[RFI] Re: Support?

[Dave Hachadorian]

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 13:57:42 +0000 "Rob Atkinson, K5UJ"
<k5uj at hotmail.com> writes:

(Relating to Broadband over Power Lines)

> unfortunately I suspect a lot of hams either don't think it's that 
> big a 
> deal, are not HF operators and don't think they have to care about 
> it, or 
> think someone else will take care of it.
> 
> It's too late to set this up now (or maybe not) but perhaps ARRL 
> should 
> consider setting up a grass roots ham organization like what the NRA 
> has.  I 
> understand any time some new proposed gun regulation looks like it 
> might 
> have legs, the NRA calls, faxes, emails its members who respond by 
> calling, 
> and writing legeslators.  If we assume BPL won't be the last massive 
> 
> widespread attempted invasion of our spectrum allocations it might 
> be wise 
> for someone at ARRL to write a tutorial in QST on how to comment to 
> FCC, 
> what the process is, etc. so we don't have these botched filings, 
> and set up 
> a network involving the membership.  It would work like this:  
> Members who 
> wish to volunteer, would be placed on a contact list with their 
> preferred 
> communication--it might be phone no., email addr., postal addr., fax 
> no., 
> whatever.  Everyone would be assigned specific legeslators at all 
> levels 
> depending on the particular threat.  so for example since I live in 
> Illinois, I'd have on my list the IL congressman from my district, 
> senator 
> etc. with their phone nos., email and postal addrs. and so on, along 
> with 
> the FCC.  When needed, we'd all get the message to contact these 
> people, 
> with a suggested text or we could make up our own with it as a 
> guide.  NRA 
> does something like this and it is quite effective I understand.  
> While we 
> don't have their numbers, we might get several thousand responses 
> instead of 
> a few hundred, and more important, they would be sent to the right 
> people 
> and filed correctly because we'd be more coordinated, organized and 
> have 
> better instructions.  just a thought.
> 
> Rob Atkinson
> K5UJ

This is actually an excellent idea.

Perhaps it could be patterned after www.moveon.org, which is
a highly effective and growing group related to furthering a
more liberal political agenda. Member input can be as simple
as "signing" an electronic petition, or can be more involved,
such as initiating letters to the recommended politicians/bureaucrats.
They also encourage members to solicit new members, which would
work exceptionally well in the Amateur Radio community, and would
include ARRL non-members.

Effort expended by the ARRL in setting up and riding herd on this
program would be highly leveraged, since member inputs would be
effectively organized and on-target.

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Big Bear Lake, CA




















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