DeSantis & Florida Fascist Republicans PUNISH Disney and Tampa Bay Rays for Exercising their 1st Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech

When Disney’s chief executive Bob Chapek exercised his First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech by criticizing the “Don’t say Gay” law, DeSantis and Florida Republicans RETALIATED by revoking Disney World’s designation as a special tax district which allowed Disney to self-govern the 25,000-acre resort since its founding.

Using the Government to Punish / Retaliate against people who speaks out against Government policies may be a Federal Abuse of Power Violation of Civil Rights and First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech. This should be looked into by the United States Department of Justice. State officials have been arrested for Abuse of Power, such as Rod Blagojevich who was indicted on corruption charges in 2009.

 

DeSantis Brazenly Admits To Punishing Disney

The GOP embrace of authoritarianism, and how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a prime example of this, are discussed by Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, Rep. Charlie Crist

 

There is nothing conservative about DeSantis attacking businesses

Joe Scarborough discusses Gov. Ron DeSantis’ record of going after business in Florida

 

Disney CEO rips Ron DeSantis over ‘anti-Florida’ retaliation

Disney CEO Bob Iger called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ actions against Walt Disney retaliatory, ‘anti-business’ and ‘anti-Florida’ over DeSantis’ request that the state’s inspector general investigates whether an agreement signed by the previous Disney-backed board of the Reedy Creek district is legal.

 

Description from Youtube: “During a special session of the state legislature on Wednesday, Florida Republicans voted to strip the Disney Corporation of their “self-governing” status that has been in place for over half a century. While Republicans are celebrating the move, the public is left unaware that they are about to pay for this”.

 

Disney Outsmarts Wanna-be Dictator DeSantis

 

DeSantis retaliates by calling for investigation into prior board that oversaw Disney World operations in Orlan

 

Ron DeSantis announced retaliatory actions against Disney after the corporation outmaneuvered him and humiliated him for all the world to see. Corporate attorney and legal analyst Dina Sayegh Doll breaks it down.

 

Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics – 4.21.22

Here’s your morning briefing of what you need to know in Florida politics.

Per the above article: “In an act of pure vengeance, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that he was using his powers to expand this week’s special session in a push to strip Walt Disney World of the special taxing district that independently governs it. It’s clear that the governor has been nursing a towering grudge against Disney ever since the company had the nerve to listen to its employees and — belatedly, but rightly — speak out against the “Don’t say gay” bill, withholding political campaign contributions in Florida. And it may be that the taxing district, which has been around since 1967 and encompasses two cities, is an outdated concept. The district functions much like a government, with the ability to issue tax-free bonds, provide police and fire service and, notably, build its own nuclear power plant”.

“This is the stuff of Richard Nixon and his enemies list. For those who may not remember, the country’s 37th president kept a list of enemies that was revealed during the Watergate scandal. Its purpose, according to Nixon’s assistant in a 1971 memo, was to plan “how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies.” And that’s what’s going on here”.

“He’s covering his tracks, though with the most transparent of excuses, by saying that he wants the Legislature to consider getting rid of all special taxing districts that were enacted before 1968 and haven’t been reestablished since. So far it looks like that would include just a handful of districts along with Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District. House Speaker Chris Sprowls defended the governor’s move, saying the House has long contemplated this action. That doesn’t pass the smell test. In the war between Disney and DeSantis, this isn’t a grenade, it’s a precision missile strike, and it’s aimed right at Central Florida”.

“Back in 1971, Nixon’s list had 20 names on it. Over the next few years, it grew to 576 names. We all know how that ended. Now we have DeSantis’ frightening misuse of power. It must stop here, and that starts with lawmakers stiffening their backbones. Today, it’s Disney. Tomorrow, who knows?”

 

Ron DeSantis just raised taxes on Floridians in his bigoted war on Disney

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is one-third of the way to punishing Disney for opposing his anti-LGBTQ legislation, the widely-discredited, potentially unconstitutional “Don’t Say Gay” law, but some Florida taxpayers are in for a reportedly multi-billion dollar shock if he signs on the dot…

Per the article above: Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is one-third of the way to punishing Disney for opposing his anti-LGBTQ legislation, the widely-discredited, potentially unconstitutional “Don’t Say Gay” law, but some Florida taxpayers are in for a reportedly multi-billion dollar shock if he signs on the dotted line.

On Wednesday the Florida Senate, succumbing to DeSantis’ worst instincts, passed a bill that would eliminate a 1967 law that essentially created a 39-square mile area, now almost entirely occupied by Disney World, that enables it to act as its own government – including providing all the services, like power, water, sewers, police, and fire, that local governments do.

