>> This is a production of Wedu PBS Tampa, Saint Petersburg.

Sarasota.

>> Coming up, millions of Floridians could see their health insurance costs double or even triple.

Who would be hit the hardest if federal ACA subsidies expire on December 31st?

Plus, Tampa Bay skyline keeps going up, but with rising towers come rising rents.

We look at how cities are trying to grow without leaving residents behind, and look around.

At the next stoplight, you might see a driver missing in the car next to you.

Robotaxis are now rolling through Tampa Bay.

How the future of ride hailing is causing safety concerns in other cities.

Welcome back everybody I'm Lisette Campos.

We welcome to our panel this week Travis Horn, founder and president of Bullhorn Communications and a Republican strategist, Colleen Wright, reporter with the Tampa Bay times.

And Victor DiMaio, president of the Hillsborough County Democratic Hispanic Caucus.

Florida is expected to be hit harder than any other state if the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act expire at the end of this year.

Without them, monthly health insurance costs could double or even triple for millions of Floridians.

Still, the U.S.

Congress remains stalled on a plan to extend that assistance.

Take a look.

Florida leads the country in the number of people enrolled in a plan from the ACA marketplace.

1 in 5 Floridians that's nearly 5 million people benefit from subsidized health insurance.

That, according to KFF, the nonprofit focused on health policy and formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Bearing the brunt of the price hike are small business owners and hospitality workers who highly rely on ACA plans.

>> Two things are happening at once.

You have an increase in the baseline rate for insurance, but you also have this additional help that came through the enhanced premium tax credits that are going away.

And so come January, and I think people are finding this out now as they shop for plans.

Uh, but yeah, come January, people will be paying more out of pocket for life saving health coverage.

>> Breaking down the analysis from Florida Voices for Health Care, an individual making $32,000 a year would see an annual increase of $1,500.

An average Florida family of four could see premiums go up $15,000 a year.

And finally, the average retiree couple could have to pay an additional $34,000 a year for health insurance.

It's estimated that some 1.6 million Floridians will lose health insurance, unable to pay full rate for a plan.

The subsidies expanded during the Covid 19 pandemic, lowered monthly premiums and are set to expire this December 31st.

And, Victor, I'd like to start with you, because your background is in the insurance business, there's just so many different layers to this.

Your reaction to the latest coming out.

>> You know, the thing is overall, it's it's sad but true.

But overall, the Republicans hate anything related to Obamacare.

The name Obamacare drives them through through the roof.

So they don't like this.

Ironically, this was a Romney when governor of Massachusetts, he came up with this plan to split because to split the pain of, you know, covering people that had either catastrophic illnesses or pre-existing conditions.

And what's funny because in the good old days before Obamacare, if you had a pre-existing condition, like I had kidney stones and they would not cover you.

But if you have kidney stones, you're screwed.

So that's what the problem is.

And you got to be in a big group to get the best deal.

So Obamacare does that and he spread it out.

And then, you know, and even now they're saying, well, we don't want to make the insurance company rich.

We'll just give the people a check and they'll buy their own policy.

But guess what?

Insurance company is still going to manage your plan even if you pay them.

Uh, and so the hospitals are going to suffer.

Health care is going to suffer.

And frankly, you know, there are Republicans that flipped on the in the side of the Democrats that say, hey, let's just pass these Obamacare subsidies now, because come January, there's going to be like 20 million people that, you know, whose rates are going through the roof.

And people already in Florida are suffering with homeowners insurance and all the other insurances through the roof.

>> So I see.

>> So this is a this is a blessing for the Democrats.

>> Something new.

So we can then read the bill.

Right?

Like back when?

I don't mind calling it Obamacare.

I want them to own it.

I think this was this mess was created by the insurance companies.

They wrote the they wrote the legislation in conjunction with our friends in the Democrat Party who are in the leadership at that time.

I know that right now I'm, I'm, I'm in the marketplace looking for, as a self-employed individual looking for health care for my daughter.

The premiums, like you mentioned earlier in the green Room is that, you know, for for an individual who's self-employed man, the numbers are astronomical, right?

And I'm not sure who to point the finger at just now.

But the insurance companies, obviously, if they don't, they have to put 80% of the premium towards care.

Right, exactly.

And so that only leaves 20% there.

That way they're incentivized to only grow the cost every year.

>> Yeah.

When I had my rebate checks because if they they audit each company and if they make too much money, you get the, the person being covered.

Got a check back.

But I'm telling the audience listen, beware.

Because now they're selling health savings accounts.

To me that is joke insurance because health savings accounts.

