Disney to Lose Special Tax Status in Florida Amid ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Clash

nytimes.com

5 points·echo_hessel··4 comments

I could never understand why any business/entertainer/athlete would purposely alienate approximately half of their paying customers.

How do you know that "approximately half" of Disney's paying customers are alienated by Disney's corporate opposition to the recent Florida law? Consider the relatively small number of people alienated by "Gay Days" at Disney, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Days_at_Walt_Disney_World .

If the number is closer to 1%, while not opposing the law would result in 5% alienation, would the decision not make business sense?

Plus, a financial evaluation would also need to look at costs. What fraction of their employees do they alienate? How does it affect the candidate pool?

Bear in mind that people aren't solely driving by profit, as Kaepernick's decision to kneel shows.

“Disney World straddles two counties, Orange and Osceola, which would be required under state law to step in and provide a version of the services currently handled by Reedy Creek, almost certainly leading to increased taxes for their residents. Orange County’s tax collector, Scott Randolph, has estimated that residents would see property taxes climb as much as 20 percent. Reedy Creek has an annual budget of $355 million, according to public records. It carries $977 million in debt, which would also be transferred to the counties.”

Seems like a Pyrrhic victory for DeSantis and crew.

No cost will be too great for the people not paying it.

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