Called the Reedy Creek Improvement District, DeSantis now wants to essentially void that law. The House is expected to pass that bill Thursday, putting DeSantis’ temper tantrum at his feet.

But according to the Orange County Tax Collector, Orange County would be on the hook for “all debt and obligations with no extra funds,” meaning “Orange County would take on $163 million [in debt obligations] per year.”

“If Reedy Creek is dissolved, Orange and Osceola counties would assume responsibilities handled by the district like sewer and road maintenance, meaning taxpayers in those counties would pay, The Miami Herald reports. “Taxpayers would also collect the tax revenue Disney pays itself, WFTV 9, an ABC affiliate in Orange County explains. But these counties’ residents would also absorb a lot of debt, too. That debt is no small number: a reported $1 billion.”

That number could actually be $2 billion, as Inside The Magic‘s Luke Dammann reports. according to the Miami Herald’s Capitol Bureau Chief, Mary Ellen Klas.

Here she quotes Florida state Senator Gary Farmer:

Details emerge on @GovRonDeSantis idea to repeal Disney's special district governing authority. To pay the Disney's $2 B in bond debt, Orange and Osceola county families would have to be assessed $2,200 tax bill says @FarmerForFLSen. "This is shoot first and ask questions later."

— Mary Ellen Klas (@MaryEllenKlas) April 20, 2022

 

What is Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law? This law stigmatizes LGBTQ people, isolates LGBTQ kids, and makes teachers fearful of providing safe, inclusive classrooms.

 

‘A Solution In Search Of A Problem’: DeSantis Goes After Disney’s Special Status

Fallout over Florida’s controversial new law that critics have called the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill continues. This is another example of how Republicans focus on divisive social issues instead of governing and actually doing things to improve people’s lives.

Republicans “Don’t say Gay” law is ‘A Solution In Search Of A Problem’ which doesn’t exist. It’s more Republican Authoritarian, Fascist BIG GOVERNMENT legislation to enslave and regulate every aspect of people’s lives.

 

Disney Gives Ron DeSantis a Taste of His Own Medicine

The Walt Disney Co. vs. Ron DeSantis beef has just been reignited and things are going to get messier from here. Adrienne Lawrence breaks it down on Rebel HQ.

 

DeSantis PUNISHES Tampa Bay Rays for statement against Gun Violence

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who pretends to celebrate free speech and business, used the power of the government to PUNISH Tampa Bay Rays after they spoke out in support of gun safety.

 

DeSantis proved he’s Mean-Spirited Asshole / Bully when he berated Students for wearing masks

 

DeSantis, R-Fla., vetoed $35 million in state funding for a new Tampa Bay Rays training facility reportedly due to the team tweeting awareness about gun violence, according to reports

 

Florida Police raided the home of former Covid-19 Scientist Rebekah Jones after her data contradicted DeSantis’ Covid Data claims.

 

FL State Attorney Suspended For Saying He Won’t Enforce Restrictions On Abortion

Florida Gov. DeSantis suspended a state attorney who said he won’t enforce restrictions on abortion and gender therapy. Hillsborough County state attorney Andrew Warren says “this is more than just about suspending an elected official.”

 

Florida Republican Hornet’s Nest

 

 

 