It's great if you're a millionaire.

You put a million bucks in a in a an account somewhere, and if you need it, you just take it out and you don't pay taxes on it.

But who the hell has got that kind of money?

>> Well, when skyrocketing prices.

>> In some ways, that is a joke.

>> It's a joke.

>> There's some minor procedures for.

Maybe I just paid 5000 out of pocket.

Now, dental is not covered, but 5000 out of pocket for my my little six year old's dental visit.

>> Wow.

>> Well, this this week we did have some movement, you know, for Republicans.

Broke the party line and voted in favor of getting the discharge petition.

>> To.

>> Put it on the floor to vote.

And this would be an extension for three years of the AHCa supplements.

>> Do you see down the road?

>> You know, it's like we we we always say we're solving it.

We're making things better for Americans.

And it never seems to work.

I think it's because of the insurance companies wrote the legislation.

>> Right.

But you can always go into Obamacare if there's something, you know, Obamacare was designed to even keep an eye on insurance companies.

I know it's expensive because you're covering people that have cottage.

The thing about having preexisting conditions covers.

I mean, you got to take everybody, no matter how sick they could have cancer, no matter what.

A lot of people are in that condition.

I know women that had breast cancer in the good old days before Obamacare.

They couldn't get covered for nothing.

So.

Oh, that's.

Oh, yeah, we'll cover you.

But your premiums are going to be $20,000.

>> Do you all how.

>> Do you all feel the fact that the Republicans that did change their votes, um, some say they only did it because they are up for reelection.

>> Yes.

>> I mean, they they're inviting a conversation.

At least they're you know, I would say I'm glad to have them do that and at least talk about it.

And let's try to find some common ground, some solutions.

It is obviously one of the big issues for Americans.

It's one of our biggest costs probably.

Is it bigger than housing costs?

I mean, it could be.

>> And people care about health care.

That's your life.

You know, young people don't get it because they think they'll live forever, but they could break a leg.

There's a lot of things that, you know, and the Republicans are working their damnedest to tell, well, if you're young, don't buy the insurance.

>> Well, I hope we can find some common ground with Democrats.

Well, you.

>> Know, I think, you know, people care about health care.

And the two things you have to pay insurance on is car health care homeowners.

I mean, it's a lot of money that's going out of your pocket.

>> Members of Congress are going to be heading home for the holidays.

And so there is very little chance, at least that's what the experts are saying, that we will be able to vote on this before the holidays.

So it looks like January 1st, we are going to have a new situation on our hands with the the supplement.

So we're going to we're going to follow it of course.

And let's now move on to our next story.

Tampa Bay skyline is changing fast from new mixed use towers rising in Saint Pete to major redevelopment around stadiums and the waterfront.

With the growth comes concerns of affordable living and new ideas on how to address housing costs.

Look at downtown Saint Pete from the Bay and you'll now see the tallest building on Florida's Gulf Coast.

The residences at 400 central will start welcoming tenants in the coming weeks.

The sale of its penthouse broke the record for highest priced condo in Tampa Bay, selling for $27 million.

Elsewhere in the city, Old Palm Lake gas plant is being eyed by developers as a future mixed use community and reimagined urban space.

And in Clearwater, the city aims to attract visitors and residents alike by repurposing its landings golf course into A5000 seat stadium and multi-sports complex, complete with a water park.

But growth brings challenges.

In Saint Pete's historic northeast neighborhood, tenants are saying goodbye to one of the city's last affordable complexes as redevelopment pushes rents higher.

Advocates say more must be done to ensure that residents can stay in their neighborhoods as the skyline rises with luxury living.

one idea makes Saint Pete the first city in Florida to allow affordable housing on land that's owned by religious institutions.

This regardless of underlying zoning, the move, known as the Yes in God's Backyard provision, has already paved the way for an 86 unit affordable community next to Palm Lake Christian Church.

Colleen, I'd like to start with you.

Saint Pete is your beat for the Tampa Bay times.

You're out there interviewing people, hearing from leaders as well as everyday residents.

Are they?

What are you hearing from them?

Are they excited or are they concerned about all of these new changes?

>> I think change is hard for a lot of people.

I know Saint Petersburg for the longest time had the moniker of God's Waiting Room.

And when you see the largest, uh, condo tower on the Gulf Coast, it's it's pretty jarring, especially when it's right next to the Snell Arcade, which is around 100 years old.

Um, I think affordability is always top of mind.

That tower 400 central, the cheapest unit is $1 million.

The units range from 1 million to $7 million.

Those are not prices that you know working folks can afford.

