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Author Topic: License fee impacts?  (Read 695 times)

K0IZ

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License fee impacts?
« on: January 03, 2021, 09:23:59 AM »

Our club conducts frequent license instruction and testing.  Many, maybe even most, get their Tech license to support public service type activities:  Skywarn, RACES, ARES, public events, and so forth.  Adding a cost of $35 to the license testing fee will likely cause some to forego getting their license and thus their participation.

Another area of impact will undoubtedly be those who are minimally active.  The ranks will be "cleaned" of these folks.  Some might say "so what", but there is some value in touting the size of ham radio membership when it comes time to defend frequencies, etc.  I wouldn't be surprised if this fee results, over time, to a 10% reduction in totals.

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K1VSK

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2021, 09:38:20 AM »

That some place importance on numbers of inactive or  ambivalent licensees or anyone who places so little value on a license such that they deem $35 isn’t worth it are not a credible basis by which we should be defending our frequency allocations.

We should have allocations commensurate with our utilization.
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KG4RUL

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2021, 09:49:09 AM »

Will you be serving Cheese with that WHINE?  ::)
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KM1H

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2021, 09:51:42 AM »

Quote
Adding a cost of $35 to the license testing fee will likely cause some to forego getting their license and thus their participation.

No loss as there are thousands to fill the vacuum.

Quote
Another area of impact will undoubtedly be those who are minimally active.  The ranks will be "cleaned" of these folks.  Some might say "so what", but there is some value in touting the size of ham radio membership when it comes time to defend frequencies, etc.  I wouldn't be surprised if this fee results, over time, to a 10% reduction in totals.

Again no loss as the FCC and commercial interests are fully aware of actual frequency use density.

On the plus side a lot of used gear will show up cheap ;D

Carl
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AC2EU

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2021, 10:33:25 AM »

Here is the rub for me:

Why do we accept the concept of a government agency collecting a fee to do it's job?
They are already supported by taxes. Seems like double dipping to me.

It's not just the FCC either, it's the DMV, courts, etc, as well.
So we have income tax, real estate tax, sales tax, gas tax, tolls, and if the government actually DOES something for us, we have to pay for it's "service"?

 I think we should complain loudly as the FCC wants to join the "bilk the public" party.

W0CKI

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2021, 11:38:12 AM »

P--s and moan kind sir.
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K5WLR

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2021, 12:09:13 PM »

If you think $35 for 10 years  is onerous, look up what some of our amateur brothers and sisters pay for their licenses overseas... We have nothing to complain about... nothing!  :o

73
Will Rogers
K5WLR
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AA4PB

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2021, 01:05:16 PM »

Here is the rub for me:

Why do we accept the concept of a government agency collecting a fee to do it's job?
They are already supported by taxes. Seems like double dipping to me.
What about all those people who are not hams who would be forced to pay (via their taxes) for the ham's licenses? It might also be that inactive hams would let their license laps rather than paying the fee, thereby reducing the workload on the FCC.

« Last Edit: January 03, 2021, 01:08:22 PM by AA4PB »
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Bob  AA4PB
Garrisonville, VA

K6CPO

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2021, 01:25:05 PM »

Only time will tell what the impact of the "application fee" might be.  I just hope the FCC doesn't expect the VECs to collect the fees.  If they do, I'll turn in my VE credentials.
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AC2EU

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2021, 01:46:33 PM »

Here is the rub for me:

Why do we accept the concept of a government agency collecting a fee to do it's job?
They are already supported by taxes. Seems like double dipping to me.
What about all those people who are not hams who would be forced to pay (via their taxes) for the ham's licenses? It might also be that inactive hams would let their license laps rather than paying the fee, thereby reducing the workload on the FCC.

The FCC has to exist whether there are Ham licenses or not. They have other revenue streams as well, like the frequency auctions BESIDES being tax supported.
I'm not concerned about "forcing others to pay for licenses' . If you look at it that way, they are paying already. What about all the other stupid wasteful programs for other people we all pay for via taxes?
At least I'm eligible for this one!

W6MK

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2021, 02:20:09 PM »

1. Why do we accept the concept of a government agency collecting a fee to do it's job?

2.They are already supported by taxes. Seems like double dipping to me.

3. If the government actually DOES something for us, we have to pay for it's "service"?

4. The FCC wants to join the "bilk the public" party.


Sounds to me like someone who flunked high school civics class.

1. Government workers don't work for free. They need to be paid. Any government function
is fulfilled by government workers. Including the military. No one serves for free. That's called
"slavery."

2. Tax rates, state and federal, in the U.S. are exceedingly low compared to rates in other
industrialized democracies. The numbers are available. When you get services from the government,
including military defense, it costs money. Low tax rates mean government must also charge fees for services.

3. There is no free lunch, anywhere on Earth.

4. Federal agencies do things that, in general, benefit the citizenry. Without an FCC, for example, the airwaves could be so chaotic as to be unusable. Few rational people want that. Most people want their RF-sensitive devices to be reliable.
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W1RKW

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2021, 02:30:37 PM »

many things require a permit/license and one will invest thousands of dollars in equipment to exercise that activity like hunting and fishing, off road vehicle trail usage, etc and will buy the permit/license to exercise that activity which probably have to be renewed on an annual basis.  If one can afford the equipment in this hobby/service one can afford a license that costs $5.00 per year.
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AC2EU

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2021, 02:48:50 PM »

1. Why do we accept the concept of a government agency collecting a fee to do it's job?

2.They are already supported by taxes. Seems like double dipping to me.

3. If the government actually DOES something for us, we have to pay for it's "service"?

4. The FCC wants to join the "bilk the public" party.


Sounds to me like someone who flunked high school civics class.

1. Government workers don't work for free. They need to be paid. Any government function
is fulfilled by government workers. Including the military. No one serves for free. That's called
"slavery."

2. Tax rates, state and federal, in the U.S. are exceedingly low compared to rates in other
industrialized democracies. The numbers are available. When you get services from the government,
including military defense, it costs money. Low tax rates mean government must also charge fees for services.

3. There is no free lunch, anywhere on Earth.

4. Federal agencies do things that, in general, benefit the citizenry. Without an FCC, for example, the airwaves could be so chaotic as to be unusable. Few rational people want that. Most people want their RF-sensitive devices to be reliable.

Someone else flunked reading!
I'm not talking about the taxes which PAY the FCC employees, My problem is the SECONDARY license fees.
It's been a "free service" which was supported by taxes all along. Now they want taxes AND FEES.

For example, in my parents day, garbage collection was performed by the DPW as part of the property taxes .
Fast forward to present. DPW Garbage collection is charged as if it's a private entity.

The take away here is, the more you are willing to pay, the more you WILL pay in the future as the politicians discover they can get away with it.
Fiscal responsibility isn't even in the vocabulary of government officials. Just go to the public ATM.

Maybe I should teach civics...

K1VSK

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2021, 03:09:06 PM »




Maybe I should teach civics...
Does your Civics class include topics on toll roads, gasoline taxes, infrastructure repairs, bridge maintenance bonds, etc..., none of which supplant the need for income, property, cap gains and other taxes we already pay and the actual benefit to which those taxes provide?

It’s simplistic to think taxes such as income tax should suffice but they don’t and I’d rather have people who use the roads pay rather than those who don’t have a car.

It’s only $35/ 10 years. That’s not worth the time I just spent typing this.
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W0CKI

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Re: License fee impacts?
« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2021, 03:23:09 PM »

This gives new meaning to  the 'CHEAP HAM"
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