Category: Economics / Economy / Income / Financial

WaPo: “Freedom Is Under Assault In DeSantis’ Florida”

WaPo: “Freedom Is Under Assault In DeSantis’ Florida”

Originally I was not sure that if DeathSantis was a true believer, a gang thug, or just a pandering republican.   I have come to the opinion that he really is all three.   While he seemed smart enough to get through an Ivy League school, he was considered really backward and thuggish in the military, which carried over to him being thought of as stupid in the congress.   He really is as ambitious, as religious, as callous, and as entitled thinking a white man who will hurt anyone to advance himself as they come.    The only difference between him and trump is his age and his willingness to listen to others who tell him they can get him what he wants.   Otherwise, he is a trump clone.    Give him authority and power and he will abuse it to enrich himself, create more authority for himself, and to hurt those he can while enjoying doing so.  Terrifying because he took the trump base and entrenched himself as the governor that will do what every they want regardless of how it hurts others or is illegal, if they will continue to support him.    In the article you will see a free link to the story and I suggest you use it.   I have and won’t abuse the privilege to copy it here.     Hugs  

From the editorial board of the Washington Post:

Backed by GOP supermajorities in both chambers, Mr. DeSantis is waging frontal assaults on press freedom, reproductive freedom, free enterprise and academic freedom. Meanwhile, in the name of protecting gun rights, he has scaled back prudent safety rules. And now he’s poised to target undocumented immigrants, including “dreamers,” with what will be some of the cruelest policies in America.

One of the cruelest steps Mr. DeSantis plans to take in the coming weeks to bolster his presidential bona fides is a crackdown on undocumented immigrants. He wants to require hospitals to collect data on the immigration status of patients, which would deter people from seeking needed medical care. Another measure under consideration would make it a felony to shelter, hire or transport any undocumented immigrant.

Read the full editorial. It’s really something. Gift link.

 

SoCalGal20 11 hours ago

He’s a fascist with a fascist supermajority legislature supporting him. Having said that, I don’t see him winning outside of Florida. If Trump drops dead maybe he can get the R nom but even then I’m not sure.

Watch what he does with the Disney thing. As long as he can bully his opponent he can run over them but when he can’t (see: Disney) he becomes a petty, vindictive bitch who resorts to bluster (tolls! taxes!) and just comes off as throwing a tantrum.

What, me worry?  SoCalGal209 hours ago

The Disney fiasco is going to cost the taxpayers in Floriduh a lot of money. Tourism may suffer too, with groups advising their members not to travel to Florida due to the real danger they could face there.

SoCalGal20  What, me worry?8 hours ago

Definitely. One would hope that would turn some people in Florida off from supporting DeSantis but they do seem to love their fascist government given his margin of victory in his reelection.

I do wonder if his base won’t care too much because the brunt of the punishment is going to be felt in and around Orange County, which is blue.

I think him ignoring the looming insurance disaster while he’s out running for president/on his book tour might get him in more trouble with his base but we’ll see.

carswell12 hours ago

Everything they say is true. And it’s playing well to his base, which is part of the plan (securing the GQP nomination for president, the other part being pretending he’s Viktor Orban).

But there’s another side to this coin. He may have enshrined all this fascist ideology into Florida law and got lots of media coverage doing so. But that will come back to haunt him if he runs in the general because he won’t be able to walk it back, to tack to the centre. That will spell his doom.

Am expecting DeSantis to be 2023-2024’s Scott Walker (remember him?).

AyJayDee2  carswell12 hours ago

I hope that’s the case, but I can’t be too sure. American voters can be astoundingly shallow come Election Day, not to mention the potential for the Green Party to ratfuck the Democrats like in 2016.

carswell  AyJayDee212 hours ago

Though Trump was nominally against abortion in 2016 (typically it was hard to pin down exactly what his position was), few believed Roe v. Wade would be in danger if he was elected. It just wasn’t a big issue.

But it is now and will be even more so in 2024. And DeSantis’s position is crystal clear. Add in other things like his stance on guns, his white supremacy, his weaponizing of government, his picking on the beloved Disney franchise, his targeting of minorities and his blind ambition, none of which play well with the US public, and it’s clear he has an uphill battle ahead of him, even if the shitgibbon is somehow neutralized.

Not saying your skepticism is misplaced. A sharp downturn in the economy, say, or war with Russia or China could radically change the calculus. But if so, most voters would be voting against Biden, not for DeSantis.

