There is no bear hunting
Florida is considering their first black bear hunt in less than a decade. You can weigh yourself. | February 27th
In 2015, Florida black bears were massacred in a two-day trophy-killing frenzy, with over 100 Cubs orphaned and vulnerable. More than half of the bears killed are women, including many who are still nursing. Chaos didn’t stop there – violations included illegal bait, hunting without permission, killing a low-weight bear, perhaps the Cubs themselves.
Currently, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee proposes a new bear hunt in 2025, but this time it could get even worse. A month-long season combined with cruel methods such as hounds and feeding makes it easier than ever for trophy hunters to track and kill bears.
Floridians are overwhelmingly opposed to this. A 2019 poll, discovered across two-thirds of voters, refuses to hunt bears and wants a non-lethal way to manage bear conflict. State officials should be listening.
Please attend the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee meeting on May 21st and hear your voice. If you are unable to be there in person, please write to the committee. Florida black bear deserves better from us!
Elizabeth Wilder, St. Petersburg
Double standard
Hopefully Florida Probes Finished | April 25th
Rather than honestly defending Florida charities to pilot the $10 million Medicaid settlement, Gov. Ron DeSantis quickly resorted to advertising attacks on people asking questions.
It’s strange how these same players will behave when the governor is a Democrat and people’s Medicaid money was secretly used in political campaigns that promoted last year’s marijuana voting initiative. In my humble opinion, DeSantis goes for blood and is not satisfied until the perpetrator of this suspicious corruption is punished to the full extent of the law.
Brian Valsavage, St. Petersburg
Enforce the law
ICE Arrests arrest 800 people in immigration roundup | April 28th
Imagine a homeowner facing someone breaking into her home. Additionally, she must allow the person to fully hospitality in private and personal accommodation, including access to a fridge or cabinet. Crazy? Well, that’s exactly what our courts require regarding certain immigrants illegally breaking into our American homes.
Jim Hines, Tampa
Thank you, Harvard!
Harvard sues Trump administration beyond $2.2 billion in funding freeze | April 21
The scary opponents are leading the fight against President Donald Trump and the federal government overreach. Harvard University is our oldest and wealthiest institution of higher education and became the constitutional champion.
Under the pretext of fighting anti-Semitism, Trump made an outrageous demand from Harvard University. They include restructuring university governance, changing admission and employment policies, shutting down diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and even commissioning external parties accepted by the federal government “to audit student organizations, faculty, staff and leadership for diversity of perspectives.”
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After Harvard announced his intention to rebel against Trump, the federal government frozen $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in university contracts. Such federal funding supported life-saving medicine, engineering, scientific research, among others.
Several powerful agencies have surrendered to the Trump administration, but Harvard has sued and fought back. The Harvard complaint “suppresses defendants not exceed their legal authority and requires them to protect Harvard’s constitutional rights.” Technically it is based on the Title VI of the Constitution, Administrative Procedure Act, and Civil Rights Act. However, its impact has expanded further in preventing our representative mega-of-democracy from being transformed into a rich olihead.
Harvard was charged in a place where others feared they would step on. However, more than 200 university presidents and university presidents recently issued joint statements denounced the Trump administration’s “over-government invasion” of higher education. We must protest and participate in the new Boston Tea Party at Harvard Square.
Thank you Harvard – and this from Triple Yarry!
Jan Schneider of Sarasota
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Submit your letter at www.tampabay.com/opinion/submit-letter/. The letters are edited for clarity and length.
