On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 11:28:40 -0600, Kim W5TIT wrote:

Keep the written exam, nix all CW or alternative mode testing,

So far I agree with you, with the caveat that the content of the
exams at each level be of significance.

and increase the license fee to at least that of the GMRS fee of
$75.00 (not sure for how long that $75.00 is good for).

There's where we differ. At present there is no license fee paid to
the U S Treasury via the FCC. The League worked very hard to make
sure that the politicians didn't have such a route to our wallets
and I feel strongly that it should remain that way. Unfortunately,
we were not successful in keeping the so-called "vanity call sign"
program fee-free - even the sobriquet "vanity" was imposed by The
Congress. I would have liked it called something else, like
"selected".

Note that the FCC doesn't get a nickel of license fees - they go
directly into the Treasury's General Fund. The requirement for
levying such fees is mandated by act of Congress and the FCC just
jumps and asks "how high" on the way up.

The exam fee paid to the private-sector VE teams is something else,
and can only be imposed on a reimbursement level.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane