Disneyworld has been able to be many things during its history, including a nuclear power plant. The “happiest place on earth” has enjoyed special status for decades with its own local government and privileges, such as being able to collect taxes, pass building codes and control public services within its territory, where its resorts and theme parks. In a turn of events, Florida has just suggested that a jail be built next to the amusement park.
Yes, a state prison.
Florida vs. Disney. To understand the mess the theme park has been in recently, you have to be familiar with Florida’s current situation and why its governor, Ron DeSantis, is hell-bent on punishing Disney for hindering his anti-LGBTQ crusade. As we discussed a few months ago in this other article, the Republican president has been fighting with Disney because the mouse brand opposed a law that restricts education on gender and sexuality in schools.
Specifically, the Republican party turned against Disney after the company, under pressure from its staff, spoke out against the state’s Parents’ Rights in Education Act, dubbed by critics as the bill ” Don’t Say Gay”.
The threats. Since then, DeSantis has been seeking by all means to wrest from Disney all those special self-government privileges it has had in Florida for more than 50 years, rights that other theme parks like Sea World or Universal Studios don’t have. The first measure they responded with was a vote to restructure the special district, giving the governor, not the district owners, the power to appoint members of the district’s board of directors.
All of this has reignited a buried debate: whether corporations should receive special treatment under state law. So they’ve also anticipated a bill that would impose new inspection regulations at Disney, including on its monorail system and attractions. Anything to touch the mouse’s nose.
While ramping up his fight against Disney, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) relays a suggestion to build a “state prison” next to Disney World. pic.twitter.com/qaYdt8SszB
— The Recount (@therecount) April 17, 2023
building a jail. In fact, they promised to take control of their taxation away from Disney. And now, without going any further, the new idea to intimidate the company has been to build a state prison next to the theme park in Orlando. “Who knows? I think the possibilities are endless,” the president announced with a smile.
The governor has also proposed forcing Disney to post signs at its hotels warning of human trafficking, creating more affordable housing for the workforce, giving district first responders raises, and assessing Disney property to see if its taxes on the property should be higher.
plans for a nuclear power plant. Putting a prison in Disneyworld reminds us of another crazy idea that has always been on the table in Orlando. As we said before, if there is something that Disney has never lacked, it is power. One so big that it has allowed him to do and undo whenever he wanted in Florida. With all the resources and the law in your favorWalt Disney was able to build roads and drains, issue bonds, and have his own emergency services.
But not only that, it also allowed the company to build facilities that it could use in the future, such as an airport or a power plant. In fact, a 1967 law makes it entirely legal for the company to operate a nuclear reactor on its property. The company always wanted their fantasy city to be self-sufficient, even publishing a book called Our friend the atom, in 1956.
The critics. That is why recently there have been several debates to change that law. In fact, Senator Víctor Torres defended that a family vacation space was not the place for such a thing: “I don’t think Disney will ever build a nuclear power plant, I don’t anticipate it, but I just want to prevent something like that from happening, period.” If a nuclear power plant already seemed nonsense to you, now imagine a prison.
Images: Flickr/Unsplash
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