I’ll vote with my feet and stay home

‘Vaccine passports’ stifled | April 3

Gov. Ron DeSantis just doesn’t get it. I don’t feel comfortable in restaurants, theaters and large people gatherings because I don’t know who is vaccinated or not. I support “vaccine passports.” I don’t have executive order powers that DeSantis chooses to use to get his way. I do have retirement power. I just won’t go to restaurants, theaters, so on and so forth, and spend my money. I can cook and entertain my vaccinated friends at my home. We can stream new movies. All DeSantis is doing is causing confusion. I’ll stay at home, governor, thank you.

Marv Akers, San Antonio

This is smaller government?

‘Vaccine passports’ stifled | April 3

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order prohibiting businesses from requiring patrons to show vaccine documentation. How does that jibe with Republicans’ stated beliefs supporting small, less intrusive government; private property owners’ rights; letting open markets decide; individuals, not government, making their own best decisions? Let the business owners decide if they want to require proof of vaccination. Let the patrons decide where they will do business. You know, recite the basic conservative mantra.

Terry Arnold, St. Petersburg

Let us live our own lives

‘Vaccine passports’ stifled | April 3

Gov. Ron DeSantis wants us to be allowed to live our own lives. Those who denounce him for prohibiting mandatory vaccine verification IDs — “vaccine passports” — should answer this question: If you’re vaccinated, why do you care? If you’re vaccinated and the vaccine works, why do you care if someone in the same building as you is vaccinated or not? If the vaccine doesn’t protect you, why would you want to force everyone around you to take it? By the way, they don’t even know how long that vaccine is good for, so how often might you have to “renew” that passport? These seem like reasonable and rational questions.

David Klase, New Port Richey

‘Intrusive’ isn’t always bad

‘Vaccine passports’ stifled | April 3

Of course “vaccine passports” are intrusive. So are stop signs, traffic lights, speed limits, laws for consumer and financial protection, environmental and health protections, laws prohibiting theft and murder, laws prohibiting sexual and religious discrimination, reasonable gun laws as well as thousands of other “intrusions.” But they are warranted, too. Where did we become so self-centered as to not care about our neighbors?

Fred Prince, Tampa

Nothing to prove

‘Vaccine passports’ stifled | April 3

Kudos to Gov. Ron Desantis for saying no to “vaccine passports.” This is not Nazi Germany (Your papers, please). The only time I’ve had to prove vaccination of anything was as a child registering for a new school (military brat) and when I was in the military deploying to a foreign country. In my 50-plus years, those are the only times when proof was required. At no other time when patronizing restaurants, bars, etc., have I had to prove I was vaccinated against smallpox, polio, mumps or even the flu. We have an intelligent, thoughtful and considerate governor who doesn’t buy into the fear-mongering of the left. For those people that want vaccine passports I say, stay home!

Tim Robinson, St. Petersburg

Two classes of citizens

‘Vaccine passports’ stifled | April 3

Let me see if I understand Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP generally: We don’t want to create two classes of citizens, separating those who represent a real health risk to those they come in contact with because they won’t get vaccinated, which is their right. We do want to create two classes of citizens, separating those who live in precincts likely to vote Democratic and those who live in those likely to vote Republican because, well, we managed to lose the House, the Senate and the presidency in four years. And their rights? Great stuff from the “party of ideas.”

Buck Beasom, Tampa

Use the money here instead

Collapse seen ‘imminent’ | April 4

It is Sunday morning and I am reading about the potential spill and evacuation in Manatee County. The Florida Legislature is desperately trying to fund toll roads that few citizens want. I suggest the money earmarked for these highways that no one wants and that will greatly impact our precious environment be used for our failing infrastructure. How about stopping that spill before it befouls our waters and endangers our citizens? Just another thumbs up for President Joe Biden’s initiative to tackle our country’s problems with our failing infrastructure. Time to think long term.

Margaret O’Connell, St. Petersburg

Involved atheists

In a first, fewer than half of Americans belong to a house of worship | Perspective, April 4

As an atheist, I can assure you there is a lot of need in our community to be addressed and you can help support our friends and neighbors without being a member of a church. I belong to a group whose members, all of whom are atheists, give a lot of service to the Tampa Bay area. The idea that belonging to a church is a prerequisite to being a good neighbor is ludicrous.

We need no ecclesiastical blessing to qualify for that which is necessary to preserve life and promote our common humanity. I encourage people to consider giving funds directly to the many deserving charities that provide real service. A civil society should encourage all to volunteer if they can. We are needed by our friends, neighbors, and community. It should be our civic duty to each other. Our Constitution guarantees freedom of religious belief and expression to everyone; it does not provide the right of churches to financial support from the public treasury. Tax them now!

Judy Adkins, Tampa

A plan for the Trop site

Future of the Trop | April 4

All four contenders to redevelop the Tropicana Field site artfully dodged the biggest question of its future -- how to connect the severed south side of the project with the community. There is only one solution: Remove I-175 and reconnect more of the original street grid with the community to the south. The I-175 spur reeks of segregation.

John Avery, St. Petersburg