Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was not spared criticism by Miami's Mayor Francis Suarez (R) for carrying out a "personal vendetta" against The Walt Disney Company DIS.
What Happened: Suarez pointed out that DeSantis wrangling with Disney had cost the Sunshine State jobs and investments, reported The Hill, citing NewsNation's Blake Burman.
"Look, he took an issue that was a winning issue that we all agreed on, which was parental rights for K through third-graders," said Suarez pointing to Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay Law."
"It looks like now it's something that spite or maybe potentially a personal vendetta, which has cost the state now potentially 2,000 jobs in a billion-dollar investment."
The mayor drew a parallel between DeSantis, who is seen as a prospective candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, and the incumbent Joe Biden.
"I mean, that's the kind of stuff that Joe Biden does, you know, he canceled the Keystone pipeline and other pipelines out of spite that cost Americans 42,000 jobs."
Why It Matters: It is pertinent to note that Suarez made his comments after Disney withdrew its decision to invest $864 million in a new Florida corporate campus, which was expected to accommodate 2,000 employees.
An internal email gave employees who have already relocated to Florida the option to return to Southern California, according to a prior report.
This month, Disney CEO Bob Iger slammed DeSantis for carrying out retaliation against the Mouse House. He pointed out that Disney employs more than 75,000 people and attracts millions of visitors to the state.
He pointed out that "no concerted effort" was made to dismantle Disney's special district in the state until the entertainment giant spoke out about a particular legislation.
He was referring to the Don't Say Gay law, which prohibits teaching classes regarding gender equality or sexual orientation to students in kindergarten through third grade.
At the time, Iger questioned — "Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people and pay more taxes, or not?"
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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