[CW] OT - California Madness - or - "What a difference a space makes"

[kremper4-mailman at yahoo.com]

Cliff, I suggest you send this info to the ARRL and your Section Manager.
   
  73,
   
  Paul / N1FB
  

David Ring <n1ea at arrl.net> wrote:
  =Radio related but off topic.=

Earlier on this list, Comrade Stan the Man and others told about the
CA Dept. of Revenue and their madness.

Not to be outdone, the California Department of Motor Vehicles had
started adding spaces to amateur radio callsigns on the plates they
produce when none had ever been put there since the plates were first
introduced in 1953.

It appears that radio amateurs defeated last years attempt to make
their plates "vanity plates" which are subject to an additional fee.
It is speculated by some that this current twist on the format of the
CA motor vehicle plates is a bit of revenge on the CA DMV's part.

In MA these plates and those for physicians are public service plates
- used to identify those who may have particular skills needed in
emergencies - but through the years this label has been discarded and
the present RMV forms just state that the applicant is a "ham radio
operator".

Here is the latest story - with a link at the end for even more
bewildering twists.

+ LETTERS: California DMV Responds to Space-In-Call Letter License
Plate Complaint

The following is the response of the California DMV dated December 27,
2007, to a ham complaining of the DMV's practice of putting spaces in
call signs on Amateur Radio license plates
http://www.nospacehamplates.blogspot.com/nse plates:

"California Vehicle Code Section 5005 allows the Department of Motor
Vehicles to issue special plates in lieu of the regular license plates
to a vehicle owned by persons holding an Amateur Radio license issued
by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These special license
plates display the official Amateur Radio call letters of the
applicant as assigned by the FCC.

"The Department has been issuing HAM license plates since 1953 when
the statute was first enacted. The placement or spacing of letters and
numbers composed of the HAM license was originally determined by the
FCC. Although the department is required by law to issue HAM license
plates with specific call letters, spacing is not addressed in the
statute and the department can exercise its administrative
authority in this regard.

"The Department adopted the spacing in order for law enforcement to
differentiate between HAM license plates and other series license
plates. Unlike other states, California does not distinguish the HAM
license plates with a symbol or wording indicating the plate is a HAM plate.

"In April 2007, it was brought to our attention that the HAM license
plates were being ordered and issued without the proper spacing. The
problem has since been corrected; however, those HAM plates issued
with no spaces will remain valid until the plates are lost or damaged
and duplicates are requested. The Department has received several
complaints, regarding the spacing of HAM license plates ordered by
applicants. Thoughts of eliminating the spaces have been reviewed, but
we must take into consideration the other series license plates and
the distinction that HAM license plates will no longer have.

Sincerely, Mario Balbiana, Program Manager, Registration Policy
Development, Department OF Motor Vehicles, Registration Operations
Division, Sacramento, CA

[For more info on this issue:
, courtesy Cliff Cheng,
WW6CC - ed.]
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