Though he has not officially announced that he’s running yet, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a serious candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Right now he is the most credible threat to Donald Trump’s ambition of being the party’s candidate for a third straight time.
And yet, DeSantis too often has been unable to get out of his own way on the issues. The most obvious example is his ongoing feud with The Walt Disney Co. over its criticism of the Florida so-called “don’t say gay” law, which limits how teachers can discuss issues of gender and sex with younger students.
DeSantis retaliated against Disney’s objections by getting the Legislature to replace the company’s “special taxing district,” established by the state in 1967. The district gave Disney total control over the large area that today makes up the Disney World complex. But under the new law, the board of the new organization would be appointed by the governor, and was certain to pick fights.
Going after Disney was a strange way for DeSantis to put his presidential qualifications on display. It makes him look like a mean-spirited bully — which is exactly how his opponents and critics have described him — instead of the leader of a thriving state who is about to ask American voters to consider him for the world’s most powerful job.
DeSantis taking on Disney is comparable to Mississippi retaliating politically against its largest employer, Ingalls Shipbuilding; or Pike County ignoring one of its economic mainstays like the McComb hospital or Sanderson Farms Inc. It’s counterproductive. Nobody wins.
The Florida story just won’t go away. A few weeks ago, as befits one of the largest companies in America, Disney’s lawyers figured out a way around the state’s plans to wrest control from the company. They had the outgoing special taxing district board transfer its authority to the company, meaning Disney would be able to keep making decisions about its property.
When the new board, appointed by DeSantis, voted to reject the transfer of authority to the company, Disney filed a lawsuit, claiming with obvious merit that the state is punishing the company for exercising its free speech rights.
On Monday, The Washington Post reported that the new special taxing district board voted to respond with a lawsuit of its own against Disney. Which is too bad, because somebody needs to take a deep breath and calm this down.
Disney is the state’s largest employer, and the company’s arrival in Orlando transformed Central Florida. Disney World won’t relocate, and it will thrive long after DeSantis has left office. So what are the merits of changing its oversight after a 50-year record of growth and success?
Further, since when has a Republican candidate with national ambition so eagerly tried to punish a private business?
DeSantis got his law passed, but he and his minions continue to act like sore winners. This is a lousy audition for the presidency.
Jack Ryan, Enterprise-Journal
