Disney Exec Phone Call Details Revealed & the Next Threat to Conservatives | Ron DeSantis
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Florida aims for the largest property tax reduction in its history, with DeSantis advocating for the complete elimination of homestead taxes to boost affordability.
- ❖DeSantis confronted Disney after they vowed to fight Florida's education policies, revoking their special self-governing district and forcing them to pay their 'fair share.'
- ❖The clash with Disney served as a turning point against 'corporate wokeness,' demonstrating that conservative leaders would fight back against companies pushing left-wing agendas.
- ❖Florida has seen an unprecedented shift of 1.8 million voters to Republican registration under DeSantis, which he attributes to leading with 'bold colors' and delivering results.
- ❖DeSantis is focused on institutional reforms, such as decertifying partisan teacher unions and implementing 5-year reviews for tenured professors, to roll back leftist influence in education.
Insights
1Ambitious Property Tax Reform to Boost Affordability
DeSantis initiated a push for the largest property tax reduction in Florida's history, aiming to significantly reduce or eliminate taxes on homesteaded properties. He cited a doubling of local government tax revenue from $32 billion in 2019 to $60 billion, arguing that even with population growth and inflation, this increase was excessive. His proposal, which would have entirely phased out homestead taxes while still leaving local governments with 35% more revenue than seven years prior, faced legislative resistance but led to a substantial tax cut measure on the ballot.
Local governments have taxed people 32 billion then and 60 billion now... We could eliminate all tax on homestead and they would still have 35% more revenue than they had 7 years ago... there is going to be on the ballot a the biggest property tax reduction in the history of the state.
2Managing Unprecedented Population Influx and Economic Growth
Florida experienced an influx of 2.3 million people in five years, the highest net migration of any state. DeSantis acknowledges the pride Floridians feel as a destination for 'sanity and freedom' but also the challenges this growth presents. His administration addressed infrastructure strains by allocating $7-8 billion from state surpluses to accelerate road projects by a decade. To balance development with conservation, Florida established the Wildlife Corridor and conserved hundreds of thousands of acres, ensuring agricultural land remains undeveloped.
It's about 2.3 million people in about 5 years. It's extraordinary... I took about 7 or 8 billion dollars from that and we did infrastructure road projects... We did the Florida wildlife corridor... We've put hundreds of thousands of additional acres into conservation.
3Confronting Corporate Wokeness: The Disney Battle
DeSantis directly challenged Disney after its CEO publicly opposed Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill. He advised Disney to stay out of the legislative debate, but when the company vowed to use its power to repeal the law, DeSantis responded by stripping Disney of its long-standing self-governing status (Reedy Creek Improvement District). He framed this as a necessary move to prevent corporations from attacking state policy while benefiting from special government subsidies. The outcome saw Disney lose its special privileges, contribute more to local taxes, and commit $18 billion in new investments to its Florida parks, demonstrating that the state would not 'subsidize' corporate activism.
The then CEO called me... My advice to you is stay out of it... We're going to do everything in our company's power... We yanked the local government away from them, put it under state receivership... Disney's now pitching in, paying their fair share... they're investing $18 billion into their parks.
4Institutional Reform to Roll Back Leftist Influence
DeSantis details his strategy to 'recapture ground' from the left within various institutions. In K-12 education, he signed legislation for the decertification of partisan teacher unions to prevent them from controlling the system. In higher education, a law was passed requiring all tenured professors to undergo a review every five years, with the possibility of termination for poor performance, aiming to address perceived liberal biases and agendas.
I signed legislation providing for the decertification of these partisan teacher unions... all tenured professors must undergo review every 5 years and can be terminated for poor performance.
Bottom Line
The success of 'bold colors' governance in Florida has created a new political dynamic where 'liberal ideas' might infiltrate the Republican party through primaries, as candidates adopt the 'R' label without truly conservative principles.
This suggests a potential long-term challenge for conservative movements: maintaining ideological purity within a dominant party, even as it achieves supermajorities. It implies that electoral success alone doesn't guarantee sustained conservative governance.
For conservative activists, the opportunity lies in developing robust primary vetting processes and educating voters on candidates' true ideological stances beyond party labels, to prevent 'corporatist' or less conservative elements from gaining power.
