[TowerTalk] FW: A Response From Johnny Isakson

[Roger Hackler]

Mr. Isakson will not be getting my vote next time around!  Not to mention
that he has his resolutions reversed.

-----Original Message-----
From: Representative Johnny Isakson [mailto:GA06ima.pub at mail.house.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 14:05
To: rhackler at mindspring.com
Subject: A Response From Johnny Isakson






March 10, 2004


Roger L. Hackler
3441 Steve Drive Northwest
Marietta, Georgia  30064-1709

Dear Roger:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding H.R. 713, the Amateur Radio
Spectrum Protection Act.  I appreciate your thoughts on this issue.

As you know, this legislation, introduced by Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-FL)
would override many homeowners' association covenants or restrictions
regarding the placement of outdoor antennas.  Currently, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) applies a policy that only instructs
states and localities to provide "reasonable accommodations" for external
amateur radio antennae.

I believe that homeowners in these communities have made significant
investments in their property, based on the guidelines contained in these
agreements.  It is not the proper role of the federal government to insist
that these changes be made.  Instead, the reasonable accommodation policy
should continue to apply.  I have supported amateur radio operators on
other issues, including spectrum assignment, but do not support the
Federal Government overriding existing recorded covenants.  H.R. 713 is
currently pending before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and
the Internet.

Other related legislation includes H.R. 1478, the Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Consistency Act, introduced by Representative Steve Israel
(D-NY) on March 27, 2003.  This bill provides that, for purposes of the
Federal Communications Commission's regulation relating to station antenna
structures in the amateur radio services, any private land use rules
applicable to such structures shall be treated as a State or local
regulation and subject to the same requirements and limitations of such a
regulation.  H.R. 1478 is also pending before the House Subcommittee on
Telecommunications and the Internet.  I will keep your thoughts in mind
should this legislation come to the House floor for a vote.

Please feel free to visit my website at www.house.gov/isakson for more
information on issues that may be of importance to you, as well as to sign
up for my monthly email update.  Thank you again for contacting me, and I
hope you will not hesitate to call on me in the future if I can be of
assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
Member of Congress