Florida is lost

A message to America from folks in Florida | May 21

I’m sad to say I have to disagree with this Times column. When are Floridians actually going to show up and vote? What catastrophic event will finally get the people out to vote when we need them?

I marched in the 80s for my LGBTQ+ rights, and 40 years later, I feel less free, and for the first time, a little scared. It feels like Florida has become a magnet pulling ultraconservatives here by the busload. There seems to be no end to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ war to step on anyone who’s not in line with his ideology. The most disturbing issue here is that Floridians created this; they simply just didn’t care enough to get out and vote.

How many trans suicides will we endure before we care? How long will my LGTBQ+ family be a political punching bag? Where is the concern and outrage for how all of this happened? I’m tired of fighting for my rights because I’m different than you and you can’t deal with it.

I’m disappointed with my home state and those who could, but choose not to participate. If you didn’t vote, stop complaining. You are the problem.

Suzanne Connelly, Tampa

Insider stock trading

It is astonishing to see the extent to which people working in government are in it to advance their portfolio profits. Reporting by Rebecca Ballhaus of The Wall Street Journal has recently revealed this. This country has not only deregulated industry and banking, we have apparently also deregulated ethics, law and common sense.

Lawmakers and federal regulators have been gorging themselves on insider information while we have been gorging ourselves on hot dogs and beer. The reason many are giving as to why we shouldn’t regulate stock trading by members of Congress? It would discourage people from running for those offices. What? Discouraging greedy folks from running for public office is exactly why we need to ban this kind of stock trading by public officials. We need to elect people who are in it to advance democracy and good public policy, not personal and family bank accounts.

Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah

Right wing. Really?

Right-wing overdose | May 24

I almost spit out my coffee when I read the letter to the editor complaining about “right-wing overdose” in the paper. What paper is he reading? I am a moderate (slightly left on social issues and slightly right on fiscal ones) and I have to search for the 20% to 25% of the Tampa Bay Times that is not authored by progressives.

Tom Craig, Riverview