Ron DeSantis vs. Disney: Ex-Governors, Officials Admits Feud Is Harming Florida Economy

The Ron DeSantis vs. Disney feud and the Florida governor's "War on Woke" is actually costing Florida's economy, admits several Florida officials, including a few former governors.

Disney is currently one of Florida's biggest employers and has since voiced criticism against Ron DeSantis and his "Anti-Woke" agenda. This led to DeSantis feuding with Disney, and it led to some of his fellow Republicans also turning on him.

The feud is also not sitting well with a group of mostly Republican former high-level government officials who likened the Florida governor's takeover of Disney World's governing district, Reedy Creek, as following the examples set by autocratic governments like China and Russia.

According to the Associated Press, the group included former governors, members of the US House of Representatives, and former presidential administration officials, all of whom are Republicans. They filed a "friend of the court" brief on Wednesday in favor of Disney filing its lawsuit against DeSantis and his board.

In the filing, the group stated that what DeSantis has chosen to do is "corrosive to the form of democracy envisioned by the Constitution, and to re-emphasize this Court's critical constitutional role in curbing the excesses of governance by retaliation."

The group added that the Florida governor's actions are harming Florida economically as "firms are being dissuaded from doing business in Florida since they could be subject to the governor's retaliatory whims if they ever voice disapproval over his policies."

They then pointed out that Disney canceled its $1 billion campus in Orlando and instead used that money to fund more projects in California. This happened right after the feud with DeSantis escalated.

Why Disney Canceling Its $1 Billion Campus in Orlando Is a Big Deal

Disney continues to be one of Florida's biggest employers and taxpayers, even with the feud going on. However, the feud also means that Disney is taking its money elsewhere, and that does not look good for Florida, especially with the media giant recently pulling out a billion dollars in investment.

Around 2,000 Cast Member jobs and Walt Disney Imagineering jobs were expected to be moved from California to Florida and boosting the state's economy, according to Yahoo! News. However, those jobs are now staying in California, and Disney is now funneling the money that was supposed to go to Florida back to the Golden State.

It is still unclear what Disney will do with the land it purchased to make that Florida campus, though, but right now, it plans to do "absolutely nothing" with it. This could mean some bad news for the Lake Nona area, which was expecting an economic boom before Disney pulled out.

Civil Rights Group Slam Ron DeSantis-Backed Reedy Creek District

It is not just Ron DeSantis who is under fire these days, but also the board of directors he appointed to Reedy Creek, which used to be controlled by Disney but was taken over by the state of Florida after the House of Mouse voiced its opposition to the governor's policies.

District Administrator Glen Gilzean Jr., who was part of the Central Florida Urban League, name-dropped the civil rights nonprofit group during his speech that blasted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs being implemented at Reedy Creek.

However, the group itself is part of the National Urban League, which released a statement to USA Today and blasted Glizean.

"The National Urban League and our nationwide movement of more than 90 local affiliates are shocked and dismayed by Glen Gilzean's betrayal of the values at the very core of our mission," the statement said. The group is one of the largest civil rights groups n the US and is vocal in its opposition to DeSantis's "Anti-Woke" policies.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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