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Comment by joshstrange | Hacker News Reader

That's a very disingenuous way of putting it. There is a lot more at play here that just "special privileges". There is the increased tax burden on the surrounding counties that will now be responsible for upkeep/services/etc and the fact that this was very clearly backlash motivated by the company voicing support against the recently passed "Don't say gay" bill. Further more from what I can tell this was a mutually beneficial arrangement, it wasn't just "special privileges" for free.

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You are very disingenuous. It's not a "Don't say gay" bill, it's a "Parental Rights in Education" bill. The idea that Disney Corp and its employees have special tax exemptions that is enjoyed by nobody else in the nation while advocating that they should be able to teach sexually explicit topics to kindergardeners to 3rd graders - and hide the fact they're doing so from their parents is abhorrent.

> It's not a "Don't say gay" bill, it's a "Parental Rights in Education" bill

It has been commonly referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, rather than the official name of "Parental Rights in Education" bill in a wide variety of forums, which I'm sure you are aware of. Don't be willfully obtuse.

Disney's special district status is not unique. More than 1800 entities ranging from theme parks, HOAs, libraries, energy district, etc., all have similar rights. Take some time to read this: https://floridajobs.org/community-planning-and-development/s...

Disney is far less of "unique snowflake" than the outspoken FL Republicans would like you to believe.

> There is the increased tax burden on the surrounding counties that will now be responsible for upkeep/services/etc

They don’t have to provide upkeep/services/etc to the same level that Disney currently does. Drive around the greater Osceola/Kissimmee area and ask yourself “Is Disney going to be ok with their roads and common spaces in this condition?” Pretty sure the answer there is “no” and Disney will still maintain the roads to their standard and this will ease the burden on the counties…and pay taxes to boot. Disney has a golden goose that they have paid a whole lot of money for over the last 50 years to shit golden eggs, they aren’t going to slaughter the goose just because the price of goose feed goes up.

I think giving a company what amounts to governmental rights is extraordinarily dystopian regardless of any benefits the government may get from such an agreement. Why shouldn't we turn San Fransisco into a city controlled by Google? Surely it could be beneficial to both.

Second, I don't think it was retribution for going against the Parental Rights bill. The opposition to the bill (and the arrest of some Disney employees involved with human trafficking) is the catalyst that brought Disney's special privileges to the forefront. It is not the reason they are losing the privileges. There would have been calls to remove the special privileges regardless of Disney's opposition to the bill.

So why aren't you advocating for the repeal of the 1843 other special districts in Florida, which also include Sea World, and Universal, as well as HOAs, and wide variety of other businesses?

> There is the increased tax burden on the surrounding counties that will now be responsible for upkeep/services/etc

Those counties can raise their taxes on the land Disney inhabits in order to recoup those "losses".

At this point they can't:

"The current tax rate is three times higher than the maximum amount allowed by cities and counties"

No, they can't. Florida state law specifically prohibits that: all county residents must pay the same tax rate. The only way that Disney can pay more taxes than county residents is by forming a...drumroll, please...independent special district.

The state of Florida is dissolving, unilaterally, and without taking any public comment from Disney, the county, the county residents, or the rest of the state, the very vehicle that would allow what you are talking about.

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