And then when you look at the story in the old northeast neighborhood, I used to live in the old North Old Northeast neighborhood ten years ago, and that rent was around 600 to $700.

And so one of these buildings that my colleague Rebecca Leepson wrote about, those rents were kind of frozen in time, around 600 or $700, and they're about to double since that building was sold.

So it's hard.

I think it's very jarring.

You know, you see places like Miami where it's kind of maybe always been expensive in going up.

But the jump in Saint Petersburg and Tampa Bay is really dramatic, I think, because the secret is out that people really enjoy, um, the quality of life here and developers have found out and, you know, building new units.

You know, there's a theory there that the more you build, the more rents will come down.

But, uh, right now, I think there's just a little bit of sticker shock.

>> When you're doing your stories.

Do you get the sense that long term residents of Saint Pete are part of the conversations with city leaders.

>> There are conversations, you know, I look at the Palm Lake Christian Church and a lot of neighbors there in Disston Heights did not like that development at all.

They did not feel like they were listened to by the city.

And so I think a lot of long term residents, you know, kind of hang on to the Saint Petersburg they knew, but new residents are coming in every day, and they're here because they see the development and they see the growth.

So change is hard, I think.

And, um, you know, it is a balancing act, but I think it's hard to please everyone.

>> What are some of the projects or what is the area that you are going to be looking most closely to as you look ahead to what could possibly be your first stories in January?

Right.

>> We're looking at the development of the historic gas plant district.

That is where Tropicana Field is today.

Of course, we'll talk about this later, but we've got a new Tropicana Field for three years.

But what happens after 2029 is kind of up in the air.

That story is still unwritten.

Uh, we'll see.

Uh, in January, the city of Saint Petersburg is opening a 30 day window to solicit alternative proposals for development of that area.

The city received one from Arc, which is a team of three entities, and the city really likes that proposal.

And so but by law, they need to open up a window to allow other proposals, so we'll know by February 3rd what those proposals are and what's in them.

And then the city will have to make a decision.

>> I know that, Travis, you've talked on the show a lot about the raise and keeping the raise.

How do you feel about all of.

>> These things.

>> To keep the raise?

I hope they stay in town.

I mean, we've, we've we've all on this side of the bridge, you know, decided we would love to have them over here.

But I don't know how we get that done on some of these stadium deals and how that funding works out.

I know some of our leaders, county commissioners, are in love with baseball and their friends, and I love baseball as well.

But I'm just, you know, I'm not sure how we get the funding on it.

I'm just I'm fatigued, but I'm still I will continue to express my fatigue, almost like the pier that went on forever, you know, it's now it's the Tropicana Field, right?

When will they get it sorted out?

>> We'd like.

>> We'd like for you to weigh in on this in the time.

>> Well, my first job in broadcasting was sports, so I covered, obviously, the Buccaneers from their first date.

I did the games in Spanish, no less.

But, uh, but then, you know, the race kind of came along and, you know, we really had more of a history here in Tampa for, for for baseball.

You know, we've been a baseball makeup for many years.

And growing up here, the Cincinnati Reds were the training team, and now it's the Yankees.

So, uh, there's a big love for baseball and a lot of Tampa guys like Lou Piniella, uh, or local guys become big, big major leaguers.

So we have a lot of stars that we can look up to.

But football is king, and they're the ones that command the most money.

And, you know, they, uh.

And they're there now.

I mean, I actually worked for the city tax back then, 30 years ago.

And I can't believe it's been 30 years.

But now, ironically, it got renewed.

So but it's, you know, it's.

>> Going to call you in to be a pinch hitter.

>> On.

No, no because the the tax passed.

But see now you got that pie.

And now the razor.

Want a piece of that pie?

If they get any, the bucks are going to want a piece of it.

They're going to have to.

After.

After a house after 30 years like the stadium.

If we if we're going to get another Super Bowl, which we want to do.

Yeah.

We're going to have to spend money fixing up the stadium and the cost from $200,000,000.30 years ago.

Now it's $1 billion.

30 years later.

>> I have to say this, though, I have to say this for the record.

I'm glad we've got new, new ownership in town.

Yeah, I mean, they seem to be committed to Tampa Bay, at least.

>> Well, I.

>> Think it's interesting that the three that the three of you have different, different angles that you're approaching this topic of the development.

I mean, clearly, Colleen talked about the the lifestyle and the quality of life and the beautiful scenery that we live in Paradise, that that's the big draw.

And then the two of you have really focused on how sports has really driven a lot of the conversations about development in, in Saint Pete and in the other areas.