AyJayDee2  carswell11 hours ago

That’s what worries me – enough people voting for DeSantis just because he’s “the other guy” or sitting out or voting third-party would be enough to hand the GOP fascists the White House.

Anastasia Beaverhousen10 hours ago

They tried this in Alabama about 15 years ago. Guess how many houses didn’t get build and construction companies that folded. They had no one to pick watermelons, oranges, etc. They rotted in the fields. So you do that Ronnie!

Friday  Anastasia Beaverhousen7 hours ago edited

Georgia boned at least one vidalia crop with their anti-migrant labor BS, (which was therefore short-lived) …cause local people can’t *live* harvesting one crop a year for subminimum wages, or even minimum wages, thus did not appear. Seasonal labor essentially *has* to move around to get through every year, and average American job-seekers neither have an unofficial system and infrastructure for that, nor do they generally find that appealing.

Not to mention that if someone that’s a citizen is physically-capable of that kind of labor, chances are they will have a *better* job than that at least available. I mean, when I was homeless I made an attempt to get something out of that but between the disability that largely put me there in the first place and the whole not-being-fed part, all I got was sick from being in the Sun and …no pay at all to use to go eat something and try again the next day.

I think what Republicans and racists expect to happen very quickly proves to not be what happens. But they still will neither pay for better arrangements or stop blaming the migrant labor they presume is ‘illegal’ for all their perceived problems.

Friday  Anastasia Beaverhousen7 hours ago edited

Georgia boned at least one vidalia crop with their anti-migrant labor BS, (which was therefore short-lived) …cause local people can’t *live* harvesting one crop a year for subminimum wages, or even minimum wages, thus did not appear. Seasonal labor essentially *has* to move around to get through every year, and average American job-seekers neither have an unofficial system and infrastructure for that, nor do they generally find that appealing.

Not to mention that if someone that’s a citizen is physically-capable of that kind of labor, chances are they will have a *better* job than that at least available. I mean, when I was homeless I made an attempt to get something out of that but between the disability that largely put me there in the first place and the whole not-being-fed part, all I got was sick from being in the Sun and …no pay at all to use to go eat something and try again the next day.

I think what Republicans and racists expect to happen very quickly proves to not be what happens. But they still will neither pay for better arrangements or stop blaming the migrant labor they presume is ‘illegal’ for all their perceived problems.

margaretpoa 12 hours ago

Why do you think I call him DeFascist? Fucking WaPo! All of you bastards in the both sides media are complicit in bringing this about. How long have you scoffed at those of us who have literally spent decades warning you that this was happening?
That is what happens when you are securely ensconced in your ivory tower. You look out at the world and think that you have sure knowledge of reality when actually you’re just seeing your own biases.

George K Wright a day ago

“Felony to shelter, hire or transport undocumented immigrant”. So three quarters of Florida employers will be felons?

Nic Petersona day ago

Who the fuck does he think is going to tend to the landscaping all of the low rent gated communities? Who is going to harvest the agricultural bounty? Can’t wait for next year’s strawberry crop to rot in the fields.

Melissia  amy cuscuriaea day ago edited

They think the only way to compete is also to go far right.

It’s stupid. DeSantis constantly increases the size and authority of the Floridian government and its control over Florida’s people, you’d think that “small government” would be an easy rallying cry without having to tread on going far right.

JWC a day ago

There was a time when the GOP kept their NAZIISM under wraps . No longer . It’s out there front and centre under spot lights

The_Wretcheda day ago

Next up, DeSantis has the FL legislature declare him king for life.

Cel 18 hours ago

“…would make it a felony to shelter, hire or transport any undocumented immigrant.” Replace “undocumented immigrant” with “Jew” and it’s a page right out of Hitler’s playbook.

 

Dem House Rep Points Out That $115 Billion Budget Proposed By DeSantis Includes $41B In “Biden Bucks”

Dem House Rep Points Out That $115 Billion Budget Proposed By DeSantis Includes $41B In “Biden Bucks”

UPDATE: Tennessee Speaker admits his family lives hours away from the district he represents

https://popular.info/p/update-tennessee-speaker-admits-his

It seems the republican view is that it is OK to break the laws if you are republican.   No matter what it seems they give a pass to themselves while wanting everyone else to “take personal responsibility” or “pull themselves up by their bootstraps”   Hugs

 

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (Screenshot/NBC News)

Yesterday, Popular Information published an article that posed this question: Where does the Tennessee House Speaker actually live? 

