DeSantis uses his emergency to build “Wannial Catraz” | June 28th
Forget our past
The governor and legislature cannot understand how to maintain home insurance, utility and food costs, but the state can quickly build a “camp” in the Everglades. The annual operating expenses are estimated at $450 million, and will bind 5,000 people ($90,000 per person per year).
What we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.
Terrence Sean Callahan, Berrya
DeSantis uses his emergency to build “Wannial Catraz” | June 28th
Evacuation plan
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to prevent drilling in the Apalachicola River area to protect the Florida environment. It certainly gives him an A+ with environmentalists and fisheries.
Now he’s on the face, and he has an immigration detention center with many tents and trailers in the middle of the vulnerable Everglades, spending an estimated $450 million a year. That highest hypocrisy!
Now let’s ask a question. We are in the middle of hurricane season. Zone A is always evaluated first. This includes trailers and tents. Where does he plan to evacuate more than 1,000 detained migrants?
Gail Rubinskhy, St. Petersburg
Left Folly | Letter, June 29th
Too much to tell right away
Why are letterwriters (and many others like him) taking the president with his words that Iran was bombed with obedience and hundreds of lives saved when the Intelligence Reporting Agency has yet to be completed?
Anyone who believes in any of these preliminary assessments, whether or not to say minimal damage or complete expungement, does not understand the complexity of the verification process immediately following a military mission.
And why do you believe that Iran will not continue on the “death to America” agenda because they bombed them? It is clear that the potential unintended consequences from the bombing mission and the fallout it causes have not yet been determined.
I agree with the letterwriter about the stupidity of seeking ammunition each when many targeted military operations in previous administrations were carried out by both Democrats and Republicans without the approval of previous Congress.
Terry R. Arnold, Treasure Island
Desantis’ budget veto hit several key GOP lawmakers | July 1
State budget
This article sounds like a replay of a child relaxing around the toys throwing toys to get a new one, as he didn’t get what he wanted. Targeting certain legislator funding requests and reducing funding from the budget is nothing more than a temperament. Injuring local areas for the funds requested is not a way to run a state government. This man is a lame duck, and this must be one of his last acts to let the legal production agency know that he will not be ignored. This is not leadership. This is a personal agenda and a personal Vendetta. Fortunately, this condition has a governor’s period limit.
Carol Hess, Hudson
Senate begins to discuss tax bills | June 30th
Waste, fraud, abuse
Republicans claim they are being wasted, fraudulent and abused to help pay for the “big beautiful bill.” Doge’s efforts have resulted in less than $100 billion in verifiable savings, but the biggest waste, fraud and abuse are immediately ignored by Maga Republicans, or tax revenue.
Former IRS Commissioner Chuck Lettig said that up to $1 trillion in taxes in 2021 will compensate for the “tax gap” by paying the annual unpaid. Rettig said many of them are unreported foreign and illegal income, with hundreds of millions of people underpaid. Also, since 2021, cryptocurrency growth has become a multiplier of the power of tax fraud.
Given these facts, Republicans chose to fire the IRS auditors, despite the fact that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will result in an additional tax revenue of between $5 and $9 for every dollar spent on enforcement.
My question to President Donald Trump and President Maga: If you really care about America’s finances, shouldn’t you chase the wealthy tax cheats instead of promoting codes and promoting their theft by reducing the likelihood that they’ll be caught? America borrows more money rather than letting wealthy taxpayers pay what the law says. Sadly, the hardworking W-2 taxpayer is the real loser here. Because they have to make up for the difference.
Jody Price, Safety Harbor
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