You mean all the Trumpanzees, Fascists and Bigots are Boycotting Me?

[sheshe2]

[Marcus IM]

1. Only on teevee

For example, Disney is a member of the RATE Coalition, a social welfare group that was reportedly “preparing a seven-figure digital advertising campaign” as part of a “massive lobbying blitz” against raising corporate taxes.15
· Disney disclosed giving the California Taxpayers Association (CTA) $500,000 in political contributions in 2020. CTA is a social welfare group that lobbies in California, spending $110,631 on lobbying in 2020.16 Disney’s CTA involvement in Anaheim politics has drawn scrutiny. 2016 press reports noted that “Disney’s money follows a complicated path — typically flowing from group to group with names like “Orange County Freedom Fund” and “California Taxpayers Association,” before being spent on mailers that bear no trace of Disney’s sponsorship.17
· Disney also reportedly supports another social welfare group, Support Our Anaheim Resort Area, known as SOAR, that was founded in 2007 with backing from Disney in part to fight a housing development proposed near its resort, with Disney reportedly giving SOAR $2.1 million at that time.18
· Disney’s trade association membership in Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) has attracted media scrutiny in the ongoing Florida dark money scandal involving a social welfare group, Let’s Preserve the American Dream (LPTAD). LPTAD gave $1.15 million in 2020 to “Grow United Inc.,” another nonprofit that in turn provided more than half a million dollars that was used to fund “ghost” candidates in Florida senate races. LPTAD “has extensive ties to Associated Industries of Florida, the corporate-lobbying group whose biggest donors include … Walt Disney World.”19 LPTAD, which was originally named “Associated Industries for America’s Future” is run out of AIF’s Tallahassee headquarters by a former AIF vice president.20 Shareholders have no way to know if Disney made contributions to Let’s Preserve the American Dream, because Disney fails to provide disclosure of its contributions to social welfare groups.

Trade Association Blind Spot
· Corporations make payments to trade associations that are used lobby indirectly on their behalf without specific disclosure or accountability. Trade associations spend hundreds of millions to lobby. For example, the US Chamber of Commerce has spent more than $1.7 billion since 1998.21
· Disney shareholders face a trade association blind spot, as Disney fails to disclose a closed top limit for its trade association payments. Its 2020 trade association disclosure notes Disney belonged to three trade associations which received more than $500,000 in dues. All a reader can tell here is that these organizations received over $500,000. There is no way for a reader to know whether these trade associations received $500,001, $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 in dues. You don’t know, and that’s the problem for shareholders. It is also unclear whether this disclosure captures any payments in addition to dues made to trade associations, or the portions of these payments used for lobbying.

For example, Disney serves on the board of the National Association of Broadcasters, which spent $9,220,000 on lobbying in 2020,22 yet all a reader can tell is that Disney gave this group more than $500,000 and 100 percent of this unknown amount was used for lobbying. And Disney serves on the board of NCTA - The Internet & Television Association, which spent $15,460,000 on lobbying in 2020,23 yet a reader can only tell that Disney gave NCTA more than $500,000 and 24 percent of this amount was used for lobbying.

- -

Disney’s membership in certain trade associations also has significant indirect impact. For example, the Chamber is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), serving on its Private Enterprise Advisory Council.28
· ALEC has attracted negative attention for its role in promoting bills that undermine regulations to address issues like climate change, workplace safety and workers’ rights. More recently it has drawn attention for “numerous ties to the Capitol insurrection and Big Lie” challenging the validity of the election results,29 as well as promoting voter suppression30 and critical race theory.31

· Even before the riots, ALEC drew negative scrutiny for putting brand reputations at risk when a lawyer associated with it was involved in a phone call President Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in an attempt to overturn election results.32


https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1699865/000121465922001877/j23223px14a6g.htm

(Permission granted to post in entirety)

[Warpy]

2. Most of them couldn't afford Disneyland or Disney World

so slacktivism is all they've got and not much of it, at that, because we all know they're going to be cheating when the kids start whining or something good is on that they want to see.

I would love to see all the sour faces disappear from the theme parks, they were getting to be a real downer by let early 00s, which was the last time I was there.

[Marcus IM]

4. Convert theme parks to Victory Gardens. Hungry kids need food more than corporate entertainment.

How many millions of kids are food insecure in the USA? Three to four times the entire population of Cuba - that the US is trying to starve also.

[Warpy]

7. Yes and no. Those theme parks are magical for kids under 8 or so

and it's not like there's enough water in LA for much agriculture and the best use for the one in Florida is as restored wetland.

Perhaps more suburbanites would be interested in growing some of their own food in appropriate climate zones if their kids had somewhere else to go to play, like the parks that used to be all over the place with swing sets and other stuff, plus benches for the grownups keeping an eye on them. We used to have this stuff, it's just one more bit of socialism that was pushed onto individual households.

[spanone]

3. ...K&R...

[Marius25]

5. I really wish Disney would stick it to Florida and Republicans and leave the state

I know logistically that's impossible considering how much they have built there, but just imagine Disney announcing they will be leaving Florida completely thanks to DeathSantis and Republicans. The Florida economy would crash overnight.

[DBoon]

6. They don't have to leave Florida

They just need to expand elsewhere and slowly dis-invest in the Florida theme park

[machoneman]

13. Yes, but just an announcement of Disney building a new park in say Georgia.....

would send chills down DeSatan's spine and other elected R's here in FL. Please, do this stat and make them shiver!

[mcar]

8. I may actually go back

Loved WDW back in the day.

[roamer65]

9. In 20 years, FL is going to be very different place.

Hot as hell year round and slowly being submerged.

[H2O Man]

10. Recommended.

[The Jungle 1]

11. Get the Mouse.

Disney World is the largest single taxpayer in Central Florida, Walt Disney World Resort paid $1.146 billion in total state and local taxes paid and collected for 2022.
Talk about stupid. Why would you attack Disney who is paying your bills.
1.146 billion
1.146 billion
1.146 billion
1.146 billion
That is a big number Mr DumbAss.

[SouthernDem4ever]

12. I'll never visit a Florida park as along as repugs control that state

The thought of going to Fla makes me ill - and I have a sibling there.

[Oppaloopa]

15. It makes me ill and I live here

[Captain Zero]

18. If I need warm beaches, Puerto Rico will be fine.

Otherwise the Oregon Coast is awesome, and has no alligators.

[MustLoveBeagles]

14. K&R

[republianmushroom]

16. like it

[bpj62]

17. Political Donations

This whole thing started because Disney made the decision to stop donating to politicians of both parties in Florida after DeSantis gave them a ration for speaking out against his don't say gay bill. A Republican legislator was the first one to float the idea of removing the tax status that Disney enjoyed as a result of the creation of the Reedy Creek Tax District back in 1967.
DeSantis cannot come out and say that it is about political donations because that would look like a shakedown so he used "Woke" as an excuse to make the changes. Disney will go along with the changes until the newly appointed board oversteps thier boundaries and then it will be game on.

I am a Disney Vacation Club Member and I have enjoyed many vacations at Disney World over the past 20 years with my children who are all grown up now. Disney has been good to my family and I hate what DeSantis has done. There is no way that Disney can just up and relocate because of everything that goes on in the Magic Kingdom that supports the parks.

[orangecrush]

19. AMEN!!!!!

[Paladin]

20. "Trumpanzees"?

Oh, I like it. That term needs to be in regular use, for a long time. Let's see how the racist right-wingers like being compared to simians. Payback is a bee-otch!