The issue is that Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) represents District 25, which encompasses the community of Crossville, about two hours outside of Nashville. Under the Tennessee Constitution, Sexton can only represent District 25 if he is “a qualified voter of that district.”

A Popular Information investigation uncovered substantial evidence that Sexton and his family lived year-round in Nashville, not Crossville. The piece cited property records, school enrollment, and the observation of his neighbor in Crossville. Sexton’s office, however, did not respond to a request for comment. 

After yesterday’s story was published and spread rapidly online, Sexton did communicate with Phil Williams, a high-profile Tennessee reporter. Williams reported that “Sexton argues, as Speaker, he has to be in Nashville so often that it’s easier to have his family here.” So now we know the answer to the question: Sexton, and his family, live in Nashville. 

In addition to not living in Crossville, Sexton has also not paid his property taxes on his two-bedroom condo in Crossville for the last two years, according to the Cumberland County website.

 

Under Tennessee law, “[t]he place where a married person’s spouse and family have their habitation is presumed to be the person’s place of residence.” So, now that Sexton admitted he and his family live in Nashville, there is a presumption that Sexton also resides in Nashville for the purpose of voting registration. That would make his representation of District 25 unconstitutional since he wouldn’t be “a qualified voter of that district.” 

The presumption can be rebutted if “a married person who takes up or continues abode with the intention of remaining at a place other than where the person’s family resides is a resident where the person abides.” But Sexton does not “abide” in Crossville while his family lives in Nashville. Sexton, by his own account, lives with his family in Nashville. 

According to Williams, Sexton also cited a different section of Tennessee residency law, which states, “a person does not gain or lose residence solely by reason of the person’s presence or absence while employed in this service of… this state.” The issue, however, is not the time Sexton is in Nashville during the four-month legislative session or other official business. The issue is that he lives there year-round, whether or not he is conducting legislative business. 

According to the 2022 House Ledger Sheet, for example, Sexton reported working on official business just 42 days outside of the four-month legislative session. But when he is not conducting official business, Sexton still appears to live in Nashville. 

John Spragens, an attorney in Tennessee who litigates election law issues — including residency challenges — agreed that there were legitimate issues about whether Sexton was a legal representative of his district. “Residency for voting purposes involves several factors, but someone could easily conclude that Sexton is living in Nashville,” Spragens said. “He’s not the first speaker to do that — just the first to expel members while his own house is not in order.”

Spragens added that, at the moment, “the legislature is the sole arbiter of any member’s qualifications, so it’s up to [Sexton’s] colleagues to decide whether he or any representative should be expelled.” Spragens said that Sexton’s residency could be challenged in court if he runs for reelection.

Gary Blackburn, an attorney who has practiced law in Tennessee since the 1970s, said that what Sexton is doing “violates the obvious spirit of this law” and is “contrary to the intent of the statute.” Blackburn said, however, that enforcement may be difficult because of vague language in the residency statute. Nevertheless, according to Blackburn, the issue of Sexton’s residency is “worthy of public discussion.” He agreed that Sexton could face a court challenge in any subsequent run for office. 

Why It Matters 4 by Randy

 

Why it Matters IV

The cost of doing business

WIM4 pic 1

 

  As I look into the mirror, shaving a greyed beard from a face lined by time and trouble, I remember a younger face once looking at me from this very glass with similarly sad eyes.  A boy of dirty elbows and skinned knees, and behind that perpetually down-cast sight beat a heart filled with impotent rage.  I knew my life was wrong, it was unfair, and it was a hot mess of a kid staring back from the mirror that reported horrible things filled with quiet unshed rage and denial of every truth that came anywhere near. WIM4 pic 2 At that younger time, I was pure lethality with a gun.  I made a game of being able to spin the cap off a bottle without breaking the bottle by just nicking the side with the bullet, but I enjoyed the explosions of the shattering glass when I missed.  Like many kids, I relished the wanton destruction, the control of continued existence or the end of that bottle.  I felt powerful, skilled, and capable in a world where otherwise I foundered at the whim of forces I felt incapable of withstanding, weak, ineffectual.  

  If you have never held a gun, you know not the thrill of life, nor of death.  For many a gun is the mark of independence, the goal of maturity, the status symbol of greatness.  Instead, a momentary pull of a finger decides an accident of foolishness or the demands of a spurned heart WIM4 pic 3a and the most intimate of actions lets one be alive still and another not so very much.  It is horror and excitement and at no point does the heartbeat slowly for any involved.  It is but for targets, some may say, but what is target practice but the refinement of the skills necessary to kill that which you intend great harm?  Some say it is an act of freedom to hold the means to life and death in your hands, but whose life, whose death?  And why is the ability to take a life a definition for freedom?

