Florida’s plan to control Disney World, conservative overhaul at liberal arts college, DeSantis’ migrant flights could cost taxpayers $1M in legal fees, and more…
January 12, 2023 — This Week’s Top Stories in Florida
Welcome to this week’s edition of Floridian Today, a newsletter about all things Florida — from politics, business, real estate, and climate. Reporting from the Sunshine State, these are the most important stories you need to know. To never miss an update, subscribe to Floridian Today here.
Here’s the latest from Florida…
DeSantis unveils plan for state board to govern Walt Disney World
The fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company over its special self-governing power has escalated as the governor has unveiled his plan to transfer governance of the resort area to a state-run board. DeSantis has proposed that the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), the quasi-governing body for the 25,000 acres of land that makes up Walt Disney World, be controlled by a board appointed by the governor that would control the area. A notice published on Osceola County’s website states the proposal “seeks legislation before the Florida Legislature, taxation, permits, building regulations, and managing debt obligations would be controlled by the advisory board. The proposal stated that the goal of the legislation would be to establish greater “state oversight, accountability, and transparency” within RCID while repealing some of the current authority within the district. The Florida Legislature voted in April to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special tax district created by the state in 1967 that allows Walt Disney World to levy taxes, write building codes, construct and maintain its own infrastructure, issue tax-free bonds, and provide essential services such as water treatment and distribution, energy generation, a fire department, and solid waste collection and disposal. The move came as DeSantis locked into a public feud with the company over their denouncement of HB 1557, “Parental Rights in Education,” which restricts classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3 and critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Importantly, under the planned legislation, the nearly $700 million in bond liabilities owed by RCID would be paid by Disney and not transferred to the taxpayers of Osceola and Orange County. Absent additional legislation, Reedy Creek will be dissolved by June 2023.
DeSantis announces plan to overhaul liberal arts college
Sarasota’s liberal New College of Florida is in the midst of a transformation as Gov. DeSantis appointed six new conservative board members to the school’s leadership. The changes come as DeSantis plans to overhaul Florida’s most progressive higher-education institution into a “classical college” that rejects progressive ideology and perceived “wokeness.” “It is our hope that New College of Florida will become Florida’s classical college, more along the lines of a Hillsdale of the south,” Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz said in a statement. Among the new board members is right-wing activist Christopher Rufo, a dean at the conservative Hillsdale College and a senior fellow at a conservative think tank, who has been outspoken against critical race theory. Other appointees include vocal critics of gender and racial issues being discussed in classroom settings that have become the focus of the state’s recent culture wars. The new ideological appointments shift the makeup of the 13-member board and can wield influence over the left-leaning college’s courses and campus culture. “[New College of Florida] needs new leadership that sends a clear and attractive signal to students, throughout Florida and nationwide, that this is an institution intending to remain humble in size yet nation-leading in its approach to ‘innovation’ and ‘excellence,’” DeSantis spokesperson said. The move is a continuation of a series of actions DeSantis has taken in his first term to alter education policy. After being sworn in last week, the governor criticized the state’s higher-education institutions of pursuing “trendy ideology” and has vowed to reshape the university system.
Migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard could cost Floridians $1M in legal bills
The state could be on the hook for $1 million in legal fees as it is forced to defend itself from a class action lawsuit following Gov. DeSantis’ decision to fly nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard last September. According to records from the Department of Financial Services, the state has agreed to pay up to $1 million in contracts to two law firms — Consovoy McCarthy and Campbell Conroy & O’Neil — at $500,000 each. About $112,000 in legal fees has been paid out to the firms so far via the Department of Transportation contracts that were signed in September. The $1 million would be in addition to the $1.6 million paid by Florida to the Vertol Systems Company, which contracted the two migrant flights from Texas and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. In total, the state has paid more than $35,000 per migrant to relocate them from the Southern Border to the Northeastern United States, and the cost is rising. The class action lawsuit filed against Gov. DeSantis, Secretary of Transportation Jared Perdue, and the state of Florida alleges the migrants were deliberately misled on where they were headed and given false promises of monetary assistance, employment opportunities, and housing.
