RadioBanter - View Single Post - License Fees --- a poll

August 12th 04, 02:58 AM

In article , (Steve
Robeson K4CAP) writes:

If you had to drop it at once, maybe not. But WHO said "all at once"?

It's the most logical way to do it. Vanity call fees are for ten years, all in
a lump.

Part of the reason the FCC license structure is at "10 year" intervals
now is that it's too expensive otherwise.

Yep. And it's been that way for 20 years. Not going to change - in fact, I
would not be surprised if FCC went to 20 year license terms. Or even lifetime,
with some sort of tie-in with your SSN so they could cancel the licenses of
SKs.

You get all those Amateurs chipping in
$25 a year for license every year and watch how fast they'd change THAT.

I don't think they'd change it at all. Why should they? So they can get *less*
money?

But there are very few people who CAN'T drop $25 right now for some
recreational purpose.

Maybe. But that's not the question. Do you really think FCC would go to annual
collection? I don't.

Most of us are spending about that much A MONTH for ISP service...More
for broadband...So P L E A S E don't try THAT tact, Master Chief. It's
baseless.

I think you mean "tack".

And there's a difference. ISP service is considered a necessity by many, and
one account is often used by the entire family.

A ham license is specific to one person.

Furthermore, one only need see that the manufacturers seem to be
confident
enough in the financial solvency of the Amateur Radio program in order to do
R&D and subsequently manufacture radios that START a $1500, now as high as
$12,000 or more! And they are right.

You can get a lot of rig for a lot less than $1500.

Now...if people can afford alcohol, CD's, cigarettes, XBox's and other
"recreational" pursuits, they can also manage to prioritize $25/year for
Amateur Radio if that's what they want to do.

Maybe. But humans don't always behave that way.

About 20 years ago I knew a ham who was a serious smoker. He and his wife each
went through 2-1/2 to 3 packs a day. These folks bought a couple of cartons at
a time.

He used to cry the blues to me that he didn't have any money for ham radio, the
rigs were so expensive, etc. etc.

One day I suggested to him that he cut down on his smoking by a pack a day, and
put the money saved into a ham radio fund. I didn't say he'd have to quit
snmoking, just cut down.. At 1984 prices, that would have put about $500/year
in his ham radio budget, which, combined with what he already had, would have
built a nice station in a year or two.

He looked at me like I was seriously deranged. No way he'd cut down at all.

And if THAT is not good enough for you, Hans, we'll get Congress to allow
prorated license fees based on their tax returns.

Who would do all the paperwork?

Or is there some other argument you'd care to pursue?

Simple: We used to have fees. They didn't go to help amateur radio or the FCC.
And they wouldn't do it again.

I'm *not* against a reasonable fee. Say, $25 max for ten years, waived if the
ham is under 21 or over 65 or disabled.

73 de Jim, N2EY