WIM4 pic 4

  From the tenor of this post, many would think I am against gun ownership.  To be fair, I couldn’t care less if someone owns a gun.  I similarly don’t care if someone owns a pit bull, a monster truck, or wants to live life as a raging karen. WIM4 pic 5 It is the unmitigated gall, the pretentious and pompous attitude that one’s ownership of a gun shall not be infringed, even in the misuse and mishandling.  Bill upon bill has come before congress, requesting the mere modicum of relief to those of us unwilling to be set upon by others unfettered 2nd amendment rights, only to wither in committee, shot down by the special interests lobby.  How sad a people who have decided money is far more important than the life of a school child.

WIM4 pic 6

I often wonder if Dylan Thomas knew about the lure of guns when he wrote “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at the close of the day.”  When imagined and closeted monsters come and seek to take all that we hold precious, when fear and anger burn so bright as to risk all that is dear, WIM4 pic 7do hold tight to that instrument of power, that wand of courage that burns away the dark and sends the monster back into the closet?  But power is fickle, isn’t it?  It isn’t only our own fear, our own rage that dispels in the smoke of a smokeless powder concussion.  Quiet little sparks in Uvalde, in Sandy Hook, splashed out little stars in last moments of terror.  And as those little lives fade, do you wonder if their last thoughts are to be thankful that old men may rage, that young men may rage?  Hold on to your fear, gentlemen, do hold on to your fear if that is all you have left.  

  Don’t be sad, little ones.  It’s just the cost of doing business.  You understand, don’t you?

WIM4 pic 8

 

Republicans: Argue Against Meals For Poor Kids, Then Give Themselves More Money For Food

Missouri, Homelessness, and Hospitality

Florida Moves Closer To Criminalizing Drag Shows

Florida Moves Closer To Criminalizing Drag Shows

I would like everyone to notice Joe’s tweet at the end.  Pro-life pretenders in Florida legislators passed this b ill along with the anti-trans, don’t say gay bills, anti-woke bills, anti books with LGBTQ+ or race history all in the name of protecting the children, but they approve open carry with no training.   The amount of gun violence is already high here in Florida and will now go up.  How is this pro-life?   I don’t get it.    Hugs

 

High egg prices send profits at largest US producer soaring more than 700%

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/business/egg-profits-cal-maine/

Price gouging!   Profit is king even if it kills people.   The inflation the US is experiencing is mostly being caused by greed and unheard of profit by major companies doing price gouging.   Yet few elected officials are talking about it and few news organizations are reporting it.   Instead, even when hit with it during a congressional hearing Jerome Powell insists that the rates hikes will keep going until there is a return to large unemployment.   Why?  Because the wealthy are terrified of the power working people have right now in the labor market.   They want that quashed, stomped down until the old status quo returns where companies could set any low wage and bad working conditions and the workers had to accept that.  That is what the rate hikes are about, and Powell even admits that he wants high unemployment even as it hurts the working people and the poor.    Now it is starting to be made more public how corporations have been raking in record profits including the big oil companies that kept gas prices as high as possible, including railroad companies even as they cut the work force to the bare minimum to the point of only having two workers for even miles long trains, and it also includes food producing companies.   Stop to think of how everything people need and use went up in price the companies blamed it on everything from supply issues to in the case of eggs / chick on bird flu / death of the chickens.   Yet these same companies have kept raising prices even as all the issues they claimed were causing the price increases have been solved and gone away.   Hugs

Cal-Maine Foods, the largest egg producer in the United States, reported revenue doubled and profit surged 718% last quarter because of sharply higher egg prices.

The company, which controls about 20% of the US egg market according to Reuters, said its average selling price for a dozen eggs in the quarter ending February 25 was $3.30, more than double the average of $1.61 a year earlier. Despite the higher prices, the total number of eggs it sold edged up 1%, so its overall revenue rose 109% to $997.5 million.

That doubling of revenue was nothing compared to its profits, however. Net income soared to $323.2 million from only $39.5 million a year ago.

The jump in revenue and profit had been expected but easily topped forecasts. Shares of Cal-Maine (CALM) were up 4% in premarket trading.