DeSantis administration investigates state university spending on DEI, CRT
In a move that takes direct aim at the “woke” agenda in education, Gov. DeSantis is requiring that all Florida universities disclose their expenditures and resources related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT) initiatives. The request by the DeSantis administration asks colleges and universities in the state system to report a “comprehensive list of all staff, programs, and campus activities” and funding allocated toward DEI and CRT. The request is also aimed at the Department of Education, which oversees public education for the state’s 3,800 schools and 2.6 million students, in which they must also detail costs and expenditures spent on each program or activity, including a description of the activity and whether state dollars were used. The Florida State University System and Department of Education have a deadline of January 13, 2023, to respond to the administration’s request. The latest move is apparently fact-finding as the governor seeks a “full understanding of the operational expenses of state institutions,” according to an administration official in a released memo. DeSantis has made combating “woke” ideology and indoctrination in education a central focus of his first term, including critical race theory that he believes teaches “kids to hate our country or to hate each other.” The governor’s inauguration speech last Tuesday, coupled with this latest action, guarantees the fight to preserve education remains a linchpin of his political agenda going into his second term. “We must ensure school systems are responsive to parents and to students, not partisan interest groups, and we must ensure that our institutions of higher learning are focused on academic excellence and the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of trendy ideology,” DeSantis said. Critics fear the information on CRT and diversity spending garnered by the DeSantis administration will be weaponized to penalize instructors or defund universities that are not aligned with the governor’s agenda and ideological stance.
FINALLY OUT: Florida Democratic Party chief resigns after historic midterm defeat
Manny Diaz, the chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, resigned this week after facing intense scrutiny from within his own party for months following the dismal performance of Democrats statewide in the midterm election. Immense pressure was placed on Diaz to resign by fellow Democrats as the party performed below expectations and worse than polling suggested in November’s election. The party saw historic losses in areas of the state that are traditionally a blue stronghold, including Miami-Dade and Osceola County which have carried many statewide and presidential candidates to victory in previous election cycles. The Florida Democratic Party has increasingly struggled in electoral races across the state when compared to the better-funded and organized Republican Party of Florida. In November 2021, Republican voters overtook Democrats in voter registration for the first time in the history of the state, and since the 2018 midterm elections, the state GOP registered new voters at a rate 20 times higher than the Florida Democratic Party. When Diaz, a former two-term mayor of Miami, took over as party chief two years ago, he vowed to improve the organization’s standing in the state and address their dire financial situation. But years later, members remained dissatisfied with both Diaz’s job performance and Democrat’s political relevance, the latter of which has further deteriorated. “We cannot win elections if we continue to rely on voter registration to drive turnout, build field operations only around elections, and expect to get our vote out without engaging voters where they live; listening to them and earning their trust,” Diaz wrote in his resignation letter. The ability to attract funding, find adequate volunteers to canvass door-to-door, messaging that doesn’t resonate, and lack of coordination, were also blamed by Diaz for Democrats’ electoral struggles. The Florida Democratic Party’s executive committee will meet later this month to discuss the next steps on a successor who will be tasked with revitalizing the party and rebuilding infrastructure.
