Hurray for Rick Scott. Now some friendly advice

Rick Scott blasts UF for picking presidential finalist ‘in the dark’ | May 22 I was genuinely stunned by Sen. Rick Scott’s letter to the University of Florida, which was packed with righteous fury. He was appalled that the search for a new university president happened “in the dark,” with no opportunity for students or faculty to offer input. The Times also reports that Scott railed against the “lack of transparency, weak oversight, and questionable spending practices.”It’s inspiring, his sudden, blazing devotion to open government.Which is why I can only hope that when Scott returns to Washington, he brings that same blistering indignation with him. Perhaps he’ll storm into the Capitol and demand answers about the back room dealings happening there. Maybe he’ll even start with the conflict in Iran — the one President Donald Trump initiated — and ask the most basic question any responsible lawmaker might ask: “What’s the plan?” Especially since Trump has said he doesn’t have time to explain his plans on Iran.And once Scott gets warmed up, he could turn his attention to the $1.8 billion Thug Fund — known in polite company as the Anti Weaponization Fund — and ask the obvious: “Is this even legal?” Then, while he’s on a roll, he might as well pose the question many Americans have been asking, “And where, exactly, are the rest of the Epstein files?”If Scott is genuinely determined to expose secrecy, he might start by looking around his own workplace. Karla Leavelle , St. Petersburg Man who ‘pizza doxed’ 2 judges sentenced | May 20 Wow! Even in a world full of dumb criminals, this guy is a standout. Deliberately pissing off two judges? Permit me to share one of my favorite quotes: “... 90% percent of successful law enforcement is due not to clever investigation but to the rank stupidity of the criminals.” Pete Wilford , Holiday Trump inadvertently helps birth a new energy system and Energy cancel culture emerges in race for Florida governor | Columns, May 22 and May 24 Two columns in three days speak for sanity and absolute candor on the issue of green energy. These are welcome voices. There’s no substitute for making perfect sense. Guest columnist David Jenkins highlighted former state speaker of the house and current gubernatorial candidate David Renner’s irrational attack on green energy to favor fossil fuels, following on the heels of Gov. Ron DeSantis similar ineffectuality. We also know Renner’s GOP opponent in the primary, and the likely Republican nominee, Rep. Byron Donalds, is equally ardent about defying market demands and buoying fossil fuels, spurning green energy, wind and solar. He’s made that clear. So what could be their motive? Money is their motive. Both want to dwell cozily in the laps of Big Oil and Gas. They do not give a darn about the market, or affordability to consumers. Both have held power as energy, housing, health and insurance costs have skyrocketed. The latest trigger of vast increases, the president’s incompetent and entirely voluntary attack on Iran to distract from his Epstein Files involvement, has drawn no criticism from Donalds or Renner. They offer nothing meaningfully forward-looking to address Florida’s future in a positive way. Their plan is to be simply carbon copies of Trump’s every awful incompetent and corrupt motive and method. We can see the handwriting on the wall. We need to heed it. Steve Douglas , St. Petersburg The Rays’ proposal is not a stadium deal. It’s a city-building deal |Column, May 19 In his guest column, Tampa City Council and Sports Authority member Alan Clendenin states, without listing any solid evidence, that the new Rays ballpark will create “nearly 10,000 new jobs paying an average of over $80,000 a year.” A day later, in their May 20 column, Rays CEO Ken Babby and Hillsborough College President Ken Atwater increased the number of permanent jobs to 11,900, a remarkably specific figure for a project that is not even approved and is years from completion. In the column, Babby and Atwater do not provide any evidence of who would create the jobs, what the jobs would pay, or if they would be part-time or full-time. If Clendenin, Babby and Atwater are so sure that the jobs and salaries will actually happen, they should be happy to provide iron-clad guarantees and penalties for non-performance in the funding contracts between the Rays and the city and county. Otherwise, the taxpayers can just assume they are making up the job numbers to create support for the stadium project. Gregory Kuebler , Dunedin Blanche defends $1.8B fund | May 20 Here is who should file a claim for benefits from President Donald Trump’s new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund:1. All Capitol and Washington D.C. police officers who responded to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.2. All families of Capitol and Washington D.C. police officers who died following the riot.3. The family of former FBI director Robert Mueller.3. Former FBI director James Comey.4. Georgia Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.5. Georgia Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade.5. Former Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith.6. New York State Attorney General Letitia James.7. All Department of Justice attorneys who were fired for prosecuting the Jan. 6, 2021 rioters.8. All Department of Justice attorneys who were fired for investigating and working with Jack Smith on Trump’s classified documents case.9. All Department of Justice attorneys who were fired for investigating Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.10. Prosecutors who brought obstruction charges against Jan. 6, 2021 rioters that were tossed because of a Supreme Court decision.11. All victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex abuse.12. Family of Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide due to abuse by Epstein.13. Barack and Michelle Obama, who were described by Donald Trump as “apes.”14. Alexander Vindman, who retired from the National Security Council following his role as a witness in Trump’s first impeachment trial.15. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.16. Russian President Vladimir Putin.... and many more. Gregory Kuebler , Dunedin • • • Submit letters at www.tampabay.com/opinion/submit-letter/ . Letters are edited for clarity and length.

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