Renewing the promise of the Gas Plant| Column
In case you missed the intention, Mayor Ken Welch’s guest column makes clear that reparations for the egregious wrongs imposed upon the Black community takes precedence over everything else in his reimagining of the Trop site. His intentions are absolutely appropriate and long overdue. However, it is the unintended consequences of his intentionality that must be stated and corrected before it is too late.
The process being accepted now by the city is absolutely absurd. Allowing completely unqualified people and partnerships that are only days old to take the lead in generational urban design must be stopped. I hope that the City Council has the sense to put the brakes on this train wreck before legal entanglements cost the citizenry millions of dollars.
While the mayor has stated a priority for transparency and integrity, the speed at which this project is moving can only provoke feelings that a “fix” is in, as Councilmember Gina Driscoll has stated. Yes, the redevelopment has been a long time coming. So was the redevelopment of The Pier. Stopping the process that would have resulted in the “Lens,” which virtually ignored the uplands, allowed a much better design to emerge, resulting in a more holistic approach that has made the uplands the main feature, with the Pier head structure a secondary feature. The city needs to take the lead in designing what it wants and not just accede to off-the-street, financially dubious dreams. Let’s put intention in the intentionality.
Scott Wagman, St. Petersburg
Florida revives McCarthyism with classroom guidelines on communism | Nov. 2
I thought I was looking at a satirical article when I started reading what Gov. Ron DeSantis wants our schools to teach regarding McCarthyism, one of the darkest times in our country’s history. Maybe someone should teach our governor what democracy means. It means that we have freedom of speech. It means that it is illegal to go after people for their thoughts. It means you cannot take away someone’s career because you disagree with their politics. This is what happened during McCarthy’s witch hunt. The governor needs to try helping families afford food, homes, health insurance and homeowner’s insurance. These are the problems that most people living in Florida are concerned about.
Ann Jamieson, St. Petersburg
Florida revives McCarthyism with classroom guidelines on communism | Nov. 2
The proposal coming before the state Board of Education needs to be noticed by anyone concerned about our government as a two-party system. By going back to a nasty time period of McCarthyism and the preaching of a Red Scare, educators will certainly be serving the role of indoctrinators. The Cold War officially ended in December 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The era of McCarthyism ended in the 1950s with Sen. Joe McCarthy being sent to political exile, eventually finishing his term in shame and then proceeding to drink himself to death.
So, why the need to readdress this dark period of history while sugarcoating the likes of McCarthy? Is it to demonize communism, or something else? The answer lies in today’s political climate of condemning anything perceived as “far left,” be it scientific concerns with climate change and pandemics, abortion rights, human rights or DEI policies. Seemingly, all can be neatly packaged as communism due to their affiliation with “far left” or “radical” Democratic politicians. With the old John Birch Society serving as a template for today’s preferred politics on the right, it seems the hidden agenda is clear: the elimination of a two-party system, leading to autocratic rule.
William Falcone, Brandon
Where does Florida get most of its property tax money?| Nov. 1
If we get rid of property taxes on million-dollar homes, then we have to worry about reductions in public services? That makes no sense. Let’s help from the bottom up. Raise the homestead exemption to $200,000. That would give people in lower tax brackets more money to spend on other needs. It would relieve some of the everyday stress they might have.
This gives our leaders in Tallahassee the chance to get out their calculators and figure out how much more corporations, people with second homes, Airbnb hosts, commercial properties, and others will have to make up that percentage difference.
Danny Monahan, Largo
New College of Florida? Time to privatize it | Oct. 26
The bitter fruits of politicizing education are on full display in Nathan Allen’s brilliant guest column on New College. Since the DeSantis administration’s takeover of New College, once a highly regarded liberal arts college, in 2023, its U.S. News ranking has fallen by 59 places, while its cost per degree has risen to over $500,000, about 10 times the average for Florida’s public universities. It now runs on a per student budget on par with the Air Force Academy. All this, of course, is on the backs of the Florida taxpayers. Talk about waste, fraud and abuse. It’s inexcusable!
Jody Price, Safety Harbor
Five key moments from Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ interview | Nov. 3
As a lifelong Republican, I watched President Donald Trump’s recent 60 Minutes interview with growing concern. While I respect strong leadership and decisive action, I believe the tone and philosophy expressed in that segment stray from the foundational values of our democracy and our party. The repeated emphasis on the survival of the fittest as a governing principle is not only troubling but also incompatible with the Constitution’s promise of equal protection and due process.
Democracy is not a contest of dominance. It is a system designed to safeguard the rights of all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable. I do not believe that compassion is weakness. Nor do I believe that deportation quotas, nuclear bravado or dismantling procedural safeguards like the Senate filibuster reflect the best of Republican leadership. Our legacy includes Lincoln’s moral courage, Eisenhower’s steadiness and Reagan’s optimism. These leaders understood that strength must be tempered by empathy and guided by principle.
We must not confuse volume with vision. True leadership is not about overpowering opponents. It is about uplifting the nation. Republicans can and should lead with integrity, not intimidation. The 60 Minutes interview revealed a void not of policy but of compassion. That, to me, is the greater threat to our democracy.
Tom Feaster, Tampa
Activists call for a “mass blackout” of the economic system | Oct 29
There’s a “mass blackout” campaign circulating, encouraging people not to shop or dine out during one of the most important weeks of the year for small businesses. A stunt like that wouldn’t punish corporations, billionaire-owned chains or the oligarchs. They’ll be just fine. They have deep pockets, national marketing machines and endless backup plans. And if it gets really bad? They’ll just cut staff, close a location and move on.
The ones who would take the hit? Local shops. Local restaurants. The family-run bakeries, the artists, the makers, the mom-and-pop cafés. A week without business could devastate them — some wouldn’t recover.
If you truly care about our community — if you say you support local — this is the moment to mean it. Don’t sit out. Show up. Shop local. Dine local. Cheer them on.
Here are a few simple, real ways to make a difference:
— Visit local markets, festival and art walks
— Eat at locally owned restaurants and food trucks
— Grab coffee or dessert from a small roaster or bakery.
— Pick up gifts from local boutiques, artists and makers.
— Choose independent bookstores, florists and galleries.
— Book your next haircut, massage or repair through local pros.
— Hire local photographers, designers and contractors.
— Buy local produce or plants from nearby farms and nurseries.
— Leave positive reviews on Google, Yelp and social media.
— Share local businesses’ posts and tag them in your photos.
This is how we keep our neighborhoods vibrant, creative and strong. This is how we protect the heartbeat of our community. Thanks for making Tampa Bay a better place!
Ester Venouziou
*The letter writer runs Localshops1, a St. Petersburg small-business organization, and Shopapalooza, a festival that features hundreds of small businesses.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84 | Nov. 4
Dick Cheney was a true patriot who expressed his deep pride and love for this country through passionate debate and, often, thankless service. He believed in the American dream, in capitalism’s power to make it attainable for all, and that the battle to defend both was always welcome and worth it. He embraced the fight, along with the lessons learned from wins and losses alike.
Beyond his politics, he was a man who loved his family with his whole heart. He was also an avid outdoorsman who made his home under the wide Wyoming sky and spent countless hours fishing on the Snake River, giving him a deep appreciation for nature as well as the need to protect it.
Cheney lived by his principles, and it was my great honor and privilege to have served him as his chief of staff during the 2000 presidential campaign and in the historic challenges that followed. He met conflict and uncertainty with integrity and intelligence, with humor and humility. We were lucky to have his wisdom and influence, and he will be missed by all who knew him.
Kathleen Shanahan, Tampa
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