Not humane

The 2015 bear hunt was barbaric, not “chaotic.” The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s response? Make the next hunt even more odious by permitting bear baiting, lung-piercing arrows and packs of killer dogs. And future hunts will be far from “transparent.” The public was outraged by scenes of slain mama bears and cubs at check-in stations in 2015. The FWC’s response? Eliminate check-in stations! Let’s protect Florida’s majestic black bears and stop this unethical trophy hunt.

Play the lottery

I think the result of the commission’s vote foreshadows an approval for a bear hunt. I oppose such a hunt. If the hunt is approved, I plan to enter the lottery, and if I win a permit, I won’t use it. I’ll pay $100 to save a bear’s life. I hope other opponents do the same.

Can’t get “better”

I don’t usually find myself at odds with columnist Graham Brink; I often nod along with his takes. But when it comes to his recent column on how to make Florida’s bear hunt “better,” I didn’t even need to read it to know we’ve gone off the rails. Let’s be clear: There is no way to make the organized killing of bears, wild animals just trying to survive the mess we’ve made of their habitat, more palatable.

Dress it up all you want, it’s still blood sport. What’s next? A helpful guide to making bulldozing more bear-friendly? The idea that this is about “management” or “conservation” is a convenient fiction.

The bears aren’t overbuilding, overpopulating or overreaching. We are. And framing this as a logistical problem to be improved upon is like arguing over how to make clear-cutting forests prettier. Sorry, Graham — this one’s a hard no.

Tropicana Field

Construction of the Empire State Building started in March 1930. It was open for business on May 1, 1931. The construction of the then-world’s tallest building took just 14 months. It will take twice as long to replace a tarp on the roof of The Trop. What has happened to us?

Trump and FEMA

John Hill wrote a wonderful, factually based column regarding President Donald Trump and his plans for FEMA. There was only one problem: Trump does not care who or how many regular citizens suffer from his policies. He has only one objective, and that is how he can eliminate funding for anything the government pays for in order to allow him and his Republican cronies to raise enough money to justify increased tax cuts for the wealthy.

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MAGA day

On Sunday, the Times opinion pages focused on right-wing solutions for schools and property taxes.

First, Christopher Pastura, superintendent of Catholic Schools and Centers in St. Petersburg, defended the use of taxpayer funds to support private schools by providing vouchers regardless of the parents’ ability to pay. The argument is that it saves taxpayers money — $15,938 vs. $7,763 for vouchers — and shows better performance outcomes. What is ignored in this equation is the social and economic inequality. Vouchers don’t always pay the entire tuition; parents must be able to fund the balance, leaving poor kids out.

Most importantly, the better outcomes at private schools is a reflection of the economic stability of their students and the schools’ ability to cherry-pick students. This program diverts needed funds from schools trying to level the playing field for disadvantaged children. Taxpayers should not pay for private, often exclusive, education.

Second, state Reps. Adam Anderson, Danny Alvarez and Brad Yeager claim we are held hostage by our taxes and that property taxes should remain level or be eliminated to give homeowners relief. This would necessitate raising sales taxes, the most regressive tax of all. Our state wisely provides homestead exemption. Over the years, it was reformed to include portability and also a 10% annual maximum on nonhomesteaded properties. Many communities, including St. Petersburg, are already lagging on infrastructure maintenance and upgrades for increasing populations. The cost of everything goes up annually. Keep taxes fixed or eliminating them, would only worsen this problem.

Wrong priority

Many Republican legislators say they’re focused on lowering the property tax burden for Florida homeowners. I’ve owned my home since 2002, and in that time, my property taxes haven’t risen by that much, thanks to the homestead exemption. Meanwhile, my flood insurance has increased by 300%, and my property insurance has doubled, despite never having filed a claim.

It feels like lawmakers are trying to fix a nonproblem because they lack the political will to confront the real issue: The skyrocketing cost of homeownership driven by runaway insurance premiums.

Trump derangement

I read Sunday’s paper and couldn’t help but notice that every article that had the name Trump in it said something like “experts think (blank) is going to be bad because of Trump.” Every letter that mentions Trump as negative, too.

I just heard President Trump’s encouraging and motivational speeches at the commencement at West Point and at the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

It’s a shame that an important regional newspaper is so biased that it can’t say anything good about our president. Things important to every American like: inflation is at its lowest level since February 2021; the price of eggs is down; the price of gasoline is down; the revenue from tariffs boosted the budget surplus in April; our military services are surpassing recruitment goals for the first time in over 15 years; and a host of other positive outcomes for all Americans, regardless of ideology or political persuasion.

Submit letters at www.tampabay.com/opinion/submit-letter/ . Letters are edited for clarity and length.