Why Universal should pay for its own road
If you read the opinion page last week, you didn’t see my name, but you read about me. Universal Orlando Resort CEO John Sprouls, whose company is asking for $125 million from Orange County to extend Kirkman Road, suggested that the criticism of that deal is coming from “outside forces.”
So I’d like to introduce myself and explain why I don’t think we should give our money away to Universal.
My name is Aura Inman. I’m 41 years old and mother of a 2-year-old miracle baby boy. I have lived in Orlando for 23 years, mostly in Williamsburg, and I am a career server at a Disney restaurant. After 20 years of renting, my husband and I were so proud to be able to buy our first home three years ago. That home is a three-minute drive from the Epic Universe property.
I am also a union leader. That means that when my coworkers have questions about how they’ll handle maternity leave or budget their paycheck, I’m there to help them come up with solutions and provide emotional support. If someone is facing discipline, I’m there to make sure their rights and due process are protected. When they need to talk to a manager, we walk in together because we’re stronger if we’re united.
As a volunteer member of my union’s local executive board, I was proud to serve with housekeepers, cooks and other servers. Our office isn’t in New York, as Mr. Sprouls suggested — it’s off of Orange Blossom Trail. My fellow union leaders take time away from their families so that their coworkers’ own hard work and dedication gives them a fair shot at living the American Dream.
That’s how we won a $15 minimum at Disney, which has lifted up families all over Central Florida. But our victory at Disney meant more than just $15. At Disney, if you start at $15 you know you’ll have raises in your future. You’ll have guaranteed hours if you’re full time. And tipped workers like me won protections, too.
But union members are also part of neighborhoods and families that we have to stand up for, and I don’t stop working for justice when I clock out of work. Universal Studios is coming into my backyard and asking for $125 million in public spending that we just can’t afford. I think we deserve better than that. This community deserves rights and protections too.
My family loves living here because my son can grow up in a quiet area where we know our neighbors and he has other kids to play with. I don’t want to see these families replaced by snowbirds and tourists who drive prices up so the next generation of parents can’t afford to buy a home here like I could.
We’re afraid of the increased traffic load into the area. All you have to do is stand at the four-way stop outside our house during rush hour, and you can see that we don’t have the infrastructure to handle more traffic.
We’re still protected from the tourism development around us, so much so that a lot of people don’t realize our neighborhood is here. I want to make sure that lasts. From where it stands right now, theme park employees are starting to move towards the outskirts of Orlando, because that is what they can afford. A 45-minute drive to work shouldn’t be the norm.
I don’t understand why Orange County would give away $125 million for a road to Epic Universe when there are no guarantees that residents will actually benefit from it. We can’t afford to siphon that money away from the public good — but I’m very confident that Universal could afford it. Why won’t the county spend that money to support us instead of Universal?
I’ve spent my entire career working for theme parks, so I understand all the good that they can bring to our economy. They are vital to our city’s economic foundation. But I also understand that epic expansion can bring epic impacts. My neighborhood shouldn’t have to move over and let Goliath have its way.
Universal needs to have a sense of responsibility when they’re about to change our fundamental way of life. And they can start by paying for their own road.