Hillsborough shouldn’t trade fire trucks for foul balls | Column, March 27
I have a lot of respect for state Reps. Danny Alvarez and Michael Owen. They are friends and strong advocates for our community. But on this issue, they are wrong.
This is not just a stadium debate. It is a jobs and economic growth opportunity for Tampa Bay.
This project will create thousands of private sector jobs. In the short term, that means construction jobs for skilled trades across our region. In the long term, it means permanent careers in hospitality, retail and entertainment. These are real opportunities for our workforce.
We should also be clear about the funding. Much of what is being discussed comes from Tourist Development Taxes and Community Redevelopment Area revenues. These are not general fund dollars used for roads or fire stations. Tourist taxes are paid by visitors, and CRA funds are intended to drive economic development and increase property values.
The Community Investment Tax should be used wisely. The greatest investment we can make is one that expands the tax base and creates jobs. That is exactly what this project is designed to do.
The Rays are contributing significant private capital and taking on long-term risk. That matters. This is a partnership.
You do not solve infrastructure and affordability challenges by saying no to growth. You solve them by growing your economy and generating new revenue.
Tampa has a generational opportunity in front of it.
It’s time for Tampa to have it all.
Steve Cona III, Tampa
Hillsborough shouldn’t trade fire trucks for foul balls | Column, March 27
I never thought I would agree with Reps. Alvarez and Owen, but here I am. Taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for a Rays stadium. Our tax money should go to education, health care, transit, affordable housing, public parks, libraries and other budget items that would improve the daily lives of residents. Let the wealthy owners pick up the cost of the stadium.
Elizabeth Corwin, Tampa
Hillsborough shouldn’t trade fire trucks for foul balls | Column, March 27
I’ve read a lot of cautionary columns. This one missed the bigger caution entirely.
I’m a fourth generation Tampa native. I’ve watched this city sit on the edge of greatness for decades, talented enough to compete but too timid to commit. The Rays stadium deal isn’t a gamble. It’s a decision about the kind of city we want to be.
The Miami Marlins comparison is lazy. That was a private team extracting public money. This is fundamentally different. This deal is built around a partnership with Hillsborough College, a public institution that feeds students into the University of South Florida and into our workforce. When you elevate Hillsborough College, you elevate access to education for the people who need it most. That’s not a side benefit. That’s the whole point.
Look at St. Louis. That city lost the Rams. You know what they got in return? An empty downtown and a community that stopped believing in itself. Cities aren’t just budgets. They’re belief systems.
Yes, infrastructure matters. Yes, fire stations matter. Nobody is arguing otherwise. But the question isn’t fire trucks or a stadium. The question is whether Tampa has the entrepreneurial courage to find creative paths forward, or whether we keep playing it safe while other cities pass us by.
Tampa is no longer a hidden gem. The country is watching.
Step up.
David Osterweil, Tampa
A defining moment for the Rays – and Tampa Bay | Column, March 25
Guest columnist Will Weatherford makes a compelling case for building the proposed Tampa Bay Rays stadium complex at the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus at almost any price. That, however, is not the reality of a multibillion-dollar deal. The price is very important, and that’s where his argument fails.
No sports franchise is ever totally free from government support, which is understandable given the potential for future benefits. However, the devil is in the details. Until we have a better handle on the total cost, confirmation of where the funds are coming from, and a clear understanding of the cost-benefit to the greater Tampa Bay area, we’re not ready to sign-off on what Weatherford is asking for.
Jon Crawfurd, Gulfport
Rays apply for permit | March 28
We have all seen this playbook before. Consulting firms provide murky justifications for the funding of large investments by taxpayers, including stadiums. These “Blue skies all around” studies do not reflect reality. If these billionaires think these stadiums are so wonderful, why don’t they finance them with their money?
Frank Nockels, Land O’ Lakes
In Florida schools, a debate over what ‘civics’ means in ’26 | March 25
A new civics education plan was introduced at Pasco County’s recent school board meeting. It included awarding red, white and blue tassels to graduating seniors who pass the state’s high school civics exam and a two-year scholarship for a senior pursuing a career in public service. But what is missing from the incentives and the civics curriculum is something very basic: requiring every graduating senior from every Florida high school to be registered to vote (including having the state ID or driver’s license now required by the state). True civics education requires action.
Niki Amarantides, Palm Harbor
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