New Federal Radio Frequency Edicts Could Affect Ham Radio Operators

I've posted stories (HERE- HERE and HERE) about how virtually EVERY governmental agency from the Feds on down to the local level will be spending literally hundreds of millions of scarce dollars over the next year and a half getting new radio systems.

Spending YOUR tax dollars to do so.

Under the guise of "homeland security-" these changes could also well affect the ham radio operators nationwide- according to this story in the SPRINGFIELD (MO) NEWS-LEADER (SN-L).


Ham radio operators are vital in times of disasters- when regular communication means are curtailed (see historic Japan quake for instance) and if passed- this bill would make all current ham radio equipment obsolete.

A Springfield politician- Republicrat Rep. Billy Long- is "co-sponsoring" the legislation making these changes that would in effect allow the Feds to "sell" the radio frequency spectrum (American citizen-owned BTW) that ham radio operators currently use for personal and disaster use.


When told of the effects the bill he is co-sponsoring would have on ham radio operators- Long replied "...that was news to him."


'Lock-Step' Long said "he co-sponsored the bill because (Homeland Security Chairman Rep.Peter) King, the homeland security chairman, asked him to...."



Isn't it good we (they) elect politicians who actually READ the legislation that SOMEONE ELSE tells them to vote for? 

____________