As Spencer reported earlier on Wednesday, the Florida Senate passed a bill stripping Disney World of its special tax and operational status to exist autonomously, as it has since 1967. This was a move that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) had been calling for, especially in the past few weeks. While the chatter increased that this was happening, others started weighing in to meddle in the affairs of Florida, including Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO).
Florida’s authoritarian socialist attacks on the private sector are driving businesses away. In CO, we don’t meddle in affairs of companies like @Disney or @Twitter. Hey @Disney we’re ready for Mountain Disneyland and @twitter we’re ready for Twitter HQ2, whoever your owners are https://t.co/r7Vcvu20eb
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) April 19, 2022
In an email to Townhall, Christina Pushaw, Gov. DeSantis' press secretary, pointed out that "Floridians, especially those who have fled from socialist countries like Cuba and Venezuela, understand what socialism is and is not."
She had a lesson of sorts for Gov. Polis, reminding that socialism involves "an authoritarian system where the state controls the means of production and the entire economy," but is not "Passing legislation to create a more even playing field for all businesses" or "Selling shares of a corporation due to well-founded concerns that corporation is not acting in its shareholders' best interests"
Pushaw also pointed to a CNN Business article last from Alicia Williams, last updated on Tuesday, which found that Florida is among those states which has made a fully employment recovering following the pandemic.
From the piece:
The South has also emerged as a strong region for job recovery, [Adam Kamins, an economist at Moody's Analytics] said, noting employment surges in Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Other states that have made a full employment recovery include Arkansas, South Dakota and Indiana.
...
Many coastal cities and states -- notably New York and California -- implemented stringent restrictions on people and businesses when the pandemic hit.
The measures, which negatively affected the tourism, leisure and hospitality industries, hit particularly hard in places like New York City and Los Angeles, which rely heavily on those sectors. Additionally, those restrictions were typically in place longer -- and oftentimes applied more intermittently in the coastal states than in states that opened their economies more quickly, said Mark Vitner, a senior economist with Wells Fargo.
"[States like Florida] were more consistent in the way that they handled the pandemic, whereas California and New York wavered on which businesses could open and when they were allowed to reopen, and then the rules changed," he said.
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Last Friday, a news release from Gov. DeSantis' office highlighted how "Florida’s Economy Continues to Thrive."
That release includes statements that offer almost a direct rebuttal to Gov. Polis when it comes to "driving businesses away," as he claimed:
“The economic data underscores that Florida is outperforming the nation by protecting the freedom Floridians need to do business and drive economic success,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Industries like manufacturing continue to see growth because Florida prioritizes workforce development and expanding opportunities for businesses and families in our state.”
“Governor DeSantis has led Florida in a positive direction by creating the most business friendly environment in the nation,” said DEO Secretary Dane Eagle. “DEO is committed to supporting the Governor’s efforts and the state’s growth by connecting communities, businesses, and families to the resources they need to thrive.”
Pushaw offered in the email to Townhall that it "might be informative for other governors."
From her personal account, Pushaw also retweeted a takedown of Polis from columnist Josh Hammer.
Hey @jaredpolis,
— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) April 20, 2022
Your capital has become a cultural cesspool and wasteland of homelessness, needles, drugs, and neglect. It's amazing to now have a governor who considers the cultural spillover effects of woke companies.
Sincerely,
A former Coloradan and current Floridian https://t.co/KiySjppDUu
Despite the reality of the situation in Florida, Polis doubled down not long after that initial tweet on Tuesday. It got weirder, too.
We will grant Mickey and Minnie full asylum in Colorado https://t.co/xpkqvEYoCu
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) April 19, 2022
Run Mickey run! https://t.co/bvIJi0u8fQ pic.twitter.com/2K4zaVp7d8
— Eric ?????? (@DrWutt) April 19, 2022
On Wednesday, "Disney" was trending over Twitter in reaction to the news, as was "Maybe Disney" which was calling on Disney to quit its obsession over lambasting the parental educations bill that DeSantis signed into law recently. Twitter also had "#DeSantisDestroysFlorida" trending, though some were taking part by taking issue with such a claim.
To the people tweeting #DeSantisDestroysFlorida.
— Charles W. ???????? - Biologist (@CWBOCA) April 20, 2022
You're either:
1) Not from Florida.
2) A Fucking idiot.
3) A Fucking idiot.
4) A Fucking idiot.
5) A Fucking idiot.
6) A Fucking idiot.
7) A Fucking idiot.
8) A Fucking idiot.
9) A Fucking idiot.
10 All of the above.
For a time, some considered Gov. Polis some sort of moderate, because of his stance on the pandemic and masking. In addition to his rant against Disney, though, Polis also earlier this month signed a law creating a "fundamental right" to abortion, though as Madeline mentioned in her coverage, he did not even refer to "abortion" by name. Colorado already is permissive with its abortion laws, as it is one of the few states, in addition to D.C., where there is no gestational limit on when a woman may have an abortion.
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