Article 1: COYOTES ARE NOT JUST PASSING
THROUGH
The Story: Angel,
a local cattle farmer in Tampa, was drinking her coffee when she saw at least
three animals that resembled large dogs. At a closer look they were three well-fed
coyotes. They were stalking the baby calves in the field amongst the morning
fog. She then got in her car and starting honking in an attempt to scare them
away, but the coyotes did not flinch. Although they did not attack in front of
her eyes, I am sure they would have if she didn’t get in her car!
The Problem: Coyotes
have become a huge problem in the suburbs of Tampa. They are preying on the
offspring of cattle early in the mornings and late in the afternoons when the farmers
are not out on the fields. Leading to a loss of a cow, this problem can cause a
5,000$ loss for these farmers, at least!
Who: Although
Angela is the only farmer described in this story as having a problem losing
her calves to the coyotes, she is just one of many whom has suffered from the problem.
Coyotes have become a nuisance in this industry and people have started hunting
them in attempts to control their dominance.
Article 2: GAS PRICES LEAP OVERNIGHT
The Story: Well, here we go again with rising gas prices, but a
10-cent jump over night is a little drastic! Gas in Tampa has raised from 2.09$
to 2.19$ in some areas. The bump up originated from the increase of an average
oil barrel from 43$ to 50$ in attempts to rebalance the market.
The Problem: The problem is clear, everyone needs petrol, and an
increase in the price for it leads a lot of people to become unhappy. Oil is a
limited natural resource and the price is elastic because everyone needs it.
The gas companies can raise their prices in unison with their competitors and
us, as citizens, have to suffer the higher price.
Who: Although this article is specific to Tampa, citizens
in almost every city suffer from this problem. Everyone depends heavily on this
type of energy for transportation, and we have to pay the price for it.
Article 3: WORKERS GET $0 PAY STUBS AS
SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON
The Story: As we all know; the government has shut down paying its
workers which is resulting in a lot of unhappy people who cannot pay their
bills. An estimated 800,000 workers missed their paychecks since this has sank
in.
The Problem: Government employees not getting paid is starting to
take toles on their daily lives. They cannot pay for things that require a
weekly invoice. Government agencies are reporting that employees are calling in
sick twice as much as usual, which creates traffic in all of these different
areas.
Who: Most directly all employees of the government are being
affected, but also everyone in America. People traveling are affected
tremendously due to the lack of workers. I experienced this personally over
Christmas. Next time you travel be sure to expect longer lines!
Article 4: EMAILED SUNPASS INVOICES ARE FAKE
The Story: Sunpass emails to customers that have unpaid bills
are fake! People are getting scammed to pay for fake transportation costs. The
Florida Department of Transportation have confirmed that these emails are fake
and not to pay them! These emails contain falsified threatening legal action as
well. The Florida Turnpike Enterprise only sends invoices through US mail, so
if you receive an email for an invoice, do not pay it!
The Problem: People are losing their hard-earned money to people
who are scamming the system. The fake email account, SunPassNotice@ezpass-collections.net,
requests these invoices and steals money. They enforce you to pay within 30
days by saying they will enforce legal action.
Who: Anybody with a Sunpass and believes this to be true
can be losing money due to a fake invoice. Sunpass is probably losing customers
due to these fake scams under their name. Overall, though, the users of this transportation
tool are being most greatly affected due to the email scams.
Article 5: DINERS GET FINAL MEAL AT ARCO IRIS SITE
The Story: As for any local Tampa citizen who knows good food,
this is the biggest problem of them all. Due to a dispute with renting price on
the restaurant, Arco Iris, the best Cuban food in Tampa, has closed. The Gonzalez
family mastered their cuisine and shared it with the whole community, but not
any longer. January 1st was the closing day and a sad day for all of
Tampa as well.
The Problem: The problem originated by the landowner asking for
more rent money, which ultimately closed this amazing restaurant. The Gonzalez
family refused to pay the increase in price and the land owner was forced to
kick them out.
Who: The Gonzalez family lost such an amazing restaurant
and a lucrative cuisine as well. As for the citizens of Tampa, they all lost
such a remarkable place to eat and dine with friends. This place will be missed,
but definitely not forgotten.
Hi Dylan! I really like your identified local opportunities. They all vary in the types of problems and the people they affect. I like how you’re really straightforward in stating the problem and the group of people who are affected by them yet also including the necessary details, something that I am not good at.
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