DeSantis's confrontation with Disney served as a 'turning point' against corporate wokeness, empowering other corporate executives to resist ESG and DEI pressures from their boards by citing the potential for similar political backlash.
This indicates a shift in the corporate landscape, where the 'path of least resistance' for businesses might no longer be to appease left-leaning activists. It suggests that political pushback from conservative states can alter corporate decision-making on social issues.
Businesses seeking to avoid political entanglement or those ideologically aligned with conservative principles could leverage this precedent to justify focusing on core business objectives rather than social advocacy, potentially leading to a re-evaluation of corporate social responsibility strategies.
Key Concepts
Bold Colors, Not Pale Pastels
This model describes a political strategy of taking clear, decisive, and often confrontational stances on issues, rather than adopting moderate or compromising positions. DeSantis argues that this approach, while initially drawing criticism, ultimately delivers results and proves to be more effective politically, leading to stronger public support and voter shifts.
Recapture Ground
Beyond merely resisting the advances of opposing ideologies, this model emphasizes actively rolling back and reversing policies or influences that have already been established within institutions. DeSantis applies this to areas like education and corporate governance, arguing that simply 'yelling stop' is insufficient when the 'left has already succeeded in a lot of stuff.'
Lessons
- Challenge established narratives: When faced with criticism or 'narrative' about legislation, focus on the facts of the policy rather than media interpretations.
- Don't subsidize opposition: If an entity benefits from state support while actively undermining state policies, consider withdrawing those benefits.
- Lead with 'bold colors': Don't shy away from strong, conservative policies even in politically divided environments, as delivering results can shift public opinion and voter registration.
The 'Bold Colors' Governance Playbook
Identify and Isolate 'Pathologies of the Left': Clearly define and target specific ideological influences or policies deemed detrimental within institutions.
Push the Envelope and Lead from the Front: Initiate aggressive legislative and executive actions, taking 'incoming' criticism rather than waiting for external pressure groups.
Deliver Tangible Results: Implement policies that visibly improve citizens' lives (e.g., tax cuts, infrastructure, economic growth) to build organic public support and validate the 'bold' approach.
Recapture Institutional Ground: Implement structural reforms within key institutions (e.g., education, corporate governance) to roll back established opposing influences, rather than just preventing future advances.
Codify Policies for Longevity: Ensure significant reforms are enacted through legislation, not just executive orders, to make them durable and resistant to future political shifts.
Notable Moments
DeSantis shares an anecdote about being on the cover of Cigar Aficionado magazine, highlighting a personal interest outside of policy.
This moment provides a glimpse into DeSantis's personality, showing a lighter side and personal interests that contrast with his public image as a policy-focused governor.
DeSantis recounts being corrected for ordering scotch in Kentucky, where 'we drink Kentucky bourbon,' illustrating the importance of local customs.
This humorous anecdote humanizes DeSantis, showing a moment of cultural misstep and his ability to learn from it, making him relatable to the audience.
DeSantis describes his love-hate relationship with his Oura Ring, which praises his golf activity but criticizes his sleep patterns.
This personal detail offers a relatable insight into the challenges of balancing a demanding public life with personal well-being, and the ubiquitous nature of health tracking technology.
DeSantis shares a story about his young son's golf putt hitting the flagstick, leading to a lesson about why pros remove it.
This moment highlights DeSantis's role as a father and his enjoyment of family life, connecting with the audience on a personal level and showing him in a different light than his political persona.
Quotes
"I would love for you to own your home and it not be used as a piggy bank for for government."
"If I did control it, I probably would have some say I would uh there may be some I wouldn't let in."
"I don't think that's their fiduciary obligation to their shareholders. It should be to earn returns for their shareholders, not try to fight Florida on our education policy."
"You want to do your job and stick to your business is fine, but you're getting in our arena if you're pushing left and you're trying to impose this on our society, I'm fighting back and we're going to win."
"What we showed is when you do do bold colors, when you're leading, when you're getting out in front and delivering results, not only is that more conservative, it's also better politics."
"If you're just saying stop no more leftism, that is not sufficient. You need to recapture this ground. You need to roll back leftism and make sure that we have a free society."
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