[RVRC] ARRL legislative advocacy...

[Marvin Bronstein]

While you’re trying to stay warm in this frigid weather, here is some
reading of note as well as some upcoming events of interest to the
Hudson Division.

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In the March 2015 issue of QST (also available online), the story about
the January 2015 ARRL Board of Directors Meeting included the following
article on page 75:

“Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund Receives Initial Donation”

During the Annual Meeting, ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco,
N2YBB, on behalf of the members of his Division, presented ARRL
President Kay Craigie, N3KN, with an inaugural donation of $4500 to the
new ARRL Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund. President Craigie received
the contribution during the ARRL Board’s Annual Meeting January 16-17
in Windsor, Connecticut. The check, from the Long Island Mobile Amateur
Radio Club, represented contributions from members at the 2014 Hudson
Division Awards Luncheon on November 8. President Craigie generously
matched the donation. The Board’s Administration and Finance
Committee established the Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund — proposed
by Lisenco — to educate and inform members of Congress of the
importance of issues that impact the Amateur Radio Service.

“There is an urgent need to raise money to help offset the cost of
sending our voice to Washington for legislative advocacy, and we need
to continue these expenditures into the future to achieve our goals —
including and going beyond the current CC&R legislative effort — as
there will always be issues that require a continuing presence on
Capitol Hill,” Lisenco said after the meeting.

Lisenco added that potential issues down the road could include
spectrum allocation — and especially conflicts stemming from
broadband allocations — revisions to the Communications Act, the
adequacy and efficiency of FCC enforcement and the use of Amateur Radio
volunteers, increased privatization of Amateur Radio administration, FCC
oversight, and radio frequency interference concerns, “to name a
few”

“We must establish a brand for Amateur Radio now, so that we no
longer have to be reactive when it comes to the relationship between
the federal government and Amateur Radio,” Lisenco stressed after the
meeting.

The ARRL is a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) entity. All donations to the fund
are tax deductable within the limits of the law. For information on how
to donate to the ARRL Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund, contact
Development Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD (tel 860-594-0348).