DeSantis vetoes $35 million for Tampa Bay Rays training facility

Tampa Bay Rays Tropicana Field – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Sean Pavone

Fans of the Tampa Bay Rays responded to Fox News about Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to deny financing for a new training facility worth $35 million.

“We as taxpayers should just worry about bringing lots of… Tampa Bay Rays fans to the area and support that,” Bonnie, of Bradenton, told Fox News. “The governor has no business in that.”

After deciding to veto the funding, the Governor said Friday he does not “support giving taxpayer dollars to professional sports stadiums” and that “it’s inappropriate to subsidize political activism of a private corporation.” The Rays had recently pledged to donate $50,000 to the Everytown for Gun Safety in late May following the devastating Uvalde, Texas, shooting that occurred on May 24, 2022.

“I agree with the first part, taxpayers should not be funding public teams,” Kevin from Valrico, Florida, said of DeSantis’ comments.

“I disagree about his latter part,” he added. “The government should not be telling industry what they believe or what they don’t believe.”

Jonathan, who is a St. Petersburg resident, stated “The governor needs to be more tactful. They wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been for Uvalde.”

“It’s not like every day they’re spouting their political beliefs,” he continued.

Bonnie added, “Gov. DeSantis wants everyone to be free and have freedoms. I think that every company should be free to support what they want.”

DeSantis and Disney previously had a falling out earlier this year, prompting the governor’s decision. DeSantis revoked Disney’s special tax and self-governing privileges in April after the business pledged to back the repeal of Florida’s parental rights law.

“Everyone has the right to say what they need to say,” one Rays fan said. “Unfortunately, in this world in 2022, it’s all about politics and dividing our nation.”

DeSantis “is awesome,” he continued. “He is for the people…He’s the most common-sense man ever.”

Others disagreed, stating “he’s just he’s run our economy into the ground. Everything he’s done with the state, I disagree with.”

Stay tuned for more information regarding the veto. 

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