Opioids are needed

Opioid sales boomed at Publix while other pharmacies settled suits | Jan. 26

This article is another example of ignoring the plight of legitimate chronic pain victims. People like me continue to be harmed and demonized, while states merely capitalize on lucrative pharmacy lawsuits.

While we all understand the need for safety, it is equally crucial to address the collateral damage that has arisen. The pendulum has swung so far in the opposite direction that it has crashed down upon people suffering unimaginable fear and distress without options for relief until medicine evolves.

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition and daily struggle that only we who experience it can fully comprehend. The line between protecting public health and doing harm to chronic pain sufferers has become blurred with pharmacies hesitant — and even refusing — to fill legal prescriptions due to the threat of lawsuits and license suspensions.

One solution would be to implement a program for chronic pain sufferers like PreCheck for air travel. It could involve the review and validation of patient records by trusted health care professionals, ensuring that legitimate patients are not burdened by obstacles and shame when seeking their legally prescribed medications.

Regardless, we must find a way to safeguard public health while ensuring those of us suffering are not further harmed, stigmatized and denied the care we desperately need. Pharmacies like Publix play a vital role in this process, and we should support their commitment to filling legally prescribed medications for legitimate chronic pain patients.

Kristin Hurst, Longwood

More money for sewers, not baseball

Fear every time it rains | Feb. 15

As an attendee at the St. Petersburg listening session on the storm water system last week, I could not help but notice the largest (and supportive) audience reaction for the speaker from Shore Acres who asked how we can pay for the massive amounts of infrastructure repair and replacement needed when the city and county are thinking of giving at least $700 million to the owner of the Tampa Bay Rays to help build a new stadium and develop the rest of the Historic Gas Plant site.

Please encourage your reporters and editors to ask harder questions as to why this transformative project is being decided in a rush, so the Ray’s can start building a stadium on a timeline that only benefits them, while the residents of Shore Acres and other flood prone areas in St. Petersburg are being told by councilmember Brandi Gabbard that storm water systems will take a long time and a lot of money to fix.

The Rays should not be a priority over the residents and tax payers of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. Slow down the vote!

Lyn Wilkinson, St. Petersburg

No, it’s not so good

Hines-Rays plan is a good deal for St. Petersburg | Feb. 18

Spend your days with Hayes

Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter

Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Stadiums don’t boost economic growth. In fact, they take money that people would spend at other businesses in the community and give it to businesses owned by millionaires and billionaires. If it’s such a great investment, then let them fund it themselves.

David Burg, Tampa

Independent study needed

Here’s why the Hines-Rays plan is a good deal for St. Petersburg | Feb. 18

Will Conroy’s guest column is self-serving. He has ignored all the critical analysis of this so-called “deal” and sided with rich team owners and developers to the detriment of residents, voters and taxpayers. If he really wants to see an honest deal, then encourage the City Council to commission a truly independent financial analysis.

Christopher Lerbs, St. Petersburg

Trump’s superior mental acuity

Age and decency | Letters, Feb. 14

Its not the age of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. It’s mental acuity. If the letter writer from St Petersburg had been watching Biden’s flubs on TV, he would know it has nothing to do with age. A 90-year-old could be better equipped to be commander in chief than Biden. When you compare Biden vs Trump, Trump wins.

Daniel Ledet, Sun City

Make it a full cent

Hillsborough wants sales tax renewal on ballot this year, but details nag | Feb. 15

The recent article about renewing Hillsborough’s half-cent sales Community Investment Tax puzzled me. How does Commissioner Josh Wostal, who said he would work “aggressively” in the community against a proposal he didn’t agree with, think we will pay for road improvements, water projects and so forth if we don’t renew this sales tax?

On the other hand, this article also excited me. What about making it a full-penny tax with half the money designated for transit, sidewalks and road improvements? This could be an opportunity to remedy the misguided attack on Hillsborough’s now-defunct transportation tax.

Elizabeth Corwin, Tampa

‘St. Pete Electric’ sounds good

St. Petersburg leaders raise idea to break off from Duke for utilities | Feb. 15

I’m all for the city of St. Petersburg taking over from Duke Energy, whose headquarters is in North Carolina. Even if city residents had Florida Power & Light instead of Duke, our average bills for 1,000 kilowatts of electricity would be about $35 less per month right now. Duke Energy takes much of the profit out of the state. Even if the city charged the same high rates a Duke, at least St. Petersburg would have the profit to use here to benefit city residents and not line the pockets of investors in a North Carolina-based company.

Brian Walkowiak, St. Petersburg

Not so fast

St. Petersburg leaders raise idea to break off from Duke for utilities | Feb. 15

Do you really think “St. Pete Electric” can do better than Duke Energy? Look at our city-run water and sewer systems. They’re a mess, even after the sewer portion of our water bill doubled in recent years. Our government closed a waste water treatment facility several years ago causing more pollution in our water ways.

The city has not been proactive in this area until recently, when our sewer tax increased. This was too little, too late. Now it will take years to make up for this government’s lack of forethought.

Next, look at our sanitation and streets departments. I moved to St. Petersburg 10 years ago from suburban Orlando. I have seen a steady decline in the quality of service regarding both trash pickup and street repair.

I hope City Council will take a hard look before going into the energy business.

David Pliner, St. Petersburg

Aid for Ukraine

If we fail to continue to support Ukraine, it will encourage Russia, China and North Korea to challenge us and our friends in the future. Europe may have naively relied on a peaceful Russia when the Cold War ended, but Vladimir Putin had other ideas. And he likely has his eye on some weaker NATO countries as future targets.

While the costs seem large, they could be much larger if we weaken our support.

Tom Miller, Clearwater