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Morale down, cronyism up after DeSantis takeover of Disney World government, ex-employees say (apnews.com)

submitted 9 months ago by MicroWave@lemm.ee to c/politics@lemmy.world

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Morale and trust within the Walt Disney World government has deteriorated since allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took it over earlier this year, according to many employees who have departed in recent months saying the governing district has been politicized and cronyism now permeates the organization.

More than 40 out of about 370 employees have left the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District since it was taken over in February, raising concerns that decades of institutional knowledge is departing with them, along with a reputation for a well-run government.

“When I first joined the District, I found an organization that strived to be the very best at serving our community, sought the very best employees and valued those employees above all else,” a former facilities manager with three years of experience said in an employee exit survey last week. “I find myself leaving a completely different District. A District that prioritizes politics above all else and will gladly sacrifice its employees, its community and its work if there’s an opportunity to score political points.”

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[-] Decoy321@lemmy.world 40 points 9 months ago

This is a horrible take that's shared by DeSantis and his cronies. It doesn't matter how many people lose, as long as "the right" people lose.

[-] dannoffs 21 points 9 months ago

A multibillion dollar media conglomerate getting to run its own local government is bad actually.

[-] drewofdoom@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago

I mean, yes. Corporations owning towns is problematic. But the way in which this was handled is significantly worse.

While having their own government generated huge potential for abuse, all signs point toward Disney actually being a pretty good steward. So it's not like this was some emergency. The takeover of the government could have happened slowly, deliberately, and in a way that did not destroy the district in the process. But that was not the point here. The point was to cause damage to Disney because they dared to disagree with DeSantis.

Notice that none of the other privately-owned towns in Florida are being stripped out. It's just Disney, and it's just because of revenge.

Due to the way this was done, an awful lot of people are going to needlessly suffer. Not just Disney employees, either. Disney attracts massive tourism to Florida, and that tourism money ends up all over the state. This is a self-own of absolutely epic proportions on DeSantis' part, and all of Florida is going to pay for it.

[-] jaybone@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

Corporations running towns. Versus fascist government regimes running town. Pick one.

[-] Decoy321@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

True, but a state full of people isn't. I'm not here to defend a business. I'm here to remind that the point should be about the people.

We should celebrate people winning, not someone losing.

[-] Magrath@lemmy.ca 1 points 9 months ago

I think they've always had one.

[-] Eh_I@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Yes, but we are actually at the point where we have to ask if the alternative is better? In this case... It's close.

[-] Nastybutler@lemmy.world -1 points 9 months ago

Tell me you don't know what you're talking about without saying "I don't know what I'm talking about."

[-] Sneptaur@pawb.social 0 points 9 months ago

Okay, I agree with DeSantis then. Disney shouldn’t own a town. His reasons are shitty and my reasons are anticapitalist.

this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023

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