RadioBanter - View Single Post - The Fed's Anti-Ham Trojan Horse

January 27th 05, 12:46 AM

In article , says...

I keep hearing about homeland security grants for ham radio but as an
ARES/RACES EC/RO have never seen it up close and personal.

I've been offered grant money to cover membership drives by the Citizen Corps.
This was useless because it didn't offer money for what I needed which was
portable ham gear and some sort of standard attire for all the members so they
would be recognized as ham geeks by first responders.

My members are mostly retired on fixed income that lack the funds for usable
play toys other than antiques that might have PL.

The county we serve has offered to cover operating expenses for a converted
motor home used as a mobile comm center but internal gov't B.S. has prevented
us from getting even an oil change performed on the beast by the county DPW.
They are always "too busy". It is pure politic B.S. on part of DPW

The best support we have received is filtered down from the local nuke plant
operator. It allowed us to replace 15 year old 2 meter radios with quad band
mobile rigs and a set of ICOM dual band HT's along with antennas, etc.
Then again the cost of this gear could be increased cancer risk and an early
death.

From what I hear homeland security money doesn't go any further than the New
York State SEMO level, never to be seen at where the rubber meets the road.

Good old New York...Albany certainly needs an enema.