Governor DeSantis’s policies targeting the LGBTQ community, restricting academic freedom, and banning diversity programs have negatively impacted Florida’s economy. Several organizations have canceled conventions and events in Orlando due to concerns over DeSantis’s “anti-woke” agenda, resulting in an estimated $20 million loss in revenue for the state. Despite this, DeSantis’s spokesperson dismissed the economic impact as a “media-driven stunt.” However, boycotts in the past have caused enough economic pain to lead to policy changes, so organizations avoiding Florida are doing the right thing by not spending money there while these policies remain in place.
DeSantis is poison for Florida. He’s so busy trying to prove how much he hates gays & non-whites that he doesn’t take any time to govern. But I guess that’s the standard GOP playbook these days.
Floridians losing money won’t matter to them, but Republican donors losing money will.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/07/desantis-loses-donors-woke-war/70461487007/
Oh they for sure care, just yesterday I was listening to a podcast and one of the ads was for Orlando. The theme of the ad? “Orlando is still great for gay people” They cited all kinds of statistics in an attempt to prove gay people should still visit and that it was a safe and fun place for them. They understand how critical those DINK tourists are, especially when you already have a lot of infrastructure and investment in attracting and serving them.
DeSantis doesn’t care, but I promise you that lots of conservatives on the ground will start caring when their business traffic starts to choke off. Conservatives retire to Florida, but I’d imagine liberals make up at least half of the tourists between spring break, nightlife/LGBTQ hotspots, and how “woke” Disney has become.
Florida’s current economic landscape is only possible due to tourism money, and once that reality becomes clear people are suddenly going to become far less concerned with non economic issues. Even the promise of tax cuts won’t work when entire industries see their revenues drop by meaningful %'s.
I’m from Kansas, I know what it looks like and feels like to live in a conservative economic death spiral. The reality is you have to let it start getting worse before people take it seriously and put a stop to it. Even the conservatives here voted out Brownback after he started gutting every maintenance, service, and school budget in a failed attempt to balance his tax cuts. All those people who treat politics as a game get real serious once it hurts them directly, but until then I’m not sure there’s an effective way to reach them.
And it’s not just the tourism industry that’s suffering, but construction and anything that requires freight shipping as well are already feeling the effects. There’s been videos for the past several months of completely empty job sites with half finished houses and condos because DeSantis has made it a crime to drive undocumented workers, who make up almost the entirety of the construction workforce. A vast number of freight truck drivers also said that they won’t deliver to Florida for similar reasons, though I don’t remember exactly what law caused them to refuse to go into the state.
At the end of the day Florida is guaranteed 2 seats in the senate and due to their size it will be a long while before momentum moves to the point where their house numbers are low.
Republicans want this. They want people of opposing political beliefs to leave their state en mass. Lets not forget that up until recent conservative craziness florida was known as being the most infamous swingstate.
I dont blame people for leaving from an area where their kids will be more poorly educated, where local infrastructure is decentralized highway centric HOA built community hell, and where they may be actively persecuted. It’s what the republicans want though.
spoiler
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So regarding going broke, this was a result of… checks clipboard going woke, right?
Texas Education Agency furiously scribbling “DESANTIS WOKE” into textbooks
As an Aussie, I’d never go there…I don’t want to get shot and then someone claim they were standing their ground or whatever. As I have no problem with foreigners, lgbt people and I hate guns, why would I go?
As far as we know, it feels like I’d be stepping into kkk/nazi territory. I can go Europe instead where people are super chill
Uh, yeah, none of that is going to happen to you. Go where you want, but comparing FL to Nazi territory is so ridiculous.
Your governer (combined with Trump) is already following many of the tactics the Nazi’s used (banning books, using dangerous language like “woke”, etc)… This time though, its not against the Jews, it’s against Trans people. Our government warns against it: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/united-states-america and I literally watched on Sky news, as Trump was setting things up for violence (it was SO obvious to anyone months in advance, and I literally worked it out within 5 mins of watching Sky news where it was headed… I am not a smart guy…)
And a lot of this nonsense is spilling over to Australia.
I have no interest in going somewhere like that… I can go elsewhere in the US, or Europe. I’ve got a trans friend and plenty of gay friends (but I’m totally straight myself). I probably have even more I’m not even aware of. Desantis isn’t getting a dollar from me.
What benefits does Florida have over other places? Why would I visit? I can go elsewhere without the bigotry, people carrying guns everywhere, etc.
It’s true not everyone in Florida is racist, but, if I’m on holiday, why go somewhere I’m dealing with all of that? Why go somewhere where school kids get shot? Why not go somewhere more positive
In fact ironically, I didn’t think much of Disney, until they fought back against Desantis. Now I’m happy they exist…
The nazis also targeted transfolk as well. The repugnants aren’t going to stop at trans people or liberals. They’re going to go after everyone eventually, even each other.
Yep… I actually feel scared for you guys when Trump goes to prison, or for next election.
You’re all welcome here in Australia, to see what things should be like…
Lol, the Nazis targeted everyone who wasnt ethnically German and non-jewish. They targeted straight, white people because they were liberal in general. They targeted meat-eaters and pushed a vegetarian diet.
The actual socialists were also ousted about as soon as possible.
Eh? I’m not in Florida, I live in Arizona. But yeah, it sounds like you should probably stay away from Florida in general, if you’re that fearful. No point it you can’t relax because you’re afraid of dangerous words like woke.
We also definitely have different views on guns in general. As a woman, I like being able to have one for protection, so I’m not worried in my day-to-day life about guns.
Lots of us have gay and trans friends.
The language you’re using to describe things here, is a bit deceptive.
