editorials

A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Work together to cut arrests for petty crimes The St. Petersburg City Council has wisely decided to pause in its march toward creating a civil citation program that would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and other minor offenses. The council members delayed their vote to give Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri time to complete a proposal for a countywide prearrest diversion program. This was the right call.…

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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — St. Petersburg commits unforced errors on stadium site search St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman has a curious way of building public enthusiasm to invest in a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. First his chief of staff insults North Pinellas fans by suggesting Oldsmar may as well be in Georgia. Then the mayor brushes off Sen. Jack Latvala’s request to include county leaders on a committee…

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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — DCF should reverse position on LGBT protections The Department of Children and Families was wrong to discard language in its new policy that would have protected foster children in group homes from being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Faced with political pressure, the state backed down precisely when it should have stood up for some of Florida’s most vulnerable residents. The DCF…

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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Diners deserve the truth about ingredients The public has a right to expect restaurateurs to be honest about the food they serve. But increasingly, amid the trendy farm-to-table movement, deception is what’s for dinner. Several bay area restaurants advertise locally grown or produced food but are dishing up fare from all over the world, sometimes right out of a can. Consumers are paying a premium price for…

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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Rethinking Florida’s job recruitment efforts Shelling out millions in public money to private corporations was never a novel, responsible or sustainable strategy for creating jobs in the Sunshine State. That’s why the Florida Legislature’s decision not to spend any money over the next year on a job incentive program has forced a healthy and overdue debate. This is an opportunity for Florida to assess its strengths and…

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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Pinellas sheriff offers smart pre-arrest diversion proposal Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has proposed a promising alternative to arresting individuals for minor crimes and creating criminal records that make it harder for them to get jobs and participate in community life. Instead of launching a civil citation program for misdemeanor marijuana arrests like Tampa and other cities in Florida, Gualtieri wants to create a pre-arrest diversion program…

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