Climate change and a baseball stadium make Tampa Bay’s highs and lows this week
Climate and baseball. Think climate change is some far-off problem that doesn’t affect the here and now? Think again. During a panel discussion this week, Tampa Bay Rays president Brian Auld said sea level rise had changed where the team can look for potential new stadium sites. “Sites that once appeared to be great places to build a ballpark are now expected to be underwater,” he said. While Auld declined to say which sites the team might have once considered, but no longer will, it’s worth remembering that the Rays considered building a stadium on the Al Lang site along downtown St. Petersburg’s waterfront in 2007. The plan went nowhere. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, who attended the same conference as Auld on Tuesday, told the Tampa Bay Times he has not heard from Rays leadership that they have eliminated any potential sites because of climate concerns. But the mayor noted: “Certainly sea level rise has to be factored in.” It’s good to see public and private leaders incorporating climate into their long-term capital plans. Stadiums, water plants and other major facilities, after all, have decades-old life expectancies. We must be smarter about planning and spending — and that mindset must start now.
And transportation, too. Speaking of rising seas, four Tampa Bay mayors appeared at the same climate conference Tuesday and underscored how mass transportation is key to managing a warming planet. While climate change is a global problem, the consequences of extreme heat and rising seas will be felt acutely at the local level, especially in coastal Florida. The state is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to shore up seawalls and harden stormwater systems, but local communities also need to do their part to reduce the burning of fossil fuels. To that end, expanding mass transportation, which can save fuel and cutdown on greenhouse gas emissions, must be a priority. Hillsborough County is poised to put another transportation tax on the ballot this year to supplant a 2018 measure invalidated by the Florida Supreme Court. That effort is the first step in making mass transit a viable option, and in creating a more efficient transportation system across Tampa Bay.
Hillsborough schools’ example. The Hillsborough County School District should be applauded for sticking by its guns on two key issues. First, officials are exploring federal and other funding to replace millions of dollars that should have been available from the state. The so-called “School Recognition” funds are awarded most years for high-performing schools, but this year, Republican lawmakers set out to punish the 12 Florida school districts, including Hillsborough, that imposed mask mandates in defiance of Gov. Ron DeSantis. In past years, Hillsborough schools have received as much as $9 million. The governor’s reckless handling of the pandemic is bad enough, but the Legislature took its pettiness to a new low by punishing districts that put students’ health first. And who stands to lose by denying the districts these funds? Students, of course. So much for freedom. Hillsborough school board members were also right to double down on their support of LGBTQ community in the wake of DeSantis’ signing the so-called “don’t say gay” law. The board critics who claim they stand for liberty have no idea what the word means. Hillsborough stood on the right side of these issues and set a fine example for school children in the process.
Big gifts. There are surprises and then there are multi-million-dollar surprises, like the ones rolled out recently from the estate of David Baldwin. Known in local philanthropic circles, the retired technology and software entrepreneur was a generous donor to many causes, but few people seemed to know the depth of the unassuming man’s wealth. They do now. His estate has poured $63 million into local nonprofits, including $9.5 million to Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg, $9.5 million to the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, more than $9 million to Metropolitan Ministries and about $6 million to R’Club Child Care Inc. Baldwin, who died last year at age 96, enjoyed inexpensive meals and riding his bike around St. Petersburg (even into his 90s). Kudos to the late Mr. Baldwin for his low-key style and obvious generosity.
Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, Sherri Day, Sebastian Dortch, John Hill, Jim Verhulst and Chairman Paul Tash. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news.
