A defining moment for the Rays – and Tampa Bay | Column, March 25<\/p>\n
Will Weatherford\u2019s support for approving the Rays\u2019 request to build in Tampa is based on two hollow arguments: timing demands quick approval and the ownership is connected to Tampa. Neither addresses the critical issue: using the public\u2019s money to help underwrite the cost. Why privilege the wishes of owners and players over the will of us taxpayers? How about taking time to find out what our priorities are by asking voters in the November elections?<\/p>\n
Mark Amen, Tampa<\/p>\n
A defining moment for the Rays – and Tampa Bay | Column, March 25<\/p>\n
According to an excellent article in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated, the Rays just need to stay put. The headline \u2014 \u201cBe it ever so humble, and the Trop is soooo humble, there\u2019s no place like home\u201d \u2014 highlights how much the team missed much-maligned Tropicana Field during the 2025 baseball season. And since St. Petersburg spent over $60 million upgrading the facility, the team should just plan to stay there for another decade or so. It would save a lot of us a lot of money.<\/p>\n
Joseph Brown, Tampa<\/p>\n
Democrats are at fault for TSA delays | Letters, March 25<\/p>\n
The letter writer states that the Democrat are at fault for the TSA debacle at our airports. That argument conveniently misses the fact that the Democrats have offered to fund TSA and other government organizations while continuing to negotiate reforms to ICE, which are sorely needed. President Donald Trump wants no compromise. So who is really at fault? The Democrats for creating the shutdown or the Republicans for saying, \u201cmy way or the highway\u201d?<\/p>\n
Ralph Sica, Tampa<\/p>\n
Democrats are at fault for TSA delays | Letters, March 25<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unfortunate that one of the Times readers continues to spread misinformation. The Democrats have gone to the table eight times now to get TSA funded. The president has shut it down. Stop blaming the wrong people when you know it\u2019s about more than just the TSA. Ignorance won\u2019t solve our problems.<\/p>\n
Suzanne Connelly , Candler, North Carolina<\/p>\n
DeSantis criticizes sheriffs\u2019 comments on immigration enforcement | March 20<\/p>\n
Reading about Ron DeSantis criticizing sheriffs over immigration enforcement almost felt like satire writing itself. There\u2019s no shortage of issues Floridians could use a little attention on \u2014 gas prices with \u201cno simple fix,\u201d ballooning war budgets, an insurance market shrouded in secrecy, and tax burdens that seem to rise faster than the temperature. But apparently, the real concern is a sheriff speaking out of turn.<\/p>\n
Which brings us to Grady Judd, hardly a wallflower when it comes to tough-on-crime credentials. When even one of Florida\u2019s most reliably hardline sheriffs hints that immigration policy might require something resembling pragmatism, you\u2019d think that might warrant a pause. Instead, it earns a public scolding. It does make one wonder what changed. Perhaps the economic realities of places like Polk County \u2014 where industries quietly depend on immigrant labor \u2014 have a way of cutting through political theater. Even the most enthusiastic culture warriors eventually run into a payroll.<\/p>\n
And for those keeping score, it\u2019s worth remembering that Ronald Reagan\u2014still treated as gospel in many corners\u2014signed legislation granting legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants. That wasn\u2019t seen as weakness then. It was called governance. So yes, it\u2019s amusing to watch outrage over a sheriff acknowledging reality. In Florida, even a small step toward it can feel downright rebellious.<\/p>\n
David Burg, Tampa<\/p>\n
As Dreamers are getting deported, some wonder what comes next | March 17<\/p>\n
When conversations around immigration come up, I inevitably encounter the argument that people should come here \u201cthe right way.\u201d But \u201cthe right way\u201d is an arbitrary result of chance.<\/p>\n
I am an immigrant who moved here when I was seven. I am also a U.S. citizen, but not by birth. I did not personally fill out paperwork. I did not make the decision to move to the U.S. Every decision and privilege of my nationality and status before I was 20 was not anything I did or earned. So did I come here \u201cthe right way\u201d?<\/p>\n
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients \u2014 sometimes referred to as Dreamers \u2014 were also children. The difference is that I got lucky and was given citizenship, while DACA recipients have a multitude of stipulations and restrictions. You had to have been under the age of 16 when you came to the U.S. and under 31 at the time of the policy. It doesn\u2019t even apply to anyone who hasn\u2019t continuously lived in the U.S. since 2007 and, of course, you have to apply and renew, with no clear path to citizenship.<\/p>\n
If Dreamers don\u2019t belong here, what about me? How am I different, other than a piece of paper that was filled out decades before I even became aware of its existence? We can hem and haw about general immigration policy and balancing various interests, but we\u2019re talking about kids. Laws and policy debates should be about the best way to achieve shared values. Our laws should not undermine our basic morality.<\/p>\n
Masa Mochizuki, St. Petersburg<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n