[CQ-Contest] Marriage of contesting and ARES

[Ford Peterson]

One respondant said:

> Wonder what people in Newington put in their pipe these days.
>

To set the record straight.  I don't work for Newington.

and another said:

> I sincerely hope you are kidding...let's do it all with battery
power/solar power.

No I am not kidding.  Did you know that congress is looking at establishing
a "communications corp?"  In a recent press conference, the congressman
belittled the communications efforts in NY and Washington after 9/11 and
called for a more "professional" communications effort. (We need to shed the
"amateur" title)

I don't know where the criticism originated or why, I can only speculate.
However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who would be
giving up spectrum to facilitate the new "corp."  We handle traffic like it
was handled in pre-WWII.  Come-on guys, admit it, our ability to mobilize is
a joke right now.  That has got to change.

Ham Radio is a national asset.  This is the single fact that provides
substance to the allocation of ham bands to a very small group of
people--that would be us.  Rhetoric like the need for the corp jeopardizes
our spectrum.  No I am not kidding...

Take a guess at how much equipment is laying around in the shack's of every
ham.  Just taking the 163,000 members x $12,000 each and forget about all
the jerks choosing to ignore the ARRL, that's about $2 billion.

Use it or lose it guys.  We need to demonstrate we can use it responsibly,
effectively, and for the public good.  My proposal could serve to accomplish
the proof.  Giving the chief officer of the FCC the right and the power to
unleash this national asset, gives credence to our cause.

No, I am not kidding.

Ford-N0FP
ford at cmgate.com

Give me a gun and I'll be armed.
Give me a radio and I'll give you an army.


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