CNN Uncovers More Dirt on CFTOD Board Member
When Florida’s government forcefully claimed control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, many expected an awkward transition period.
What nobody could have anticipated is how much turmoil the board members themselves would cause.
@HazenWESH on Twitter
Yes, we’ve got another update on a sitting member of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District…and it’s not a good one.
CNN has uncovered more dirt on this person, and it’s the kind of thing that should cause a person to resign. Here’s what we know.
Last Week in As the CFTOD Turns…
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) took the initiative in its ongoing legal struggle with The Walt Disney Company.
Board members voted in favor of a proposition that frankly served no tangible purpose other than to garner headlines.
The CFTOD chose to abolish all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Photo: Spectrum News 13
That’s a move that impacts only the government participants of CFTOD, of which there are only 400.
Such legislation serves just one purpose. It creates the illusion that the board members have forced Disney to eliminate all their DEI initiatives.
That 100 percent is not the case, as the board itself is utterly toothless.
Photo: The Business Journal
This is a PR move, something that nobody involved with the project has bothered hiding.
In fact, you’ll find the press release on the official CFTOD site.
I won’t waste your time with the claims that the person in charge of the CFTOD made to justify this particular move.
Photo: The Business Journal
All I’ll say is that everything the CFTOD is doing counts as poking the bear, with Disney being the bear.
However, what these fledgling politicians haven’t recognized yet is that when they make such moves, journalists start sniffing around to figure out why.
I know that I’ve sifted through all sorts of documents and data to find the underlying moves on several recent announcements.
For instance, I quickly discovered that the CFTOD totally misrepresented an attempt to lessen Walt Disney World security as the company being “naughty.”
If you buy into the assumption that every accusation is a confession, you’re probably smiling right now. And you should.
Image: CNN
Some enterprising CNN reporters followed this tenet as well. On August 2nd, CNN covered the DEI story.
Within 48 hours, they’d uncovered a better reason why someone might eliminate DEI programs.
A Troublesome CFTOD Member
@HazenWESH on Twitter
When I first evaluated the new CFTOD board, I pointed out that only one of the members seemed in any way qualified for the job.
As a reminder, Florida lawmakers, at the instruction of Governor Ron DeSantis, created one odd rule.
Photo: The Wall Street Journal
To sit on the CFTOD board, panelists couldn’t have worked for Disney or any theme park for several years.
This preventive move ensured that allies of Disney couldn’t hold spots on the new board. More importantly, it sent a political message.
Members of the new board should hold anti-Disney sentiments and political views that align with the governor.
That member I mentioned with at least vague qualifications is Ron Peri.
Photo: CNN
I described him at the time as possessing “a strong background in electrical engineering and infrastructure.”
We quickly learned later that his engineering background wasn’t the newsworthy item about him, though.
Peri quickly earned headlines for claiming that tap water can turn people gay.
Photo: Disney
I can’t even believe I have to type that about a sitting government official, but here we are.
At the time, CNN covered the story in a straightforward manner. Here’s their article’s title: “DeSantis appointee to new Disney oversight board suggested tap water could turn people gay.”
Photo: Pexel.com
You can read CNN’s reporting to learn about a staggering number of debunked claims Peri made about tap water, estrogen levels, and testosterone.
I’ll say again that these comments come straight from the mouth of the closest thing to a qualified member of the CFTOD board.
In the wake of the DEI ruling, CNN did more digging. Once again, people should call into question Peri’s actions and judgment.
Peri’s Ill-Considered, Poorly Researched YouTube Video
Photo: LinkedIn
Currently, Peri holds the position of CEO of The Gathering, a faith-based Christian ministry group.
As part of his job, the CFTOD board member occasionally posts training classes for other members.
Photo:afam.clas.ufl.edu/
In a video from 2021, just two years ago, Peri made some wild, frankly astonishing claims about race and Critical Race Theory.
In a video ironically entitled Cunningly Devised Fables, Peri seemingly justifies slavery in the United States by using what CNN describes as “discredited research.”
Photo: Time
I encourage you to read CNN’s reporting to learn about the outlandish claims Peri has made on the subject of race in America.
I won’t repeat them here because they don’t even deserve the oxygen. Instead, I’ll state that he objectively comes across as a nutter in this video.
Photo: Getty Images
Historically, I’ve avoided editorializing as much as humanly possible in the discussions of the Florida Feud because I understand the diversity of opinions on the subject.
But Peri’s comments on tap water and the history of race in our country are just…yikes!
Photo: iconsdb.com
Here’s the one CNN quote that matters: “Historians who spoke to CNN said that the research Peri cited is ahistorical and based on invented research.”
As an FYI, Merriam-Webster defines “ahistorical” as “historically inaccurate or ignorant.” So, yeah.
Photo: Yahoo Finance
By definition, there’s no defending the indefensible. That’s what Peri’s words and some of his beliefs are.
Given Peri’s belief system, we must place the CFTOD’s vote to remove all DEI programs in a different light.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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