Governor’s executive order aims to protect the environment, water quality
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order this week that aims to build upon his administration’s environmental protection and water quality efforts, including setting aside $3.5 billion over four years to restore the Everglades and conserve water resources. “Today, I am proud to announce the next step in this administration’s continued dedication to Florida’s treasured environment. This order directs funding and strategic action that will continue our momentum and enhance our ongoing efforts to expedite critical Everglades restoration projects, employ sound science to protect and restore our waterways, and fund infrastructure projects to improve water quality and safeguard Florida’s water supply,” DeSantis announced at a news conference in Bonita Springs. The executive order expands the current Wastewater Grant Program to address areas of “stormwater and agricultural runoff and address aging wastewater infrastructure” to reduce excess nutrients in surface and groundwater. The order also prioritizes protection and restoration efforts for the Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the U.S., by securing at least $100 million every year to be directed toward water quality improvement projects in the area. The governor also outlines goals of continued funding for statewide resilience projects as part of the Resilient Florida Program and to ensure wastewater facilities upgrade to advanced wastewater treatment by 2033 if they discharge into waterbodies within a basin management action plan (BMAP) area. Executive Order 23–06 advances the state’s increased efforts to protect Florida’s natural resources by setting billions of dollars aside to promote environmental conservation and achieve water quality standards while driving accountability and collaboration among stakeholders.
2022: Tampa’s warmest year on record
Tampa’s average annual temperature has been steadily rising for years, and 2022 was no different, with the city experiencing the warmest average temperatures, per weather records that date back to the 1890s. Tampa’s average temperature in 2022 was 76.4 degrees, slightly higher than the previous hottest years in 2017 and 2020, where the average temperature was 76.3 degrees. The data provided by the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office exceeds normal temperatures by two degrees as trends show modest yet gradual year-over-year increases. Average temperatures in Tampa have climbed about 2.5 degrees since 1891. However, just across the Bay, St. Petersburg had its 12th-warmest year on record, reporting an average temperature of 75.4 degrees. One explanation for this could be more urbanization in Tampa versus St. Petersburg, including an increased density of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure that absorb heat. The Weather Service advises that Earth has encountered climate change before, but temperatures are increasing at a faster rate than natural cycles and at more extreme levels.
Gainesville City Commission reinstates single-family zoning
Gainesville City Commissioners have approved the reinstatement of single-family zoning in a 4–3 vote, less than three months after the Commission eliminated the zoning classification throughout the city. The change comes as Gainesville’s newly elected leaders sought a new ordinance proposed by the planning board that would require additional votes to keep the zoning classification in place. In October, Gainesville became the first city in Florida to approve the zoning change after City Commissioners felt single-family zoning led to exclusive neighborhoods that maintained economic and racial segregation. The change would allow developers to construct multi-family homes as large as four units per parcel on sites previously zoned for single-family homes. Meanwhile, Commissioner Duncan-Walker and Chestnut opposed the zoning elimination due to the threat it posed to the African-American community in East Gainesville, leading to gentrification and suppressing the ability to create generational wealth. Others on the dais and in the community expressed support for eliminating single-family zoning to address the affordable housing crisis. The shift would allow for more affordable multi-unit developments like townhomes, duplexes, and apartments to be built that can provide increased housing supply amid record demand, especially for college students.
Traffic in Miami ranks among the worst in the world
In a new study by transportation data and analytics company, INRIX, Inc., Miami ranks among the worst cities in the world for traffic, resulting in significant economic impact and loss of productivity. Miami ranked as the fifth-most congested metropolitan area in the U.S. and ninth worldwide, with drivers in South Florida spending an average of 105 hours in traffic in 2022. This number was much higher than the 66 hours Miami drivers spent in traffic in 2021, likely due to the ongoing pandemic that saw fewer cars on the road due to remote work and flexible hours. Miami joined other U.S. cities like Chicago, Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, with the worst traffic congestion. London took the №1 spot on the list, followed by Chicago, and Paris. The study estimates the delays cost the average metropolitan driver $1,773 last year — an impact of $4.5 billion citywide. The influx of new residents to South Florida and a greater number of tourists to area destinations are cited for Miami’s jump in the rankings. Meanwhile, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said they are investing in mass transit solutions along busy corridors to alleviate the congestion. This includes a new rail station in Aventura, an extension to the Metro Mover, greater express bus service routes, and adding new corridors to their mass transit options are being discussed.
