[MIham] WEAVER'S WORDS -- PARTIAL VICTORY

[Tom VanderMel]

> (NOTE:  Send any replies to k8je@arrl.org.  Clicking on the REPLY button
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> 
> YOU WON!
> 
> Very recently I received a report from one of the organizations the
> League (you) hires to keep an eye on things that are happening in
> Washington and most particular on Capitol Hill.  As regards my note
> today, one of the visits they made was to Sen. Levin's (Michigan)
> office.  Congratulations to you in Michigan who wrote to encourage the
> Senator to co-sponsor The Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003.
>  Thanks to you, he is now a co-sponsor.  The comment in the
> organization's report on their visit to his office follows:
> 
> Office of Sen. Carl Levin (MI)
> 
> (His Legislative Aide) said her office had received several requests to
> co-sponsor S. 537.  She thought that they would be helpful in convincing
> the Senator to sign on.  Sure enough he did shortly after.  (My emphasis
> added.)
> 
> PLEASE READ THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH.  THE SENATOR SIGNED ON BECAUSE ENOUGH
> MICHIGAN HAMS WROTE ASKING HIM TO DO THIS!
> 
> If you get the time, it would be a good idea to write the Senator and
> thank him for becoming a co-sponsor of S 537.
> 
> Another win was with Representative Mike Rogers, 8th District, Michigan.
>  Rep. Rogers is saying he has become a co-sponsor of HR 713 as a DIRECT
> RESULT of messages he received from his constituents.  Congratulations,
> folks.  Why not send notes of thanks to Rep. Rogers?
> 
> Keep up the good work.  These two and a couple of more whose names I
> have misplaced are firm proof that our Congressmen/women pay attention
> when their constituents join in combined action to write to them.
> 
> HERE'S ONE TO WORK ON
> 
> Office of Rep. Sander Levin (MI-12)
> 
> (His Legislative Aid) actually had a file on the bill with a constituent
> request in it.  We discussed it and he said he would ask the Congressman
> his thoughts, but was non-committal on either his feelings or what the
> Congressman might say.  (After all,there was ONLY ONE request for him to
> co-sponsor the bill.  We need to fill this letter vacuum.)
> 
> If you are in Rep. Levin's district, you might want to be certain you
> have written to ask him to co-sponsor HR 713.
> 
> Rep. Levin is not the only one who needs to receive letters.  If you do
> not know your Senators and Congressman/woman are co-sponsors of our
> bills, please write to them now.  We have until the end of this
> Congressional session next year to get the bills passed, but don't wait
> too long.
> 
> TO WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMEN
> 
> A first thought is we need to write about the Amateur Radio Spectrum
> Protection Act of 2003.  There is absolutely no need to write Congress
> about BPL.  BPL is not even "on their radar screens" as ARRL
> President Jim Haynie, W5JBP says.  If you want to write about BPL, write
> the FCC.
> 
> To write your Congressmen/women about HR 713 (House of Representatives)
> and S 537 (Senate), you can follow the simple steps, below.  Please
> write.  As happened in Michigan, you can see that writing is important
> and productive.
> 
> 1. Log onto http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html.
> 2. Look for the links to find your Representative and Senators. 
> 3. Copy the boilerplate texts of letters to Representatives and
> Senators.  Personalize these letters with their proper names and
> addresses, request them to please become a co-sponsor of this
> legislation;  copy these into an E-mail and send them to the
> legislator.
> 4. When personalizing letters, one might mention a major public service
> activity that happened in your area.  This might include the recent
> electrical power outage, or the search for victims of the air crash in
> Kentucky or some other emergency that required Amateur Radio
> communications.
> 
> At this time of year, I wish to thank Vice Director Mondro, W8FQT, SMs
> Dake Williams, WA8EFK, John Meyers, NB4K and Joe Phillips, K8QOE, our
> former Directors and many of you for your help through the year to date.
>  Finally, I wish each of you and your families the best for
> Thanksgiving.  Be safe.  Enjoy your families and friends.
> 
> 73, GL,
> 
> Jim Weaver, K8JE
> Director, Great Lakes Division
> k8je@arrl.org, tel. 513-459-0142
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ARRL Great Lakes Division
> Director: James Weaver, K8JE
> k8je@arrl.org
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
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