DESANTIS FLORIDA: ONE OF THE MOST OPPRESSED ANTI-DEMOCRATIC STATES

• Dystopian Laws Attacking Freedom of Speech to SILENCE & SUE Critics
• Culture Wars and “Woke” BULLSHIT
• Anti-choice Laws against Women’s Rights
• Laws limiting what can be discussed in classrooms, such as the “Don’t say Gay” law. These laws doesn’t fix any existing problems, they’re a “Solution in Search of a Problem” and unnecessary BIG Government regulations & restrictions which makes teachers jobs more difficult.
• Law mandating public colleges and universities survey students and faculty about their Political Beliefs (FL HB 233)
• Teachers must withhold classroom library books until they can be individually reviewed for certification or face being charged with a third-degree felony if violated. (Bill 1467)
• DeSantis Hostile Takeover of Liberal New College of Florida is following the playbook of Fascist Autocrat Dictator of Hungary Viktor Orban by taking control of Education
• Indoctrinate Educators with Radical Right Wing Ideology. (Per news reports) Encouraged by DeSantis, Christian nationalist values and an “originalist” interpretation of the U.S. Constitution is now being taught in Florida Schools.
• Florida HB 999 Republican plan to restrict the way history is taught at Florida’s colleges and universities is being condemned by academics & historians across the U.S. (Another example of Fascist, Authoritarian policies).
• DeSantis has publicly called for putting cameras and microphones into classrooms to monitor teachers. He wants more surveillance in every part of our lives, empowering legislators to police classrooms, doctor’s offices, the workplace.
• Voting Police to intimidate people so they’re afraid to vote in Florida
• Florida Employees Threatened With Demotions If They Criticize DeSantis
• Bill to eliminate the Democrat Party in the State of Florida, thereby creating One Party Rule similar to how Dictator Victor Orbán took over the once Democratic government in Hungary
• Florida ‘Bloggers Bill’ which would require anyone who writes about Florida Republicans and DeSantis to register with the state and put on an ‘enemies list’. This is another BLATANT violation of the 1st Amendment and attempt to SILENCE critics. This is the same Anti-Democratic, Fascist Authoritarian tactic used by the Nazi German Propaganda Ministry in 1933 called the “Editors Law” and in 2014 by War Criminal Dictator Vladimir Putin, forcing bloggers in Russia to register with the Russian Media office.
• Attacking Freedom of Speech – Bill HB 991 to significantly weaken libel laws. Critics believe this is an attempt to give Ron DeSantis even more power to sue his critics for saying things he doesn’t like. Bill 991 also gives Florida residents the right to sue others (both in the state or elsewhere in the U.S.) who describe their actions online as transphobic or homophobic, for $35,000 and would not allow the truth to be used in defenses against such lawsuits.
• Retaliated against Disney for exercising their First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech, stripping Disney of 50+ years self-governing authority after Disney stated opposition to the ‘Don’t say Gay’ law which limits discussing LGBTQ issues in schools.
• Right Wing figures installed on the board of former Disney district. This is the same tactics used in Anti-Democratic Fascists Dictatorships
• Retaliated against the Tampa Bay Rays for exercising their First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech by blocking state money to their training facility after team tweeted against gun violence
• Florida Police raided the home of former Covid-19 Scientist Rebekah Jones after her data contradicted DeSantis’ Covid Data claims.
• Transgender athlete discrimination Laws
• Florida Senate Bill 254 would allow the state to take Trans children receiving gender-affirming care away from Parents
• Anti-Protesting Laws making protesting a felony & allowing protestors can be run over & killed with no consequences. This law was passed to silence and intimidate anyone who dare protest and raise objections to Republican’s oppression (similar to Russia and North Korea)
• DeSantis wants his own State Militia which would only answer to him and “not be encumbered to the federal government.”
• Felons Victimized by Republicans and DeSantis “Voter Fraud Crackdown”.  Per an article at commondreams.org, “Most who were arrested were approved by the Florida Department of Elections, which sent their voter registration cards ahead of the 2020 elections. All were charged with third-degree felony voter fraud, a crime punishable by as many as five years behind bars and up to a $5,000 fine. The ACLU of Florida stated, “The arrests are a grotesque abuse of power by Gov. DeSantis”.
• Using Migrants as Props. Per an article at theguardian.com, “DeSantis should be prosecuted for his treatment of immigrants. Those conspiring with him appear to have acted criminally under Texas law. Title 5, section 20 of the Texas penal code defines the crime of unlawful restraint. Under the statute, a person is restrained if their movement is restricted without their consent by, among other means, moving the person from one place to another. Restraint is without consent “if it is accompanied … by deception”. Under the statute, the violation is a class A misdemeanor, unless the person restrained is younger than 17, in which case it is a felony. According to reporting, there were children among those criminally transported to Martha’s Vineyard”.
• DeSantis fought for and was given the authority to redraw Congressional districts to rig elections in Republican’s favor. This resulted in House Seats being stolen from Democrats. Another example of how Republicans know they can’t win elections unless they CHEAT because their policies are UNPOPULAR.

 

 

Video shows how Democracy is DESTROYED by Power Hungry Wanna-Be Dictators

 

DeSantis ‘God made a fighter’ who was ‘Anointed By God’ Propaganda Political Ad shows what DeSantis thinks of himself and what a danger to Democracy he is.

 

Per the description from YouTube: “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is at the center of a major corporate corruption scandal. DeSantis has signed off on $5.7 billion in tax write-offs and giveaways to corporation, while raising taxes on working people by $1 billion. In return, he’s banked about $30 million from Wall Street and other corporate donors”.

 

Florida Republican Proposes Bill To Make It Easier For Ron DeSantis To Sue His Critics

A Republican Representative in the Florida statehouse has put forth legislation that would significantly weaken libel laws, and critics believe this is an attempt to give Ron DeSantis even more power to sue his critics for saying things he doesn’t like. Legal scholars have trashed the bill, pointing out that a state cannot legally have different thresholds than federal legislation, making this bill all the more confusing.

