Immigrants and America

“Transformational gift” | April 11

The issue of immigration in America is usually focused upon the chaotic situation on our southern border regarding people entering without proper documentation. What gets missed in all the rhetoric about immigration is the immense benefits that first- or second-generation immigrants to our country have given society. In the Tampa Bay area, I couldn’t help but be struck by the amazing philanthropy being given to us recently by three families for the benefit of medical care and education. These families have given tens of millions of dollars in gratitude for all of the blessings that they have received as relatively recent citizens of the United States. Throughout our country’s history we mustn’t forget that immigration was the cornerstone of our creation and is still a powerful engine of our continued strength. The problem of illegal immigration at the Texas border is a minor sideshow that will be solved in due time and shouldn’t overshadow the wonderful benefits that immigrants provide.

Scott Wagman, St. Petersburg

The hang-up

Pinellas schools’ sensible policy on cellphones in the classroom | Editorial, April 24

Pinellas County is implementing a cellphone policy for all grades as to who can use their phone and when. I taught in a Pinellas County high school several years ago when the policy was no phones at all. The school I was at did not enforce the policy. Students walked past the principal with their phone on, and she did nothing. A student pulled out her phone in my class during a test and refused to put her phone away or to take her call out in the hallway. The student was transferred to a different class. My son went to Palm Harbor University High School. Their policy was to take the phone and hold it until the end of the school year! So who decides the consequences? Will they be uniform at all schools, or will individual principals make their own decisions? A countywide standard policy should also have countywide consequences, which are the same at each school. They have the whole summer to figure it out since there may be fewer book challenges to work through.

Dave Hinz, Clearwater

Flexible founders

Electoral College | Perspective, April 21

All the discussion about the Electoral College and virtually none about what are arguably the two most important factors. First, the founders had no thoughts that their ideas were sacrosanct. They were practical men. They came up with what they hoped were good solutions, but if those solutions didn’t work or weren’t the best they had no issue changing course, for example, the Articles of Confederation, the way the vice president is elected, allowing for amendments to the Constitution, which was done multiple times in their lifetimes, and throughout American history as things changed: ending slavery, allowing women the vote. Second, the electoral process works today nothing like they envisioned. Then, there was no two-party system (many founders were very negative about political parties) and electors were not tied to any bloc, either political party or state majority. The founders set up electors to be a hedge against an uneducated populace becoming enthralled by a populist demagogue. They envisioned electors coming from the more educated and wealthier, the elite, who would reject unqualified candidates, no matter how popular, and would vote in the best interests of the country, not their personal power or wealth or party. They saw the electors as an extension of the men who pledged to each other “our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” This is clearly not how the electoral system works today, and if the founders were around now, they would be among the first saying it needs to be abolished or changed.

Todd Tanney, Clearwater

The long and short of it

St. Petersburg, Pinellas County look to rein in short-term rentals | April 21

This article provides important context. That Pinellas County has 18,000 short-term rentals underscores its effect on housing shortages. Not only are those properties no longer available for long-term rental to residents, they are also driving up prices. Investors are buying properties based on return on investment rather than market value. This has dramatically inflated prices. My neighbor paid an exorbitant price for the house next door, thinking they could rent it weekly. The neighbors explained, and the city confirmed, that they could not, so they changed to monthly rentals. It was a costly error, but still this house is no longer available to long-term renters. We can’t fix our lack of affordable housing with one hand, while turning affordable housing into motels with the other. I’m glad the county and hopefully the city is beginning to address this.

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Diane Love, St. Petersburg

A better strategy

America needs a true maritime strategy, maybe a SpaceX for ships | Perspective, April 14

I read with interest this essay by retired Rear Adm. William McQuilkin. It was a tremendously insightful piece that promotes filling an important gap in our overall national defense strategy. We are ill-prepared for what we are experiencing today in the world, as evidenced by a small terrorist group armed with technologically advanced weaponry by Iran easily able to impact the global economy — cutting off maritime choke points such as the Houthis have done concerning Red Sea transit by commercial vessels. McQuilkin hits the nail on the head with his call for increasing our merchant marine fleet, investing more capital in our maritime industrial base and building ships in the United States — all coordinated via a coherent national maritime strategy mandated as a priority while simultaneously creating a national will to so do. With the emergence of multiple maritime threats posed by unfriendly countries like China and terrorist groups clandestinely armed with high-tech weaponry, we have discovered the hard way there are difficulties in maintaining unfettered global marine transit. A national maritime strategy is absolutely necessary in empowering us to better cope with such threats.

James Zumwalt, Lakewood Ranch

The writer is a retired Marine Corps officer and author.

Ground rules

The upside of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium project | Column, April 21

The point of Graham Brink’s column is that the Rays and the powers that be in St. Petersburg have assembled a team of experienced, competent developers that will get the job done no matter how many obstacles they have to overcome. I’m old school, and I believe that baseball teams are successful for two reasons: accessibility and fan attendance. No matter how outstanding the stadium is or how many homes are built around it, it will not change fan attendance because its location is inaccessible for most of the Tampa Bay region. We moved here in 1994. Ever since then, we have been hearing talk about a plan for mass transit. Well that hasn’t happened, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime in the near future for the Rays to benefit from it. We love to attend Rays games, but we live in Wesley Chapel. On a good day, it’s an hour and 20 minutes. On a bad day, it’s two hours plus. The obvious solution is to build the stadium at the intersection of I-4 and I-75. This will draw fans from as far east as Orlando, as far north as Brooksville and as far south as Venice. More fans translates to more revenue. With more revenue, the Rays could keep good players like Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow and entice free agents like Aron Nolan.

Mark Khan, Tampa Bay

What ‘no’ means

Trump trial gets underway | April 23

I find it remarkable that in the New York criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, the former president has to sit there, listen, then abide by a judge’s order, which amounts to telling the former president “No!” The former president must respect the gag order issued by the presiding judge, Juan Merchan, or risk penalties. When was the last time Trump was firmly told “No!”? I think those who worked with him in the White House would “advise” the president, but would risk their job if they issued a firm command. I think former Attorney General William Barr would strongly advise the president, but when he told the president there was no fraud in the 2020 election, essentially saying “no” to the president, he was shown the door. Bigger picture: I worry about anyone wielding absolute authority.

Paul Foks, St. Petersburg