First, the reason for this e-mail:
As you may have read,
Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has introduced the "Broadband for First Responders
Act of 2011" and the bill has been
assigned HR 607 as its number. The full story about the Bill's introduction can
be found on the ARRL web at
http://www.arrl.org/news/spectrum-management-bill-threatens-amateur-frequencies
As you will read, while the ARRL supports spectrum for the Public Safety needs,
we oppose HR 607 in its current form because of the
inclusion of the 420-440 MHz spectrum (most of the Amateur 70-cm UHF allocation)
as part of a spectrum swap.
This represents a true and real threat to our 70-cm UHF allocation, and must be
addressed immediately!
We understand and support the principle that Public Safety and First responders
should have the D-Block frequencies. Our opposition to
the bill stems from the inclusion of the 420-440 MHZ Amateur allocation as part
of the proposed "frequency swap".
At the request of ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, the ARRL Grassroots Program
is being activated. We request that ALL ARRL
members read the above story and contact their local Representative asking them
to oppose HR 607 in its current form.
Please go to
http://www.arrl.org/sample-letters
. On that webpage, you will find 1) A sample letter opposing HR 607 in its
current form; 2) A
link to the ARRL Webpage that gives ARRL members contact information for their
Members of Congress; and 3)
A link to information on how to
send your letters to our Washington lobbyist to hand-deliver to Capitol Hill.
Second, some background information:
I sent out an e-mail last year describing the ARRL Grassroots program:
http://www.arrl.org/grassroots
. Individual members writing, calling or
visiting their elected representatives to guide legislation is considered to be
highly effective. I do realize that each of us has limited time, and that
lack of time may deter us from taking part in the political process. My goal
was to provide resources so that all members could “make a
difference” with very little time expenditure, perhaps 5-10 minutes.
Fortunately, the ARRL has already made this possible, with their
http://www.arrl.org/sample-letters webpage. This has all the tools and
resources needed to make your voice heard! Personalizations of the
sample letter are encouraged, but please keep comments on point, and not get
sidetracked. If you know your representative personally, a face
to face visit is likely to be more effective than a
written communication, and
is also encouraged.
After my e-mail last year, a number of concerns were voiced. One was whether a
non-profit organization (ARRL) is allowed to become part of
the political process, at the risk of losing their non-profit status. The
answer is that a non-profit organization may INFLUENCE legislation,
but not become involved in any activities that favor or oppose an individual for
elected public office. As ARRL CEO Dave Sumner states,
“Amateur Radio and the ARRL are staunchly non-partisan….Over the years, we have
been fortunate to win many friends on both sides of the
aisle. We want to keep them.”
Another concern is why we involve our lobbyist John Chwat as an intermediary for
our letters to our elected officials. Due to security concerns,
physical letters sent directly to our legislators may be delayed for several
weeks for screening procedures. By
sending a letter, fax or a
signed
letter as an attachment to an e-mail to Chwat and Company, it is virtually
guaranteed to make it to the proper congressman’s office in a timely
manner. Additionally, if John Chwat is able to talk directly with a
congressman, his efforts are much more likely to be successful if he is able
to present a handful of constituent letters during his visit.
In regards to non-members, the ARRL cannot ask someone who is not a member to
help support an issue. However, if a member wishes to
bring information to a club meeting or similar gathering, anyone can
individually decide whether to support the issue at hand (Asking them
to join the ARRL is OK too!).
Legislation is rapidly affecting all of us, in all our endeavors. It is
ESSENTIAL that we as Amateur Radio Operators make our individual as
well as our collective voices heard on Capitol Hill. I ask (and challenge) ALL
Roanoke Division ARRL
Members to take time to become
part of the political process, and send out a letter to your representative
today!
For the future of Amateur Radio,
’73 de JIM N2ZZ
Division Legislative Action Coordinator
ARRL Vice Director
Roanoke Division
www.arrl.org
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ARRL Roanoke Division
Director: Dennis Bodson, W4PWF
[email protected]