Eggland's Best eggs are seen at the company's research facility in Pennsylvania.
 

Surging egg prices mean record profits for largest US egg producer

A deadly and highly infectious avian flu has forced US farmers to kill millions of egg-laying hens, reducing the country’s egg supply and driving up prices. But Cal-Maine said in its earnings statement that there have been no positive tests for avian flu at any of its owned or contracted production facilities.

Egg producers’ pricing decisions have been criticized by some politicians, who accuse them of profiteering and price gouging.

“American families working to put food on the table deserve to know whether the increased prices they are paying for eggs represent a legitimate response to reduced supply or out-of-control corporate greed,” said a letter sent by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Katie Porter to Cal-Maine and other major egg producers last month.

Cal-Maine did not immediately respond early Wednesday to a request for comment about the letter.

Egg prices did start to retreat slightly in the government’s most recent inflation reading for February, but are still up more than 55% from a year earlier.

Major Egg Producer Reports Profits Up Over 700%

 

margaretpoa a day ago

So inflation is bullshit and we’re just being gouged

Boreal  margaretpoaa day ago

Yup. There is no inflation like there was in the 70s. Corporate profits are at record highs.

margaretpoa  Boreala day ago

Pure, unadulterated greed. Raise taxes on our profits? We’ll show you….

RRebel  margaretpoaa day ago

Or, we’re being gouged which in turn CAUSES inflation.

Charlie In SFa day ago

Eggs start at $6 where I am. Sometimes you can find them for $3.99 at Trader Joes. Reading this article, the egg producers are behaving just like oil companies. Manufacturing a fake crises and then jacking up prices,

Mark  Ragnar Lothbroka day ago

I read that about 1% of layers were put down. That’s it.

Charlie In SF  Spencera day ago

That’s what we’ve been told.
But reading the article, it says production is up by 1% and profits by 700%.

Mark  Spencera day ago

Only 1% werre put down. The prices are a manufactured crisis.

Loria day ago

Huh, so higher egg prices were caused by price gouging which is possible because we’ve allowed consolidation to wipe out real competition? Who could possibly have guessed that?

Houndentenor a day ago

This is price gouging. Yes, if your costs go up, you have to raise prices, but if you just raised prices by the amount your costs increased, then profits would stay relatively the same.

William  Houndentenora day ago

When the tax on beer went up a quarter per case, the price increased by a dollar a six pack.

 

 

DeSantis’ Reedy Creek board says Disney stripped its power

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-disney-new-reedy-creek-board-powerless-20230329-qalagcs4wjfe3iwkpzjsz2v4qm-story.html

YES!   Those of us who followed Disney over the years have been struck by how quiet and seemingly accepting of the DeathSantis attempt to take over the company.   It is shocking because Disney lawyers are known to be tenacious and fierce against all opponents of Disney.    Now we know why.    While DeathSantis thought he was taking over Disney the company used the governor’s ego / ambition to get a 1.2 billion dollar tax relief now placed on the backs of the Florida taxpayers, and neutered DeathSantis attempt to take over.    Notice recently that Disney announced they are sponsoring / holding a very large conference on diversity and inclusion, something that DeathSantis says is illegal in the state of Florida for a company to do.    Disney is baiting DeathSantis to come after them.   As Ron just said, DeathSantis thinks he is a large shark in a big ocean, but in truth he is finding out he is only a goldfish in an ocean of sharks.   DeathSantis and his ideology driven handpicked board thought they were going to use Disney and its properties to force the right wing oppressive regressive agenda on the public.   Mermaids would be white again, no boys would be princesses, no princesses would be gay, all characters would be 1950s Leave it to Beaver stereotypes.    One last thing, I am tired of these right wing white Christian nationalists racists bigots claiming they are the majority and that they represent the will of the people.    They don’t, and they have not for a very long time.   That is why they are fighting so hard this last stand to return the country to when they were happy and in control.    They are a minority within a small minority.     Hugs

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handpicked board overseeing Disney World’s government services is gearing up for a potential legal battle over a 30-year development agreement they say effectively renders them powerless to manage the entertainment giant’s future growth in Central Florida.

Ahead of an expected state takeover, the Walt Disney Co. quietly pushed through the pact and restrictive covenants that would tie the hands of future board members for decades, according to a legal presentation by the district’s lawyers on Wednesday.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s new Board of Supervisors voted to bring in outside legal firepower to examine the agreement, including a conservative Washington, D.C., law firm that has defended several of DeSantis’ culture war priorities.

