Tampa Bay Rays, new stadium proposal. What we know so far | Jan. 27

As Tampa continues to consider the proposed baseball stadium deal, residents are hearing confident promises about economic growth and community benefit. The moment recalls Lewis Carroll’s “Walrus and the Carpenter,” where the young oysters follow a pleasant invitation because it sounds reasonable. The story has been quoted most elegantly in the Times before, and the analogy is on target for this situation as well. The story is not about oysters.

In this case, it speaks to the ability of the deal’s advocates to persuade and generate enthusiasm and excitement about the team relocating to the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry location, even when the full details, especially the cost to taxpayers, are not yet clear. I agree with the recent Tampa Bay Times coverage, which shows how much information still needs to be examined. Civic trust depends on transparency. Tampa residents deserve a complete understanding of costs, risks, and long-term obligations before we take our own walk down the shoreline. This is not a matter of taking sides. It is a matter of responsible citizenship.

Tom Feaster, Tampa

It’s time to pause the Gas Plant development process. Here’s why | Column, Feb. 18

St. Pete resident and retired executive of Raymond James, Ron Diner, wrote an eloquent and well-reasoned guest column on why Mayor Ken Welch needs to heed the city council’s vote to pause his vision for the future of the Gas Plant district. I’ve haven’t talked to anyone who agrees with the mayor’s approach to this very important project for St. Pete. There is too much at stake to just hand everything over to a development company that will call all the shots and do pretty much whatever they want with the property. This is not prudent planning; it is gifting a valuable piece of the city to an outside entity.

I know many of us are following this issue and want the opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas. We are also watching closely so as to figure out who to vote for in the upcoming mayoral election. Do right by the citizens of St. Pete, Mayor Welch, and follow Diner’s excellent advice on pausing this terrible idea of yours.

Tim Robinson, St. Petersburg

Regional assets are the economic engines that quietly power local government revenues every day.

We readily invest in roads, utilities and ports because we understand they generate economic return. They move goods, attract employers and expand the tax base. But infrastructure is not limited to asphalt and concrete. Strategic civic investments can perform similarly when evaluated through a disciplined fiscal lens.

Major destinations and mixed-use developments create ripple effects that extend far beyond their footprint. They support construction jobs, permanent operations, surrounding small businesses and sustained economic activity that strengthens property values and sales tax collections for years. That stability helps fund priorities like education, transportation and public safety without relying solely on higher taxes.

Just as we invest in highways and ports because they produce long-term economic return, we should evaluate catalytic projects like a permanent home for the Tampa Bay Rays the same way. The question is not whether to invest, but whether the investment generates measurable revenue growth and strengthens regional competitiveness.

Skilled workers and businesses choose regions that demonstrate vision and long-term stability. When Tampa Bay invests strategically in revenue-producing assets, it signals confidence in our future and reinforces our economic foundation.

Smart investment is not about short-term headlines. It is about building durable assets that pay dividends for decades and position our region to lead.

Steve Cona III, Tampa

Can food be medicine? Feeding Tampa Bay cooks up a prescription for diabetics | Feb. 25

As a frequent donor to Feeding Tampa Bay, I was thrilled to see the front-page story about healthy eating. This pilot program, providing medically tailored meals to people living with chronic diabetes, is exactly the kind of innovation our community needs. As a plant-based vegan athlete for more than 20 years, I have personally experienced the benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet. I have also seen countless others improve — and in many cases reverse — Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease through dietary changes.

Food is not just fuel; it is powerful medicine. I am confident that once the results are in, this program will expand. Imagine more patients reducing or even eliminating medications simply by eating for their health. The article notes that the secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., blames processed food addiction for soaring diabetes and obesity rates. In this one instance — and this one instance only — I agree with him. This initiative is a breath of fresh air and something we can all get behind.

David Burg, Tampa

New cruise port must balance benefits with environmental protection| Letters, Jan. 21

A recent letter to the Times stated that we need to have the new cruise facility so that the Tampa Bay area can stay “competitive.” Excuse me, but it’s not a competition. Our cruise industry is doing just fine without larger ships. Plus, there is no way that the proposed cruise facility won’t have significant and ongoing environmental impacts to Tampa Bay. It should be added that the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s “SWIM” program and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have spent millions of dollars on habitat restoration work within and near the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve. Those well-spent taxpayer dollars should not be compromised by such a port facility.

Brandt F. Henningsen, Wesley Chapel

I am concerned with the Medicaid work requirement provisions in Senate Bill 1758. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at 18 years old, four days into my first year of undergrad. I had to drop out to undergo chemotherapy and was able to get coverage from Medicaid. According to SB1758, I would have had to report work because I was over 18 and not a part-time student.

Burdensome work reporting requirements create red tape and administrative barriers to accessing health care for Floridians. Dealing with cancer was already hard enough.

Most people on Medicaid who can work already do so. But right now, too many people in our state work at jobs that don’t offer health insurance. The last thing they need is to lose their health insurance trying to upload their hours to a clunky government agency.

Months after I reached remission, my hip collapsed due to avascular necrosis, a rare side effect of chemotherapy that causes joint deterioration. Today, I have undergone 31 surgeries and continue to manage chronic pain. It worries me that my lawmakers are suggesting that once treatment is over, cancer patients are suddenly better and should have no problem heading back to work. I wish that were the case. Imposing work requirements on Medicaid that strip coverage from cancer survivors still recovering from treatment is irresponsible and shortsighted.

Hannah Groth, Clearwater

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