment giant by holding up projects and exerting public pressure, said Richard Foglesong, who wrote the book “Married to the Mouse” on Disney World’s origin story.

The Orlando Sentinel added

In op-ed that was published the following day in the Wall Street Journal, explaining why he did what he did, DeSantis explainined that he is willing to fight when “big corporations make the mistake, as Disney did, of using their economic might to advance a political agenda.”

When corporations try to use their economic power to advance a woke agenda, they become political, and not merely economic, actors. In such an environment, reflexively deferring to big business effectively surrenders the political battlefield to the militant left. Having private companies wield de facto public power isn’t in the best interests of most Americans.

DeSantis wrote in the article

Many are praising the move. Evan Power, vice chairman of the Florida GOP, said he didn’t see the state takeover of the district as ‘political retribution or anti-business.’ “These corporations need to do what their job is, which is maximize profits to their shareholders – not promote a social agenda,” he said.

Others wore shirts that say “DeSantis World” in the classic Disney font.

https://twitter.com/fineout/status/1631349657258393600?s=20

But there are plenty in the GOP and abroad who are opposed to this move, seeing this as a large power grab by the government.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale University business professor who has advised hundreds of CEOs and recent U.S. presidents, chides with DeSantis on this move.

It’s not the job of some hack politician to burst their way into corporate decision-making. If he wants to have a voice in the corporation, let him take a controlling interest.

Let him buy in. Let him be a shareholder and voice his concerns with other owners. But the owners of the business are the ones who decide what to do — not some grandiose, loudmouth politician looking to create attention.

Sonnenfield said

Former Vice President Mike Pence who served under Trump, who is now a large donor to DeSantis (even though he has not officially announced his campaign for presidency), has also been indifferent to this move by DeSantis. Pence told CNBC last month he supported the Parental Rights in Education bill but didn’t believe it was correct to target Disney’s district after the company quipped back.

That was beyond the scope of what I as a conservative, limited-government Republican would be prepared to do.

https://twitter.com/EdKrassen/status/1630262913960235010?s=20

In an opinion piece for The Tampa Bay Times Eric Boehm also noted that this is a departure from traditional GOP politics of claiming to keep their noses out of business, explaining that DeSantis is “using the culture war for his own personal and political gain.”

The most successful Republican populist politicians have struggled to move beyond the outrage cycle into substantive policy. That’s one reason why there are so many trolls and so few serious ideas within the so-called New Right. DeSantis’ fight with Disney separates him from keyboard warriors looking to make a buck. DeSantis is signing the New Right’s most authoritarian ideas into law, erasing the distinctions between the private and political realms, and rewarding supporters of his power grab with more extraordinary political powers of their own.

In the old days, conservatives would have viewed unelected officials being appointed to oversee corporate decisions as a worrying intrusion of state power into private affairs. DeSantis has figured out how to get them to cheer for it.

Boehm summarized in his opinion piece

State Representative Anna Eskamani (D) of Orlando also condemned the move. “All of it is fake populism,” she said. “He pretends he is centered on the needs of working people, but he is about to bust unions. He has given billions of dollars away to corporations on tax breaks.”

The Orlando Sentinel further noted:

Nevertheless, DeSantis has compiled a list of grievances against Big Business that could prove to be a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. He’s signed legislation taking aim at “Big Tech censorship.” He’s sought to dictate how corporate diversity training should be conducted.

He’s blocked companies from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination. He’s championing legislation this session to stop “woke” Wall Street investment practices.

As a powerful governor, his political committee has benefited from millions of dollars in contributions from the state’s business interests.

Although he’s clashed with business over cultural issues, he’s supported tax breaks, limits on lawsuits and other measures desired by corporations. Disney lost none of its tax breaks even though it no longer controls the Reedy Creek board.

SEE: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Passes Law That Allows Forcible Vaccination By ‘Any Means Necessary’

No Free Press

But the state of Florida is not stopping with Disney. On February 28th, the day proceeding the signing of the bill that strips Disney of it’s autonomy, state Senator Jason Brodeur (R) introduced a bill that will force any blogger who wants to write about DeSantis to legally register with the state. This would also apply to “the Lieutenant Governor, a Cabinet officer, or any member of the Legislature,” according to the bill.

The bill, “SB 1316: Information Dissemination,” will require any blogger or journalists who are paid for their work to register with the state ethics commission or the Florida Office of Legislative Services. They are obligated to comply within five days of their first post.

The bill treats independent journalists as lobbyists.

Each house of the Legislature and the Commission on Ethics shall adopt by rule, for application to bloggers, the same procedure by which lobbyists are notified of the failure to timely file a report and the amount of the assessed fines.

Furthermore, the bill would require these writers submit monthly reports about their work if they decide to write about elected officials, which also includes the commission amount they earned for their articles, rounded to the nearest $10, and the name of the “individual or entity” who paid them. The website(s), website addresses, dates, and the number of posts must be documented in this monthly report.

If the compensation is for a series of blog posts or for a defined period of time, the blogger must disclose the total amount to be received upon the first blog post being published. Thereafter, the blogger must disclose the date or dates additional compensation is received, if any, for the series of blog posts.