 

Russian Lawmakers Pass Bill to Outlaw Insulting the State

Critics worry that the state will use the laws to silence critics in the country, which already has severely restricted free speech freedoms.

“Russian Lawmakers Pass Bill to Outlaw Insulting the State” is similar to DeSantis and Florida Republicans attempting to silence critics by making it easier to SUE them.

 

How Republicans Are Destroying America and Democracy

If you want to see what Republicans want to do to America, look no further than the state of Florida. This solidly-Republican one-party-rule controlled state is passing all sorts of Draconian laws – from abortion bans to voter suppression to white appeasement legislation – and all of these are items that other states will copy if Florida is successful (while others were stolen from other states that have been successful.) But Florida is going downhill faster than any other state, and it gives Americans a clear picture of what Republicans want to do to the entire country.

 

DeSantis Proves An Apt Student Of Trump-Style Bully Politics

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history at New York University, talks with Ali Velshi about the next generation of Trump Republican as modeled in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

 

The Right Wants Freedom For Themselves but Not For Others

 

 

Republicans fit all of the Characteristics of Fascism described below

Fourteen Characteristics of Fascism – Article by Dr. Lawrence Britt

1. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights – Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

2. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

3. Supremacy of the Military – Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

4. Rampant Sexism – The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

5. Controlled Mass Media – Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

6. Obsession with National Security – Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

7. Religion and Government are Intertwined – Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

8. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

9. Labor Power is Suppressed – Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

10. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

11. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

12. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

13. Manipulate & Control elections – Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate & control elections.

14. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism – Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

 

REPUBLICANS ARE LIKE ISLAMIC TERRORISTS

 

 

 

Per the above article; “You’ve heard of death by a thousand cuts. Florida Republicans have inflicted the thousandth cut on democracy in this state. Democracy in Florida is just about dead. The state effectively has a one-party (Republican) regime”.

“Florida Republicans acquired their overlord status in large part through voter suppression. After the November 2020 election in which many more Democrats than Republicans voted by mail, Republicans had to suppress that too. Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley introduced SB 90, which retroactively voids as many as 6 million already-filed 2022 mail-voting sign-ups and bans mail-ballot drop boxes, which were used without incident by 1.5 million Florida voters last year. It’s voter suppression on steroids”.

 

DeSantis and Florida Republicans Discover Their Inner Soviet | Pierre Tristam | FlaglerLive

It’s been a grim few weeks. Democracy, human rights and free speech are under assault as they’ve not been in generations. Misinformation and fabrications are carpet-bombing reality. Thought policing is muzzling expression and rewriting history as a worship-jerk. Individual freedom is in retreat. Authoritarianism–bullying, vengeful, exultant–is triumphant.

Per the above article, “Using Floridians as bombing range DeSantis is waging a proxy war against all things lefty as buildup to a 2024 run. He’s making Donald Trump look like a compassionate con artist in comparison. Any semblance of inclusivity, of governance, of compromise or–heresy of heresies–moderation is out. The inquisition is back in. Strong-arming anything in the way is not a means to an end. It is an end in itself. There is no purpose to DeSantis’s governance other than himself, no grand policy agenda. It’s DeSantis as caudillo, now complete with his own Chavez-like election force.

Floridians are losing interest in democracy enough to believe bogus voter fraud claims and embrace insurrectionist violence as political speech. It’s how Goebbels saw Kristallnacht, too. Cleansing time. They don’t respect mere demonstrators, those pitiful social justice warriors. They see them as weak. As woke. It’s the red bait of the day.

We’re seeing the authoritarian impulse poison our own communities, as we did last week when Flagler Palm Coast High School student leader Jack Petocz was suspended after leading a brief walkout to protest one of those reactionary bills. He and Principal Greg Schwartz had agreed to the parameters of the march. But just as it was getting started, Schwartz saw that Jack was handing out pride flags. He ordered him to stop.

This is not democracy. It’s vigilantist autocracy violating students’ human rights, a violation echoed in the legislation banning abortions past 15 weeks, a brutal assault on women’s autonomy over their bodies that doesn’t even make an exception for rape, incest or human trafficking. Did I mention that the hippocratic oath has been replaced by the Gospel according to Fox?

Florida’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, our frontier doctor Strangelove who welcomed Covid like it was the second coming, just announced that he would be opposing the vaccination of healthy children under 18. He cited outright falsehoods cribbed from conspiracy theorists–tuxedoed in the regal language of the Barrington Declaration–that vaccines could cause more harm than good even though over 1,000 children have died from Covid. A far larger number have or continue to suffer from long covid. And unvaccinated children continue to be more likely to carry the virus and infect older adults.