Tampa is too expensive. I’m leaving | Letters

Leaving Tampa

Tampa Electric proposes residents pay millions more so big companies save | May 10

I moved to Tampa in 1982. I have lived in my current house since 1997. In the past year my mortgage payment (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) has doubled due to the property insurance increases. Now I’m looking at an unknown increase in my solid waste fees. TECO has now decided to dump its costs on its residential customers. Inflation has hit the cost of food and everything else.

The net result? After 42 years in Tampa and more than 27 years in this house, I must sell. Both of my children have only recently moved close to me, and I must now move away from them. The saddest part is I cannot even afford a home near my children because housing prices have risen so much.

In contrast, I look at the new homes being built. There is nothing “affordable.” I thought we were trying to build “affordable” homes. Most of the new homes are $500,000 or more. We are celebrating $8 million to $11 million new homes. Those are definitely not “affordable.”

Many of my friends are moving out of Tampa. I see Tampa working hard to be a place where only the wealthy can buy a home and live. It is sad.

Susan W. Long, Tampa

Time for change

Where are Hillsborough D and F schools going? | Editorial, May 12

How much damage has the Hillsborough public school system done to 18,000 students in 33 elementary and middle schools with D and F grades? Will there be compensatory actions or lawsuits? After all, education prepares you for life, employment and a host of human activities and life demands. This editorial points to the need for a comprehensive and prompt response to overcome any and all educational harms. The news story and editorial remind the public of the importance of investigative journalism and public responsibilities toward youth.

James Gillespie, St. Petersburg

We must do better

Florida celebrates teachers even as they rank 50th in pay | Column, May 8

Columnist Stephanie Hayes reminds us how badly Florida pays its teachers — average salary of $53,098, which ranks 50th among the states. Why are we faced with that unfortunate fact? It is the direct result of being 46th in revenue per pupil. When there is a funding shortage, there are two primary areas where spending can be curtailed: staff salaries and maintenance.

Some background information:

- The 10 largest school districts serve 60% of Florida’s 3.1 million students.

- The difference between Florida’s current level of funding per pupil ($15,539) and the median (26th) among the states ($19,074) is $3,535 per student or $9.9 billion, a 23% increase over Florida’s 2022-23 total revenue of $43.5 billion.

All of Florida’s 67 county school districts suffer from inadequate funding. The evidence is clear. Teachers leave for other professions which pay a living wage. School bus driver pay rates are below other delivery services. The result: high levels of teacher and bus driver vacancies.

Beyond funding inadequacy, it gets worse for certain school districts. Among the state’s 10 largest school districts, Hillsborough, Polk, Duval and Pasco have long suffered from the inequity in the formula for capital improvement funding. The school taxable property values of those four districts are relatively low in relation to their student attendance, which results in less dollars per pupil. The shortage shows up in leaky roofs, broken air-conditioning systems and aging school buildings. Hillsborough has 44 schools over 90 years old, and not enough money to replace them with new, more efficient buildings.

Richard Warrener, Tampa

Thanks to the teachers

School’s out forever | Perspective May 12

I’m most grateful for the column by retiring teacher Chris Fulton. His words speak of the value of each student fully engaged in a class not controlled by outside people, gadgets, politics and all manner of distraction. That time in class, lessons to be learned, frustrating as it can be at times, is where students can discover how to relate to one another and learn to accept each other and learn through the interaction between teacher and each other. It just can’t occur when students are wired up or reluctant to express ideas.

Maryann Kramer, Clearwater

Trickle-down economics

Tampa Electric proposes residents pay millions more so big companies save | May 10

I’m sure that businesses that will save money on their power bills will pass the savings onto the customers. After all, that is what they are doing and have done with all their tax cuts, right?

Carlos J. DeCisneros, Tampa

The hypocrisy of “pro life”

Nearly 600,000 Florida kids shed from government health care, study says | May 3

It seems rather cruel for Florida lawmakers to deny poor women the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy only to deny them the medical care they will need later. Removing 600,000 children from Medicaid since April 2023 is not very “pro life.” Politicians who are anti-abortion should just say they are “pro birth” and end the hypocrisy.

Joseph Brown, Tampa

Bring back civility

Former Florida Gov. and US Sen. Bob Graham remembered for his civility at memorial service | May 13

The headline of the article about the memorial service for Sen. Bob Graham had the word “civility” in it to describe him. I miss civility, the formal politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech. It is sadly not happening in our government, especially in the state of Florida. There is a less thoughtful, kind and respectful approach to politics today. It has become more divisive and laden with insults and threats. Instead of constructive conversations, it is replaced with hostile, angry rhetoric resulting in lawsuits that cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Character used to matter. Having integrity and wanting respect seem to be a qualities of the past. Sen. Bob Graham will be missed but what is lacking in politics is missed even more. Before you vote in November, consider character, morals and principles so we can return to civility.

Jackie Kanner, St. Petersburg