>> It's part of the reason I moved to Tampa Bay was we had we had Major League Baseball, we had NFL, we had hockey.

We don't have an NBA team, but this is nearby in Orlando.

So that's part of the calculus when people do relocate here I think.

Right.

>> So the thing in the old days, you know, Tom McEwan who wrote for the Old Tribune, who passed away, and the Levy brothers, uh, the Old Tribune, they would get together at palmasola and smoke a cigar and say, okay, we're going to do this.

We don't care, you know?

And and that's how the Bucs came here.

But but those days.

>> Those days are.

>> So now you got a lot of people.

We don't want to give a rich guy $1 billion of tax money when we could do other things with it.

So that's the fight you're going to have now, who gets what piece of pie?

>> And I think that's a bipartisan prevailing sentiment, honestly.

>> Yes.

>> We've got.

>> Our side.

>> Doesn't like the crony capitalism.

Right.

And you've got your side doesn't.

>> Want inflation hurting so.

>> Many families.

It's hard to many people say it's hard to stomach writing these big checks to the sports teams.

We're going to move on to an image that may be jarring to you.

I know it is to me.

Take a look at this.

Driverless cars are now rolling down the streets of Tampa.

Fully autonomous ride hailing company called Waymo is deploying their cars as part of a broader rollout in the region.

You'll notice these white electric vehicles because it's really hard to miss them.

They've got sensors and cameras mounted on board all over the vehicle.

Currently, drivers operate the robo taxis throughout the city.

They're mapping routes and testing the tech ahead of a public launch.

Local leaders have hailed driverless taxis as the future, but critics are raising safety concerns.

The U.S.

safety agency opened an investigation into Waymo after reports of Waymo cars driving past school buses that were stopped in Texas.

>> Well I'm scared.

>> I don't.

>> Know.

Raise your hand if you're not scared.

I don't know.

>> You're putting your lives in the hands of a robot who's driving you around.

That's what the.

Basically it is.

>> Yeah.

Look, when you're on a flight nowadays, a lot of the times, a good portion of that flight is flown by the computers on planes.

Right.

>> Colleen.

>> What do you think about this?

This is, uh, this is quite the talkative talk about story.

>> Absolutely.

You know, uh, technology is improving all the time.

I do think it is the future.

Is it perfect now?

I'm not sure.

I'm not an expert in it, but I do have family and friends that have used this, and they're still here.

>> So Colin's volunteering to go first.

>> Yeah.

>> And as the year winds down, so does the construction timeline for Saint Pete's Tropicana Field that we've been talking about.

The media recently got its first look inside the trop as crews raced to repair damage from Hurricane Milton more than a year ago.

The goal is to have the ballpark ready for the Tampa Bay rays 2026 season opener in April.

The city says that the new roof and the fixes inside are on track, but still, there are questions about the team's long term future and the site's role in broader downtown redevelopment plans.

So the images are exciting, but again, it just brings back the conversation into is this worth our while?

Is it a good use of taxpayer money?

Um, when you talk to folks in Saint Pete, Colleen, what does the average man on the street say about what's going on in Tropicana Field?

>> You know, it's a mixed bag, but I think the important thing to note is that the city was obligated to fix Tropicana Field.

If not, it would have been in breach of its original 1995 agreement with the Tampa Bay rays.

And we would be in court.

And who knows how much that would cost and what that resolution would be.

So, uh, it was extremely fortunate that there were no hurricanes this year.

There were some rainstorms that led to additional damage, of course, because the Tropicana Field didn't have a roof.

And so all that water came inside.

Um, but for the most part, uh, the repairs were estimated to be $56 million.

They came in at 60 million.

Were past hurricane season.

It is fortunate that nothing has happened.

They're on track.

They have a delayed home opener.

It will be April 6th.

Um, but the question is, too.

It's like, well, you spent $60 million to get a roof on this, but really, the rays are only under contract to play there through the 2029 season or I'm sorry, through the 2028, 2028.

>> And one of the things that the two of you have talked about, Victor and Travis, is the fact that, realistically, they may need an extension because it would be difficult to build a new stadium within the time that we have.

>> That's not going to happen in time.

Yeah, yeah.

So I don't know.

>> I talked to an executive from the team recently, and he, uh, the one part of our conversation, I thought he was dreaming.

He says, well, you know, we got to get out of there in two years.

I go, have you ever dealt with a contractor who tells you you're going to build a house in a year, and it takes 2 or 3 and the costs go through the roof?

And who's going to pay?

You know, for the like we say, how much is it?

They're they're going to want the public money for for a piece of the pie.