The bill partially reads

Those who fail to comply will be forced to pay a $25 fine a day and can face a max penalty of $2,500. The blogger can petition a fine within “reasonable circumstances surrounding the failure to file by the designated date,” the bill adds.

A fine of $25 per day per report for each day late, not to exceed $2,500 per report.

The bill explicitly reads

Per the wording of the bill it appears this is not targeting syndicated media and larger papers, but specifically independent journalists.

In a statement to Florida Politics, Brodeur compared independent journalists to lobbyists.

Paid bloggers are lobbyists who write instead of talk. They both are professional electioneers. If lobbyists have to register and report, why shouldn’t paid bloggers?

He said

According to Amendment I of the Bill of Rights,

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

It is unclear if Ron DeSantis directly endorses this proposed bill. However he has taken cracks at the media and wants lawmakers to ‘police’ them.

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

I have criticized DeSantis for a variety of other reasons – his bill that allows the police to smash the door in and forcibly vaccinate people during an emergency; his total hypocrisy on the Covid scam, one minute going along with it and pushing the shots, then trying to save face when it was time to drop the act; have the CPS unlawfully and medically kidnap family’s children for no real reason; etc. – but what DeSantis has done here is the literal definition of fascism.

Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism, because it is a merger of state and corporate power.

Benito Mussolini

Believe you me: I am NO fan of Disney. Disney is a very satanic group that has pushed all sorts of abominations and brainwashing upon the youth and adults for a very longtime. But what DeSantis is doing is simply fascist. There’s no other way to look at this. He’s taking over a company and cherry picks people he wants to enforce and influence what they do to the company. And if he’s willing to do that to Disney, the states undisputed cash cow, who else will he do this to if people dare to question him on virtually anything at this point?

For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

Proverbs 28:2

Moreover, what he is doing directly fulfills the ambitions of the New Apostolic Reformation and Christian Nationalist agendas, which is basically just Roman Catholic kingdom building and Jesuit sophistry in disguise, per their covertly led scheme to “ignite the right.”

As I detailed in my report, “The Great Reset Versus The Great Awakening: Fighting For The Same Team,” these are the same Hegelian Dialectic and Right Vs. Left paradigm tactics on full display. And this is why the media and politicians are firing on all cylinders to keep people divided and too preoccupied with fighting each other, which allows people on Team DeSantis or Trump to accept more censorship and loss of civil liberties, being led to be believe they are defeating evil; when it was the puppet masters orchestrating all of it all this time. These were the same tactics the communists in early Soviet Russia used to corral the masses who did not want communism, allowing themselves to lose more freedoms because they believed the people in government were there to help them. It’s the same communistic trick.

SEE: Operation “Trust:” The 100-Year-Old Psy-op Repackaged As Qanon

The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Proverbs 11:18

And this blatant display of fascism is exemplified even more so with this proposal to force independent bloggers to register their rights to the government of face daily fines. I mean, can you get any more obvious? There are no excuses for this, no ifs, ands, or buts: this is fascist, and is a blatant disregard of the First Amendment.

Even though I do not live in Florida, this type of stuff would go after me and The WinePress, because I am not some corporate power with a large staff or major income earner. This is literally designed to go after people who do REAL journalism, and so the government can keep tabs on them or tax them out of doing it, leaving only the syndicated media to write what they want them to say.

But if Biden or a “democrat” did this, the so-called “conservatives” and “patriots” would lose their minds over this and we would not hear the end of it. But if a Republican in the state of Florida does it then it gets cheered. When Facebook censors whole countries its evil, but when Rumble does it it gets cheered. The blindness.

We do not yet know if DeSantis is for this, but we’ll find out soon enough.

But what you are seeing with DeSantis and Florida is what he as President will look like: another establishment Republican that will do what he’s told to do by the men in the black, and he like all others are for big government. Let’s be clear: there is one party in Washington, two in name only in the media.

DeSantis has yet to even officially announce his campaign for Presidency and he’s already raked in hundreds of millions in funds for his campaign. When he does, his donations will go to the moon, and Trump’s attacks – oh the attacks (!) – are going to be endless, and the media will be bombarding us with this reality show drama as the country collapses.

I know it is early, and I cannot be dogmatic on these things, but right now, in my humble opinion, I think DESANTIS will be the Republican nominee and NOT Trump. I say that based on the three things: 1) the masses are worn-out and tired of Trump, 2) the amount of lobbying that has already come DeSantis way, 3) and the sheer amount of press coverage he’s been getting for years. Anyone that has followed my work for a while knows that when the media really pushes something its for a reason, and I don’t think all of this press time he’s gotten will be in vain, unless he’s getting groomed for something else.

It’s too early, but I think DeSantis is the guy that’ll be [S]elected as the Republican nominee. If that happens, Trump will not concede and there will still be a lot of supporters for him regardless until the very end of the Presidential Reality Show. It won’t matter. They’re all puppets who bow to Rome and the banksters, and the country is lost regardless.

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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