Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is obsessed with punishing Disney, his state’s largest employer and taxpayer.
April 18, 2023

This is just the latest episode of DeSantis’ weenie-wagging at Disney. Round One began after the company dared to criticize his “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. The governor planned to retaliate by taking over the governing board for the property that Disney controlled. But the plan failed when the company outsmarted him.

Now, DeSantis thinks he’s going to look good with bigger threats of bigger punishments. He plans to introduce a bill in the legislature essentially overturning the Disney-controlled board. And he plans to give the state new power to inspect rides at Disney World. But that’s not enough retaliation for this guy.

From The New York Times:

Mr. DeSantis also suggested a variety of potential punitive actions against Disney — the state’s largest private employer and corporate taxpayer — including reappraising the value of Walt Disney World for property tax levies and developing land near the entrances to the resort.

“Maybe create a state park, maybe try to do more amusement parks — someone even said, like, maybe you need another state prison,” Mr. DeSantis said at a news conference near Disney World.

Two weeks ago, Mr. DeSantis — a leading Republican presidential contender although he has not officially declared that he is running — floated the idea of raising taxes on Disney hotels and imposing tolls on roads that lead to its theme parks. He has also requested an investigation by Florida’s chief inspector general into Disney’s efforts to circumvent his authority.

Insider pointed out that DeSantis made these announcements “as another storm, of hail, thunder, and rain, descended on Broward County, compounding floods in the area that were still abating from last week and grounding planes at Fort Lauderdale International Airport.” But why would DeSantis focus on the safety and well-being of constituents when MAGA cred is at stake?

You know how DeSantis is depicted as Trump without the “chaos?” Well, DeSantis seems hell-bent on sowing as much chaos as possible for his state’s largest employer and taxpayer. And he’s obviously every bit as petty as TFG, too.

Update: When you've lost... Frank Luntz?

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