Creative Loafing Tampa Bay readers respond to Trump vs. Pope and DeSantis' flip flop for Rays stadium

Architectural rendering of the new Tampa Bay Rays stadium in Tampa, Florida. Credit: Tampa Bay Rays

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay keeps reaching into the mailbag, and treading carefully into the comments section. The exercise leaves us increasingly grateful for readers who come to us in print—and especially online—to read the news and thoughtfully respond. Keep it coming, folks (you can email us!), and we’ll keep posting it.

When a feud affects the innocent (via email)

President Trump and Pope Leo XIV shift from a loud exchange of insults into something far more serious. The argument began with disagreements over immigration and the war in Iran. It has now reached into the heart of the Church’s humanitarian work.

Recent reporting shows that the administration abruptly canceled an eleven-million-dollar federal contract with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami. This organization has cared for unaccompanied migrant children for more than sixty years, beginning its work in the early 1960s and continuing through every administration since that time. Church leaders have said the program could shut down within months. This is not a symbolic gesture. It is a decision that affects real children who depend on experienced caregivers who have been doing this work longer than many federal agencies have existed.

Some observers have noted the timing of the cancellation, which occurred while the president intensified his public criticism of the pope. Others have pointed out that Catholic Charities has been one of the few institutions consistently trusted to handle this work with competence and compassion. The message many Catholics, myself included, are hearing is unmistakable. The feud is no longer limited to rhetoric. It now touches the identity of religious institutions and the vulnerable people they have always served.

This moment forces every Catholic to pay close attention to national politics in the United States and to recognize that the separation of church and state may no longer feel like a settled hallmark of our country. The consequences of this feud now fall on the children who have no voice in it, and that reality deserves the full attention of anyone who cares about the mission of religion.—Tom Feaster, Tampa

Ron DeSantis ‘flip flop’ on pro sports tax subsidies divides Republicans (via Facebook)

Now he flip flops, and evicts the Hillsborough County Tax Collectors office and FDLE. Deeding the 22 acres to HCC. No one has yet to address where they will have to relocate to, who will purchase the land, or who will pay for the construction of a new facility. If that wasn’t enough, he wants to eliminate property taxes, without defining where the funding for cities and counties will come from. Will we be, beholden to the state as to who gets how much? I see a lot of unintended consequences. But as always, politicians rarely hang around long enough to suffer the consequences of their bad decisions.—Orlando Martinez

I’m glad he flip flopped. 25 years ago the city I’m from built 2 stadiums all on tax dollars. Not partial like Tampa Bay. And a much worse deal than the Rays are offering (the teams owned the stadium not the city and county. The Rays deal offers ownership to the city and county.) And that crappy deal and also 2 stadiums, cost me about $1 a week. All while I made a lot more than $1 a week because of those stadiums. The stadium will bring in more taxes than it costs. More jobs. More money in the local economy. More for small businesses. It’s a win win win win win deal!.—Mike Stacy

Somebody tell DeSantis his political career is over and the wife will never have one—Maureen Stewart

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