Orlando serves as the new home of Brazil’s former president
The Sunshine State is in the spotlight of an international news story following riots and political unrest in Brazil that culminated in the invasion of the Brazilian Congress building, Supreme Federal Court, and the presidential palace. At the center of the story is former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose supporters were behind the destructive and chaotic attack following allegations of electoral fraud promoted by Bolsonaro. Since the waning days of his administration at the end of 2022, the former president has taken refuge in Orlando, a fact that became known when Bolsonaro was admitted to a local hospital with severe abdominal pain. Former President Bolsonaro flew to Florida two days before his successor, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was inaugurated and was provided a police escort upon arrival by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Since then, Bolsonaro has taken up residence at Encore Resort in Reunion, a luxury vacation home resort community that has also attracted supporters of the former president who have descended on the area. Bolsonaro, a one-term president, was unseated after he lost his re-election bid in October.
TD Bank manager in Miami-Dade arrested for $30M scheme
A regional manager at TD Bank, overseeing 27 branch locations in Miami-Dade, was revealed to have been behind a massive scheme to defraud the U.S. government. Daniel Hernandez, 50, was arrested in August for falsifying paperwork to secure more than 80 federal loans worth $30 million under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a program created during the COVID-19 pandemic to help businesses stay afloat. Hernandez leveraged his position at TD Bank by fraudulently applying for and submitting fake documents on behalf of other bank customers and associates, then taking a “commission” on every one of these guaranteed loans. The paperwork contained fabricated information on the number of employees, payroll expenses, and gross revenues. He was the beneficiary of more than $17 million in fraudulent loans approved by his employer and the Small Business Administration (SBA). Hernandez pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy charges in December, and he faces up to 10 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March. According to the SBA’s inspector general, 70,000 fraudulent PPP loans have been discovered, totaling $4.6 billion nationwide.
Firefighters support DeSantis’ plan for state control of Disney’s special district
In this edition, we reported on the DeSantis-backed proposal to have the state take control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governing body and special taxing district for the area that comprises Walt Disney World Resort. As part of the governor’s feud with the entertainment giant, he announced a plan to have a state-appointed board control Reedy Creek in an effort to “increas[e] state oversight, accountability, and transparency.” The proposal has now garnered support from the union representing Disney World’s firefighters. “Anything has got to be better than what we currently have,” a spokesman of the Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters Local 2117 said. According to Local 2117, Reedy Creek’s first responders were concerned they would lose benefits if the special district were to be dissolved. But in communication with the governor’s office, union leaders said they are “encouraged” and cited DeSantis’ “track record” of supporting first responders. “We’ve got our faith in the governor that we’re going to be around and that it’s going to be a better place to work.” According to some reports, union members complained of understaffing issues, lack of morale, and poor cooperation with other area fire departments — accusations Reedy Creek and Disney refute. Should DeSantis’ proposal of state control of Disney be successful, the union hopes these issues will be addressed and lead to negotiations for a new union contract. Under the law approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. DeSantis last April, the district is scheduled to be dissolved on June 1.
FUTURE GATOR: Sen. Ben Sasse resigns from U.S. Senate to join UF as president
Nebraska Republican Senator Ben Sasse officially resigned from the U.S. Senate this week to become the next president of the University of Florida. Sen. Sasse will assume the leadership role of Florida’s flagship university on February 6, 2023, after securing confirmation in November by near-unanimous approval from the Florida Board of Governors. As president, he will have a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $1 million and additional benefits totaling $300,000 a year. Prior to serving as U.S. Senator to Nebraska for eight years, Sasse served as president of Midland University, a small private Lutheran college in Nebraska with an enrollment of 1,600 students. By comparison, UF is the fourth largest public university by enrollment population with about 60,000 students. Sasse became the sole finalist for the job after the university’s Presidential Search Committee unanimously selected him after reviewing more than 700 possible contenders nationwide. Sasse will become the 13th president in school history and succeed current President Kent Fuchs who will return to teaching as part of UF faculty.
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