“We’re going to have to deal with it and correct it,” board member Brian Aungst Jr. said. “It’s a subversion of the will of the voters and the Legislature and the governor. It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.”

 

Disney defended its actions.

“All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law,” an unsigned company statement read.

Taryn Fenske, a DeSantis spokeswoman, called the move “last-ditch efforts” to transfer “rights and authorities” from the district to Disney.

“An initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law,” Fenske said in a prepared statement. “We are pleased the new governor-appointed board retained multiple financial and legal firms to conduct audits and investigate Disney’s past behavior.”

The previous board, which was known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District and controlled by Disney, approved the agreement on Feb. 8, the day before the Florida House voted to put the governor in charge.

Board members held a public meeting that day but spent little time discussing the document before unanimously approving it in a brief meeting.

DeSantis replaced those Disney-allied board members with five Republicans on Feb. 27, who discovered the binding agreement the previous board approved.

DeSantis and Disney clashed over the corporation’s opposition to what critics call the “don’t say gay” law, which limits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

The new DeSantis-aligned board expressed dismay over the previous board’s actions.

“This essentially makes Disney the government,” board member Ron Peri said. “This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure.”

Among other things, a “declaration of restrictive covenants” spells out that the district is barred from using the Disney name without the corporation’s approval or “fanciful characters such as Mickey Mouse.”

That declaration is valid until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England living as of the date of this declaration,” if it is deemed to violate rules against perpetuity, according to the document.

A development agreement allows Disney to build projects at the highest density and the right to sell or assign those development rights to other district landowners without the board having any say, according to the presentation by the district’s new special legal counsel.

Disney agreements by Skyler Swisher on Scribd

Disney and its affiliates own the vast majority of the land in the district, and other companies have operated there with the corporation’s blessing.

The development agreement bars the board from regulating the height of buildings, which would be solely under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The previous board also agreed to give Disney vast authority over its own buildings, according to its declaration. The agreement states that Disney must review any exterior changes to the district’s buildings to ensure consistent “theming” with Disney World.

Aungst said he is hopeful Disney will work with the board and correct the agreement in a “very collaborative manner.”

But board members also approved hiring four outside law firms with Chairman Martin Garcia citing a need for “lawyers that have extensive experience in dealing with protracted litigation against Fortune 500 companies.”

One of those firms is Cooper & Kirk, which has gotten more than $2.8 million in legal fees and contracts from the DeSantis administration to defend a controversial social media law, a ban on cruise ship COVID-19 “vaccine passport” requirements, and a restriction on felons seeking to vote.

Cooper & Kirk’s lawyers will bill $795 an hour, according to the firm’s engagement letter. The boutique firm’s roster of lawyers includes Adam Laxalt, who roomed with DeSantis when he was training at the Naval Justice School in 2005 and made an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate last year in Nevada.

The firm’s alumni include Republican U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.

The board also approved bringing on Lawson Huck Gonzalez, a law firm that was launched earlier this year. One of its founders is Alan Lawson, a retired Florida Supreme Court justice.

The board approved two local firms as well — Nardella & Nardella and Waugh Grant.

Outside legal help is needed because of the vast resources Disney has at its disposal, Garcia said.

“What it looks like to me [is that] because Disney has the Magic Kingdom, they thought they could be king for a day,” he said.

DeSantis Board Rages Disney Made Them “Powerless”

Chris Baker  Mike P18 hours ago

And they thought this through very carefully. I’m sure they have other strategies up their sleeves too. I can’t see how they would allow themselves to be ‘supervised’ by unelected board members, in which they had no say of the choice. People and businesses should have a vote in who represents/controls their district, especially since Disney did nothing wrong in the management of the district that would warrant a state takeover. This will be tied up in the courts for a while, while Disney can strategize other legal options.

Steve in NOLA  Chris Baker17 hours ago

If Disney’s lawyers are worth their salaries, they will have long ago identified every conceivable legal threat to Disney, from the highest level to the lowest. And each possible threat will have been gamed out by those lawyers to find a response for each, a course of action likely to be successful. They will have started this long ago and kept it up to date.

They’ve probably been ready for an idiot like deSantis for at least twenty years.

 

 

 

HELLthcare | Christopher Titus | Armageddon Update

A must watch even if you don’t like his comedy.  He breaks down the US health care and shows which nations we fall in with on it.  Not something we would want to brag about.    Hugs