Advertisement
When will the Florida Legislature leave USF alone? | Letters
Here’s what readers are saying in Thursday’s letters to the editor.
 
A quiet morning at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, on Oct. 13, 2020 in St. Petersburg.
A quiet morning at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, on Oct. 13, 2020 in St. Petersburg. [ MARTHA ASENCIO RHINE | Times ]
Published Oct. 22, 2020

All for one was not the deal | Editorial, Oct. 21

Here we go again

It’s only been a few months since the Florida Legislature decided that the administrative structure of our University of South Florida must be reorganized. Yet again.

USF has been ordered to consolidate its campuses. If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll scratch your head. Because USF was consolidated. Then the Legislature decided to treat the then-branch campuses as separately accredited entities. So USF complied with the new law, putting precious time and treasure into that mandate. Things seemed to be settled. Then they weren’t. The Legislature decided it wanted to scrap its earlier separately administered mandate and consolidate the campuses. So here we go again.

These changes may be easy for the powerful in Tallahassee to require, but they are complex and challenging to implement. So please step back and leave USF’s organizational set-up alone for a while.

Kathy Betancourt, Tampa

Firm behind unemployment mess to get a new contract | Oct. 21

It’s exactly what they wanted

It is misleading to characterize Deloitte’s notorious unemployment system as “faulty” or “failed.” It has produced exactly the crafty outcome for which former Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican Legislature had contracted. As the Tampa Bay Times helpfully explained some months ago, the unemployment costs resulting from the Great Recession 12 years ago should have required businesses to contribute more in unemployment insurance. Instead, Scott and Republican power brokers came up with this scheme to have the unemployed pay — by devising the most miserly benefit system designed to deny benefits to deserving applicants. Florida citizens can rest assured that Deloitte will fulfill the mandate of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Republican cohorts to devise a system that will just as effectively, and however deviously, deny Medicaid benefits to millions of our fellow Floridians who need this assistance.

Robert White, Valrico

Coveted property back on market | Oct. 21

Buy this land, please

While a lot of work is involved in securing enough funding to purchase Gladys Douglas' property in 90 days, this can be done! The larger question is, Why should it be done? Preservation of this conservation land unites two environmentally sensitive land parcels, helps to restore ecosystems in the most densely populated county of our state, creates an authentic research lab for local universities and colleges while providing a much-needed park for family recreation and tourism eco-tours.

Ginger Goepper, Treasure Island

Coveted property back on market | Oct. 21

Dishonor her wishes?

The lawyer for the estate of Gladys Douglas, Nathan Hightower, says in this story: “I don’t know why the beneficiaries should accept a lesser amount because the city and county would buy it.” The response to this is clear and simple: The beneficiaries have a choice between honoring her wishes or dishonoring them.

Elizabeth Corwin, Tampa