[Boatanchors] Jim Haynie at Austin Summerfest

[James Duffer]

The ARRL is currently soliciting monteary donations to do battle on this 
subject.  The league needs bucks to kit butt, hope you all get the picture 
and put your money where your mouth is.


>From: "Mark Richards" <mark.richards@massmicro.com>
>To: <boatanchors@mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: RE: [Boatanchors] Jim Haynie at Austin Summerfest
>Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 14:36:58 -0400
>
>Kees,
>
>I think the League ought to begin kicking some butt and I have communicated
>the same to Headquarters.  In the current climate, the old policy of mutual
>cooperation and friendliness with the FCC and other agencies is no longer
>tenable.  The FCC would, I bet, like us to continue to trust in them and
>believe that they are looking out for us.  Don't believe it.
>
>Why is it that while the Amateur Service progressively loses spectrum, the
>League seems to be taking a non-aggressive approach?  Further, the Amateur
>community just rolls over and plays dead.  When will we scream... when 
>we're
>restricted to 100 KHz on each band?  When we lose 2 Meters completely?
>
>Commercialization of natural resources, radio spectrum included, has been a
>sad if not disgusting hallmark of the current Washington administration.
>This amorality has transformed the FCC from a reasonably impartial
>farsighted arbiter into a cheering squad for large corporations.  Another
>challenge - a federal system with unprecedented spectrum appetite that uses
>the "national security/September 11th" excuse at every turn.  If I hear 
>this
>excuse once more I'll upchuck.
>
>Of recent note is the FCC's "promotion" of BPL.  The FCC is the agency that
>is encouraging BPL development through its own docket.  At least they are
>telling us what their decision will be, long before they "make" it.
>Considering every other country that has investigated BPL and found it
>disastrous apparently means nothing.  In America, radio waves apparently
>operate differently.
>
>A more aggressive approach means that ARRL membership must be educated
>concerning this trend; must see the current FCC not as a friend but as an
>unfair aggressor; and must move in a direction that has a lot of bite and
>bark.  It's an old myth to think that the FCC actually cares about the
>Amateur Service.  I think it's likely they'd rid us of spectrum completely
>if not for the current strength of the ARRL, supporters in congress, and 
>(to
>a much lesser extent) international treaties (which we know the current
>administration has no respect for anyway).
>
>The upturning of Chairman Powell's singe-handed media-giant-induced idea to
>support monopolistic media intentions is a good sign.  We should ride the
>crest of this wave while we have spectrum remaining...
>
>And we should start screaming, before it's too late!
>
>Mark Richards
>K1MGY
>
>
>
>This weekend we had Jim Haynie (ARRL President) talking about
>the interference generated by BPL (Broadband on Power Lines
>.....Internet communications to businesses and homes which is
>gaining momentum and $$$). The ARRL Lab manager observed
>levels of S9+ at one of the BPL test sites in upstate New York.
>The problem is real and needs to be solutioned. You can check
>the ARRL web site for details.
>
>What do other agencies (with clout) using the spectrum say about all
>this ?  .......NSA listening posts, Defense Dept, State Dept, etc. We're
>not the only ones trying to pull signals through ???? How do we get
>some of the big boys, who are affected, into this ??
>
>73 Kees K5BCQ
>

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