Around the web: A roundup featuring comments from tampabay.com. The comments included here are occasionally edited for length but otherwise appear as they did on the article or column online.
On an article about the Tampa Bay Rays making progress toward building a new stadium, though a location was not disclosed.
It does seem like quite the spin. They’re going to build this euphoric candyland that improves life for everyone. Kind of how it goes everywhere when ownership is asking to build a new stadium/arena. I think Hillsborough is going to be very tough to get the buy in to get this done, but good luck. My guess is they’ll probably try to use St Pete as a pawn in negotiations. Hence why you get the “nothing is off the table” statements. That’s expected. What would make it interesting is if St Pete goes forward with one of the incoming (non-stadium) proposals for the Trop site. That will tighten the screws and give Tampa a lot of leverage. — S. Carrado
Considering the current rush hour traffic at the Fairgrounds, adding a Rays stadium to that location would accomplish complete grid lock every game day except Saturday and Sunday. —R. Kaiser
I’ll believe it when I’m actually sitting in a seat with a hot dog in my hand. 2029 seems ambitious considering they haven’t even picked a dirt lot yet. — J. Boone
On a column about Schools of Hope.
I already think people over 65 should not have to pay school taxes, but now my money is going to for profit private schools??? I want my money back. I have done my duty and paid school taxes my entire life and I don’t have kids. At some point the taxes should go away. My property taxes would become affordable without paying school taxes. — I. Barbour
Of course, why would you want to invest in the future of our society by educating our greatest asset? — A. Granger Welch.
On an article about photojournalist Dave Decker getting arrested while covering an immigration protest in Miami.
This is another report of how our government is disregarding laws protecting the right of the free press to document news events as they are happening. From what I read, Dexter had not broken any law, but those officers who arrested him acted in a manner contrary to the rule of law they were charged to uphold.
We see more and more how political power is being abused by those who apparently feel that they are above accountability. What is truly disturbing when events like this arise, very few get more than a slap on the wrist if that, and business continues as usual. We as citizens should demand fair treatment from those who are employed to protect and serve us and also accountability for those who disregard our rights. —M. Durham
For every police officer like the one described in the article there are probably many whose sense of duty abhors it. Unfortunately, in the times we live in we have leaders who encourage that type of thuggery. When police, (ICE, Border agents wearing masks) can come into a person’s home or business knocking down doors, and hauling people away without warrants we have a problem, a very serious problem. People should fight for their constitutional rights exactly as this reporter is doing. Thugs need to be stopped or else a police state comes next. — R. Tamargo
I was a Florida television news reporter in the 1980s. Never once did it cross my mind that I might get arrested while covering a protest, and I covered many. We’re living in what is on the verge of becoming a police state, where law enforcement use Gestapo procedures against those they don’t like. My highest thank yous to those who risk themselves doing journalism these days. — K. Lee