We don't know what that is yet, but we know the bucks want a piece of the pie the Yankees want to fix up their stadium.

We got the lightning.

We got.

We got a lot of sports teams here.

>> Do you think that the new ownership has created the opportunity for Mayor Walsh to come back to the table and perhaps talk about something that would.

>> Work for.

>> Mayor Welch, speak for himself.

But for me, it's just the man on the street.

You know, again, I was on the rays 100 supporting that effort to move to to Ybor City when I was at Ybor City Chamber of Commerce chairman.

So I I'm fully I want to keep them here and I want to keep that conversation going.

Stu wasn't the guy to do that.

You know, I guess now I can let that domain go.

>> You know, being born and raised Ybor City guy, I kind of like Ybor City location.

The problem is these guys are they're.

They're buddies with the guys in Atlanta where the the the Atlanta Braves are at, and they got this thing in their head.

We need 100 acres.

That's not easy to do and find a good location.

Well, they want to go to HCC and I don't know what the what are you going to do with those students in the buildings at HCC?

>> I'm interested.

>> In Colleen.

What do you think about the new feelings, the new negotiations that are being talked about between the mayor and the new ownership.

>> There's no indication that there are any discussions to rebuild a stadium on the historic gas plant site, on the Tropicana Field site.

I spoke with Mayor Welch yesterday who said the rays haven't even asked him about an extension.

And I understand that as the clock ticks, there might be an extension.

If you look at the old Rays Heinz plan under former owner Stu Sternberg and the development group Heinz, they were supposed to break down.

I'm sorry, break ground in 20.

In the first quarter of this year, 2025 to be done by 2028.

So if you're following kind of like that same structure, that would mean, you know, quarter one of 2026 to have ready in 2029.

And there's nothing there.

And when I hear some of these executives say, oh, we're speaking to politicians on both sides, I'm not hearing that as far as Saint Pete is going there.

>> And that is why you all are such an important part of these shows, because your expertise you bring in information on the real conversations that are being had.

So I really appreciate that.

Before we go, I want to ask each of you for your big stories.

Other big stories of the week.

Victor, I'll start with you.

>> Well, we can continue on with the race.

And as someone who's been in the media and followed sports, they are just going to, you know, they really want Tampa.

They like Tampa more than Saint Pete as a location because it's central.

It's closer to Orlando.

And if the if the high speed train ever gets a route from Orlando to here, it would make people easy.

Bright line.

Uh, so I think the the market is so big, we're the third largest state in the country.

If you take Tampa and Orlando together and combine it with all of North Florida, you got like 15 million eyeballs watching baseball.

And that's what they want.

It's not about the location as much as where you're at in.

>> Colleen, what is your big story of the week?

>> I'm going to go with property tax reform.

I just did a story on Saint Petersburg officials bracing, uh, should the effort to eliminate property taxes on homesteaded of properties go before voters next year in November.

Saint Petersburg is bracing for those impacts.

Jeff Brandis says that it would create a tax shelter and it's a hot mess right now.

There is no real plan in place.

Saint Petersburg crunched the numbers recently, and they stand to lose about $82 million from property taxes.

>> Travis.

And the time that we have left.

>> Hey, I'm looking forward.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs FDA is really working hard to make sure that that veterans that Florida becomes or remains a veteran friendly state.

They're doing some really great treatments for veterans.

Some some studies and things that are going to be, I think, very helpful for those suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

So I'm really proud of what they're doing at FDA and the legislature for funding it, too.

>> Well, thank you, all of you for coming in and happy holidays to you.

Again, our thanks to our panelists this week, Travis Horn, Colleen Wright and Victor de Mayo.

Thank you for their time and their expertise.

On a final programming note, as the famous song goes, there is no place like home for the holidays, but for our troops deployed or on assignment far from home, recording videos is the closest that they will get to their families.

Generations of us have grown up watching these videos on TV every single December, and we wanted to give you a taste of this year's season's greetings.

>> Hi, I'm Private Harrison, 88th November, transportation Movement coordinator, assigned to six 35th in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

I want to wish my friends and family in Tampa, Florida a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Happy holidays.

>> This is Sergeant Robert Harper from Ocala, Florida.

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

>> Bueno soy especialista Garcia in Lithuania.

Ahora mismo con dos policia.

Policia militar.

Yo quiere felicidad.

Felicidad.

Todo mundo.

Mi familia en el Estado de Florida.

Feliz navidad, Buenos nuevo are.

>> You?

Hey, I'm senior airman Daquan Simmons.

I just want to give a happy holiday shout out to my family back in Saint Pete in Palmetto, Florida.

I love you.