RadioBanter - View Single Post - ARRL Now Only Wants No Code Hams

Dave Heil · February 15th 07, 04:36 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy

wrote:
From: Dave Heil on Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:11:06 GMT

wrote:

The FCC has released its latest operating budget listing over
its web page. Anyone who cares to can go check it out.
The ARRL never reveals its budget plans to the public,
despite all its Believers' claims that it is handled in a
"democratic fashion"...

Where is it mandated that the ARRL reveal its budget plan?

Oh, oh, little red-hatted monkey's ox has been gored!

Brian Burke's ox has been gored? Where and when did this happen?

Stand by while the Schutzstaffel marches on (with hob-
nailed boots) to DEMAND explanations for such egregious
negative commentary! [Zey tink dey haf vays of making
me cringe and beg for mercy? :-) ]

If I might interrupt your war movie for a moment, what "DEMAND" for an
explanation has been made by anyone?

If the ARRL is as open and above-board as they imply,
they should make everything known to their membership.

The League is quite open with the membership. Haven't you gotten the word?

Of course, if they did that then they would have to
(by law) reveal the annual salaries of their highest-
paid staff...some of whom have tried to "debate" things
in here AS IF they were jes' good ol' boys. :-)

The two who posted here on a regular basis *are* goold ol' boys. Are
you a good ol' boy, Len? What is it to you how much money they make?

The League is governed by an elected board of directors who live all
over the United States. Those directors are elected by League members
from their geographical area.

Wah, wah, wah...AS IF the League "represented ALL amateur
licensees" in a "democratic manner" AS LAWFUL as any
federal government body.

Where does the "Wah, wah, wah" come from, Len? I wrote a factual
statement. Who wrote "AS LAWFUL", other than you?

The ARRL is an organization which has elected representation from each
geographical area. Are you suggesting that the process isn't open and
above board?

BS. They are a PRIVATE
membership entity and the membership represents ONLY
a quarter of the total US amateur radio licensees.

Not "they", Len, "it". Yes, the ARRL is private (not "PRIVATE") and it
is the largest U.S. amateur radio organization in the United States.

...AS IF it were an arm of the guvmint.
I don't know of anyone saying that except for you.

Then you don't know much...

It seems that in matters regarding the ARRL, I know more than you.

...are a BELIEVER in everything
the League says they are/do, and have an extremely
POOR memory of what has been claimed by other Believers
in here in past years.

"It is", "it does", Len.

I've taken issue with the ARRL on a number of issues, some of which I've
outlined in this newsgroup. As a member, it is my right to do so. You,
on the other hand, are not a member and you have no say in the ARRL.

Of course YOU have FAILED to secure a Directorship,
haven't you? :-)

I suppose I have, Len. :-) :-)

Are you making brown-nose statements in here to gain a
better image for another election? :-)

I've made no such statements, Leonard. I've corrected a number of your
factual errors (whether accidental or deliberate).

The best one can hope for is someone else getting copies
of its IRS Returns and publicizes those. Otherwise we
"common folk" would never know its a multi-million dollar
"non-profit" organization.

The League must submit all kinds of paperwork to government.

Name ALL of them besides the annual IRS Tax Returns.

Are you giving orders again, Len?

Remember your organ grinder's ****y pedantry on EXACT
figures and details.

You aren't *my* organ grinder, Len.

Do as he says and he might give
you some of the pennies out of his tin cup you carry.

I don't have a tin cup, Len. I have some Jefferson pewter cups. I
haven't received any orders, except from you.

If
government finds a problem, do you think it will sweep it under the rug,
or will it address the problem?

Let's just say it will NOT be national news carried in
journalistic circles as Page 1 material. :-)

Do you have a problem with it not being front page news?

The ARRL is still very "small potatoes" as membership
organizations go.

In amateur radio, it is the biggest potato there is, here in the U.S.

How are you involved?

Tsk, tsk. Your only "comment" here seems to be on a simple
comment I made about the FCC.

I didn't write about you being involved in FCC. I asked how you're
involved in the ARRL. Tsk, tsk. Poor baby.

The FCC has definitely
posted their proposed annual budget.

So?

I just pointed out
that the ARRL never does that sort of thing...and that got
your ox gored somehow.

How are you involved in this membership organization?

I'm "not involved" with the FCC. I don't work there, nor
for them. But, I am a citizen of the United States, was
one long before you came into existance. I CAN speak to
MY government without "being involved" IN the government.

You've "spoken" to the government. You aren't involved with either the
FCC or the ARRL.

You aren't an ARRL member. You have no standing in the ARRL.
You have no vote in ARRL matters.

Wah, wah, wah...there you go again with the "not involved"
routine. :-)

There was no "Wah, wah, wah". There you go, not being involved again.
My statement is factual.

The ARRL loves to Talk Big and say it "represents all US
radio amateurs."

How is that "Talking Big", Len? What's with the capital letters?

They can't possibly represent all, not
even close to a majority status. They are a MINORITY
membership group.

Not, "they", Len, "it". The ARRL is the only national amateur radio
membership organization to have achieved anywhere close to the
membership numbers it has.

But, their survival as a profit-making publisher DEPENDS
on their PR image.

Not "their", Len, "its". The League does not exist to be a
profit-making publisher. You're simply wrong.

THAT income keeps them going, pays
their bills, pays their staff, the whole thing...with the
possible exception of QST staff which depends on ad sales
to break even.

Not "them", Len, "it".

Do you have a problem with the League producing enough to keep itself going?

