Opinion: Letters to the Editor

Letters for April 5

Opinion,Letters to the Editor

Maryland Democrats have hunters in their cross hairs

Maryland Senate Bill 619 punishes hunters who only want to enjoy the great outdoors with their family and friends as well as bring home meat to put into the freezer to feed them.

How does raising fees on hunting help hunters? This is exactly the question the Democratic leadership did not ask. They asked how we can increase revenue for the Wildlife and Heritage Service of the Department of Natural Resources, tasked with managing wildlife for the entire state. Their answer: Raise fees on hunters!

The General Assembly used to fund this department from the general fund; however, the current leadership stopped doing this because they could get revenue from the state's 180,000 hunters instead. That number has now dwindled to 80,000 hunters, a 55 percent decrease.

This number will continue to dwindle given that the bill has a $37 hunting license fee, a $150 nonresident hunting fee, a $65 nonresident three-day hunting license fee, new individual hunting stamps of $6 for archery hunters, $25 for nonresident archery hunters, and a $10 resident bonus antler stamp.

These fees are supposed to generate $968,700 in new revenue every year. This number auspiciously does not change over a four-year period because Department of Legislative Services assumed that the fee increases would not materially affect the number of people requesting a license.

Only the out-of-control leadership in Annapolis would assume that increased fees would not affect the number of participants. They continue to show a total disregard for the costs associated with hunting. With the costs of hunting growing higher every year because of new regulations, fees and taxes, current leadership continues to show blatant disregard for hardworking Marylanders.

Del. Glen Glass

Aberdeen, Md.

Senators for same-sex marriage thwart will of their constituents

A raft of Democrat senators, attempting to get ahead of history in the belief the Supreme Court will rule in favor of same-sex marriage, are coming out for it. This is especially problematic, and really an abuse of power, for those who represent states which prohibit same-sex marriage, such as Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in Virginia.

They are, in essence, using their federal power to trump what the people in their states, through their legislatures or, in Virginia's case, by referendum, have decided, and thereby set themselves up as the people's federal masters rather than the people's elected servants.

Dino Drudi


Ten Commandments best displayed in our hearts

In my hometown, some of the clergy has decided it would be good if the Ten Commandments were displayed on the courthouse lawn, and at first glance I was for it also.

But after second thought, I'm wondering if they are just opening up a nasty can of worms and the possibility of endless litigation, when the Ten Commandments could be better displayed elsewhere, such as in our lives.

Personally I would like to see the Ten Commandments displayed openly everywhere, but just because they are displayed so everyone can read them doesn't guarantee that they will. At just about every

intersection we have stop signs, but does everyone stop? No!

When the Ten Commandments are displayed and lived in the hearts of the people, that is enough.

George T. Weir

Jacksboro, Texas

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