Hunting, fishing and trapping have an undeniable relationship with conservation. Consider the Pittman-Robertson Act. This imposes an 11% tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment, where proceeds are distributed to states for wildlife management projects. Any remaining funds go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Act – one example of countless conservation programs fueled by sportsmen […]

In the PBS Masterpiece series “Poldark” (set in England after the American War of Independence), Capt. McNeil offers this advice to Ross Poldark, who is facing trial: “Have a care for the law. ’Tis a cranky and twisted old thing. And you may flout it half a dozen times, but let it once come to […]

Even with a 7% increase in the school tax rate, Portland Public Schools’ proposed budget includes significant cuts in programming across schools. The pandemic has created a much-publicized learning deficit for students. Reducing services will only exacerbate the struggles faced by our schools as they work to help students gain lost or delayed skills. Last […]

American ingenuity has developed devices that measure dangers in our environment: Geiger counters, radiation dosimeter badges, pulse oximetry – to name a few. Yet we have not yet devised an instrument to measure the mental and psychological stress that leads to suicide. Instead, those in challenging professions produce their own tough-guy shields, which begins with […]

I am astounded at the hypocrisy of the legislatures in so many states. They are hung up on preventing abortions but do not seem to care one iota about these yet-born children being subject to the possibility of being killed by a terrorist who may enter their school, shooting things up and killing them. Apparently […]

Like President Gerald Ford before him when faced with a need to unite his country, President Biden should immediately pardon Donald Trump. Continuing on the current course risks tearing the country apart. Such a magnanimous move would benefit Biden; it would be an act of a true statesman. It would show the country that Biden […]

A letter published Tuesday asked: “Why do lobstermen assume state will pay for their fight?” (April 4) They don’t. The proposed legislation to which the writer refers would simply move some money that lobstermen already pay in state licensing fees, intended for national and international marketing efforts, into the legal fight against federal rules that […]