Simple economics. Praise themselves, build
the image, draw in customers, get them to pay for things.

"Praise itself", Len.

Along the way they can build a core membership that becomes
a devoted following of Believers. Like yourself.

What's with the capitalization, Len? Why "Believers" instead of
"believers"? Why the period after "Believers" followed by a period and
the two word clause?

Might I suggest:

"Along the way, it built a membership which became a following of
believers like yourself."

To that, I'd respond, "That's correct, Len." I believe in what the ARRL
is doing. I believe it so much that I became a life member in '78.
I'll ask again: What is that to you? How are you involved in the ARRL?

Politically, the ARRL is a SPECIAL-INTEREST group.

That's odd. In amateur radio, the ARRL is a general interest
organization. Organizations like FISTS, FOC, QCWA, SMIRK, Ten-Ten
International, SWOT or the Central States VHF Society are special
interest groups.

Not only
does the ARRL have a professional lobbyist firm on retainer
in DC but their "rep" allows government types to notice the
pretty logotype on their papers and "important" titles of
their officers.

You seem to have a problem with any organization or with individuals who
hold titles. Yes, the ARRL lobbies Congress. I consider that a good thing.

They have "no" influence, are altruistic
in some kind of extreme?

Not, "they", Len, "it". The League has some influence. Some of the
League's motives are altruistic. I don't know what extreme altruism
might be.

BS.

You often produce it.

In the past three-decades-plus, the ARRL has, most definitely
toadied to the brass-pounders, over-emphasized that singular
skill over and above all other skills.

Your statements are factually incorrect.

Their skewed
demographics (relative to the total amateur licensees in US)
of their core membership (olde-tymers, life members, etc)
shows that.

Just what is "core membership", Len? Is it different from "membership".
What makes a member part of a "core"? What skewed demographics are shown?

Their "casual" mention of "CW" over all other
modes in publications shows that...their core membership
loves that sort of thing.

Your statement is not factually correct. You've made an error.

But, the ARRL's core membership is following normal human
life attrition.

Life attrition? What a funny way to put it. I guess we're all
following "normal human life attrition".

That means their membership is dwindling.

Is that "normal human life attrition?"

If the membership is dwindling, then the demographics of
member numbers presented to advertisers twice a year shows
a declining market space.

I'm not too worried yet, Len. QST is the thickest of monthly amateur
radio magazine I receive. It also has more pages devoted to advertising.

Dues for membership are a very
SMALL part of the ARRL's income.

If every member was a yearly member and paid the yearly dues, the income
from dues would be around 5 million dollars annually. That doesn't seem
terribly small to me. Why are you worried about it?

They've already shown
their need for funding with repeated requests for donations
of all kinds over and above their membership dues.

"It has already shown its need" and "its membership dues", Len.

Have you been solicited for contributions?

The ARRL's PR tune is being rewritten now. The small
coterie of movers and shakers in/around Newington aren't
stupid.

Most of those who wield power in the ARRL are not in/around Newington.

FCC 06-178 marks one of the significant, if not
most significant event in US amateur radio history of
the past half century.

Old-fashioned morse code mode
is NO LONGER the featured epitome of amateur radio
operating skills...

Your statement contains factual error, Len. Only Morse Code testing is
being eliminated. Those skilled in the use of Morse Code aren't going
anywhere.

...if we are to read between the lines
of their latest "midnight exams" news posting.

It might be better if you read the actual lines.

But, at
the same time, those that want to become one with the
olde-tymers can take a code test before 23 Feb 07. That
is a clear sign the ARRL is trying to please BOTH sides
of the morse code testing issue. They need to be careful
in straddling the opinion fence lest they do physical
damage to themselves.

Psst, Len! There isn't any real fence. No physical damage can take
place.

Either way, it does not matter
to me except for the PR they use to masquerade as a
"representative of all [US] amateurs." Pfaughh.

That's an odd statement from a man who masqueraded as an advocate for
change in something in which he was never a participant.

I'm a Life Member of a professional association.

That's nice for you.

Pros
aren't amateurs...

That's a "brilliant deduction". That means you may have an IQ of 73--is
that how it goes?

yet some pros like to also be amateurs
when not involved in professional work.

They surely do. I'm one of those, as are you.

You revile that
for some twisted personal reason.

Who reviles it, Len?

You don't understand
that a professional radio operator license takes as much
effort and knowledge (perhaps more) as any amateur radio
operator license.

Who doesn't understand that? A commercial license doesn't test for all
of the same material and none of that material is credited toward an
amateur radio license.

Why?

Why does it take as much effort and knowledge (perhaps more, perhaps
less) as an amateur radio license? It seems like the logical thing to do.

To reinforce your own PR image
of an 'amateur expert' through morse code skill?

Is that what you think? Did you know that an Amateur Extra who has
passed a 20 wpm Morse Test *is credited* with meeting the Morse Code
requirement for the commercial Radiotelegraphy Second Class ticket?
You can read about it at the FCC's web site.

To ACT
the "superior" by reviling all who do not respect your
mighty amateur 'accomplishments?'

If you come blowing into some amateur radio newsgroup acting as you've
acted, you might expect the treatment you've gotten. If you want
respect, show me that "Extra right out of the box."

Do you have an ACTOR's
guild membership?

Here you're off on some sort of tangent.

Why do you wish to suppress all
opinions against the only national amateur radio member
organization in the United States? What are you hiding?

Are you feeling alright, Leonard?