No surprise

How bad is the teacher shortage in Florida? It depends on whom you ask. | Sept. 4

It should not come as a shock that we have so many teaching vacancies in Florida. With low teacher pay, laws limiting what teachers can teach, book bans and large class sizes, I am surprised there aren’t more vacancies. Filling these positions with unqualified and uncertified “teachers” is not the answer. How about more pay? Smaller classroom sizes? A little less GOP interference? Now you’re talking.

David Burg, Tampa

Waste of tax dollars

Florida school vouchers can pay for TVs, kayaks and theme parks. Is that OK? | Sept. 1

I was appalled to read that the list of approved items that families can buy using school vouchers included theme park tickets, kayaks and big-screen TVs. It’s a slap in the face to public school teachers trying to scrape money together to purchase notebooks, crayons and scissors for their students. I understand home-schoolers need educational enrichment. Surely they can be enriched on a 37-inch TV rather than a 55-inch big screen. And a walk in the park or nature preserve can be even more enriching than a day on the roller coaster at a theme park.

Deborah Green, Sun City Center

Whose ox is being gored?

Tyranny of the minority | Letters, Sept. 2

This letter demonstrates clearly the conflicted state of political thought in this country. The writer presented a good look at why we have the Electoral College and an equal number of senators for each state, regardless of population. The idea is to keep a majority from imposing its will upon the minority. In other words, equal rights for all in our republic.

However, he then went on to decry the fact that the majority is unable to impose its will upon the minority over the issues of abortion and gun control. No doubt he is in that majority and doesn’t like the constitutional safeguards and views them as an impediment to “progress.” Thankfully they still work as designed, even if it’s sometimes inconvenient.

John S.V. Weiss, Spring Hill

Where’s the State Guard?

2 people charged with looting as residents worry about burglaries after storm | Sept. 3

Could the governor’s new $10 million Florida State Guard created to “further support the Florida National Guard during emergencies, like hurricanes” have helped prevent looting and homeowner anxiety after Hurricane Idalia? The report stated that law enforcement was “stretched thin” in remote areas along the Gulf Coast. Sounds like a perfect opportunity to put those taxpayer dollars to work.

Sandi Johnson, Clearwater