[PPRAANet] Letter from Joel Hefley

[Brown, Patrick E.]

Folks,

As a result of our guest meeting a couple of months ago I wrote a letter to
Joel Hefley concerning the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2001 and
reasonable accommodation for ham radio antenna.  This is the response I
recently received.  I will let you draw your own conclusions from the
letter.  I thought you would all be interested.

Thanks and 73,
Rick K0SU
PPRAA President 2002



Dear Mr. Brown:

	I have received your comments of February 19 in support of the
Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2001 and reasonable accommodation
for ham radio antennae.

	As you know, H.R. 817 was introduced by Rep. Michael Bilirakis,
R-Florida, on March 1, 2001.  His bill, which seeks to ensure the
availability of spectrum to amateur radio operators, has been referred to
the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and
Internet.  Although I am not a member of that subcommittee, your comments
have been noted and I will have them in mind if and when H.R. 817 comes
before the full House of Representatives for a vote.

	Your letter is the latest I have received concerning the reasonable
accommodation question and frankly, I'm not optimistic.  Satellite dish
owners received such treatment in the 1996 Telecommunications Act because,
one, satellite dishes have greatly shrunk in size over the years and so
could be truly unobtrusive.  Second, committee staffers, annoyed by the
intrusive nature of many homeowner association covenants, wrote reasonable
accommodation language into the bill.  I do not believe such provisions can
be won for ham radio operators.  For one, most ham antennae are obtrusive.
Second, the amateur radio community does not enjoy the kind of political
support satellite television did.

	Thank you for taking the time to write.


						Sincerely,

						<signed>
						Joel Hefley
						Member of Congress