Implying the problem is “Words like woke”? It’s not the word that’s the issue here… They’re doing stuff like banning puberty blockers and banning preferred pronouns in schools too. There’s lots of evidence of facism (and the anti-woke agenda is basically a subtle version of genocide / encouraging bigotry). They’re using the word as a mechanism to drive a bigotted agenda…
What happens when Trump finally goes to jail at the end of the year?
In florida, whilst you argue you “carry a gun for protection”, the fact that criminals (and psycho’s) can get those guns as easily just makes it more dangerous. It’s not normal… I’ve seen how druggies in particular lose their mind over small things. That’s only a good thing if there are background checks (there aren’t in florida from my understanding). A criminal is always going to have an advantage during a gunfight (as they’ll be inclined to shoot first)
Whilst you may not believe it, there is VERY strong evidence that people like Trump are literally following the fascist playbook (which includes “state media”, which he’s basically doing with “fake news” claims).
Trump’s already clearly setting you guys up for Civil war. And unless you can say honestly he’s not doing those things, no foreigner wants to go to his Base of operations. Even as an Australian, it’s very clear he’s trying to set things up to take over the justice department. He’s already trying to convince his base that the government is corrupt.
You tell me honestly, how safe is the US if Trump goes to Jail, or loses the next election? We already saw how his supporters acted last time, and he’s already stepped up the rhetoric. We don’t see regular school shootings in other countries, and nobody here carries a gun. In fact, people here need to justify a purpose for keeping the gun (and there are STRICT conditions to owning one). “Defending yourself” isn’t one of those reasons…
I don’t know man, it’s getting there. The same could be said for Texas.
As a Leftist, who very much looks like a Leftist, I am currently visiting Florida’s panhandle and I’m having a very great time. It’s very much like the Deep South. People are very friendly. I see plenty of people of color too. It’s not like genocide is raging and people are being hunted down en masse, not that I support DeSantis nor do I want to normalize him and I do think we are inevitably heading towards fascism in the US.
On the other hand, I did go to a restaurant and sat next to a table with a Neo-Nazi couple with swastika tattoos but we left our respective parties alone.
I have no doubt that the majority of Floridians will be civil, even around leftists and LGBTQ+ people. However, much of the recent legislation in Florida has been straight-up fascist. Also, Florida is seeing an influx of radical conservatives moving there, along with a lot of left-leaning and LGBTQ+ people leaving. That’s what I mean when I say that “it’s getting there”.
No disagreements about any of that.
I was just adding to the chain of comments so I replied to you but I guess I was mostly addressing the Aussie’s concerns.
oh yeah… It’s unlikely I’ll be shot, but, more likely than anywhere else. Thing is, what does Florida offer to someone like me that lots of other places don’t offer, which don’t have the negatives?
I’m not trying to convince you to come to Florida. Just saying it’s not as bad for most as it may sound.
But everywhere is different and Florida is a unique place and it’s worth visiting if you get the chance. I’ve been throughout Florida and it’s beautiful. And I’ve very extensively travelled internationally so please don’t assume it’s a sheltered perspective from someone who never left the US.
Is it legal for you to use the bathroom? Because that makes a difference.
They’re literally imprisoning people for trying to find a place to pee. At what point are the red flags enough? Literal death camps?
Might I add that this month CDC issued a letter that leprosy may be endemic to Florida now.
And back in June there were cases of locally acquired Malaria. FYI, U.S. malaria cases are typically acquired from international travel.
I don’t have much hope with respect to Florida’s Public Health, with DeSantis appointing the state surgeon general Joseph Ladapo who has cherry picked science research to push an agenda, wholly ignoring what the research actually concluded.
I skipped the Agile2023 conference last month because they chose Florida for some reason.
Their woke agenda and woke books, and woke teachers and woke doctors and woke postmen and woke Santa Claus and woke… FFS stfu you fascist pig
Yo, listen up, here’s the story About a little guy that lives in a woke world And all day and all night and everything he sees is just woke Like him, inside and outside Woke his house with a woke little window And a woke Corvette and everything is woke for him And himself and everybody around 'Cause he ain’t got nobody to listen (To listen, to listen, to listen)
Earlier today, I heard someone refer to the Star Wars sequel trilogy as “woke.” I’m still scratching my head.
Of course. There were women jedi, that’s not right.
DeSantis will forever be remembered as “that woke guy from Florida” lmao
He kinda attached himself to that word now. At least, that’s the only thing I remember form his campaign; “WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE”
Obvious consequence of alienating half the country.
And what the hell does woke mean anyway?
Fortunately for everyone, they had to define “woke” during a court case.
DeSantis’ general counsel, Ryan Newman, responded that the term means “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”
So there we have it. Recognizing the flaws in the justice system is woke.
If they actually have that level of self-awareness, which I doubt they all do, then we should just reclaim the term. As in, “Yeah, I’m woke. Fuck you”.
For all their faults lawyers tend to speak the truth when they get into court. The risk of losing their profession is all too real.
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It means that you’re aware of the social and racial issues that exist in America and the world. So to be anti-woke means to be willingly ignorant.
Something about “cultural Marxists” sapping and impurifying our precious bodily fluids
They mean left
Yea I’m not traveling to or spending any money in any of these fascist states if I can help it
I wouldn’t go to Texas either. Fuck that noise.
My family wants to do our first-ever Disney trip, but we’re boycotting Florida for the foreseeable future, and it’s 100% on their government. We look *at a trip to FL like vacationing in Berlin circa 1933 right now.
Go to Disneyland in Cali instead. It’s great.
Love the idea, but that’s a 6 hour flight, where FL is only 2, and I’m not ready to fly with twin Kindergarteners :)
I’ll wait.
Good choice. Disney World is considerably better than Disneyland, by an order of magnitude. I’ve been to both multiple times, and you can’t even compare the two. It’s worth waiting out.
Same here. Looking into Anaheim instead.
