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

[Artmouton]

Sounds like "Little Brother" is much worse than "Big Brother"
(with apologies to George Orwell)
Art K5FNQ


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Ring" <n1ea at arrl.net>
To: <cw at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 5:26 AM
Subject: [CW] OT - California Madness - or - "What a difference a 
spacemakes"


> =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:
> <http://www.NoSpaceHamPlates.blogspot.com>, courtesy Cliff Cheng,
> WW6CC - ed.]
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