BREAKING NEWS: Bob Iger Quits California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Economic Task Force
Things are seemingly reaching fever pitch on the West Coast with the news that Walt Disney Company chairman Bob Iger has abruptly quit Governor Gavin Newsom’s economic recovery task force. This is according to a recent piece in The Sacramento Bee based on official confirmation from Disney.
The spokesperson would not disclose why Iger has opted to step down but the move seems perfectly timed to the news that the Newsom administration is getting close to releasing guidance on theme park reopening.
In a statement that came out this evening, the California Attractions and Parks Association has urged the governor NOT to finalize the draft of the reopening guidance that the state has come up with. The association wrote in their official statement, “While we are aligned on many of the protocols and health and safety requirements, there are many others that need to be modified if they are to lead to a responsible and reasonable amusement park reopening plan.” The statement continues, “We ask the Governor not to finalize guidance for amusement parks before engaging the industry in a more earnest manner, listening to park operators’ expertise, and collaborating with the industry on a plan that will allow for amusement parks to reopen responsibly while still keeping the health and safety of park employees and guests a top priority.”
As we reported at MickeyBlog earlier this week, Disney, in an official statement (above) announced that it would lay off nearly 28,000 workers in California and Florida. As you can see from the statement, which was released by Disney Chairman Josh D’Amaro, one of the things that pushed Disney to make this unfortunate decision was the “unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen.” By that he means the lack of a reopening plan released by Governor Newsom’s office after months of waiting.
According to the piece in The Sacramento Bee, when asked today if Newsom’s administration was buckling under pressure from Disney to reopen the parks the Governor said, “unequivocally no.” Newsom continued, “We are not putting the health and safety of people visiting this state or recreating in this state at theme parks at risk.”
Iger’s move to step down from the economic task force was a bold move and indicates that Disney and the Governor’s office aren’t seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to reopening the theme parks. We here at MickeyBlog will continue to follow this closely and promise to keep you updated as soon as we’ve heard more.
Source: The Sacramento Bee