By Web Williams

The recent hurricanes have demonstrated yet again the value of amateur radio
service operations - aka ham-radio operations - as a crucial supplement to
public-sector emergency communications. In Palm Beach County, Fla., ham
volunteers even had to pinch hit for public-sector emergency services when
those communications - police, fire, rescue - went down for 11 hours.

All across the country, however, homeowners associations and restrictive
covenants ban all ham antennas, and thus all ham-radio operations, from some
communities. This leaves homeowners-association-controlled communities,
where four out of 10 Americans now reside, extra vulnerable and
underprotected in the face of natural or man-made disasters.

Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., has introduced H.R. 1478: a bill that would ban
homeowners associations [from banning ham-radio antennas]. Reasonable
regulations by homeowners associations and covenants would still be allowed,
but they could no longer be carried to the point of banning ham radio
operations completely.

Congressional leaders are planning to adjourn this session of Congress for
the year by early October. This would kill H.R. 1478 and all other pending
bills.

Fortunately, a campaign is under way to enact H.R. 1478 by adding it to the
fast-moving bill on the Sept. 11 commission's recommendations.

Unfortunately, my own 1st District congressman, Rep. Henry Brown, R-Hanahan,
has not lifted a finger to help. In fact, in response to my correspondence,
he will not even tell me his position on this bill.

Perhaps public disclosure of his current unresponsiveness in this newspaper
will motivate Brown to co-sponsor H.R. 1478 and support its inclusion in the
Sept. 11 commission bill. I certainly hope so. Every day that congressional
leaders fail to act on H.R. 1478 is a day that lives are put at risk - for
no good reason.

(The writer lives in Myrtle Beach).

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld...on/9847150.htm