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Phil Kane · May 9th 08, 11:04 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

On Fri, 9 May 2008 00:35:21 EDT, wrote:

So in 1958, FCC created 27 MHz CB, with the idea that the
equipment would be simpler and less expensive, while still giving
adequate performance for the intended uses. And it worked - for a
while.

But what FCC never counted on was that large numbers of people would
buy CB sets and simply ignore the regulations for CB. FCC could not
begin to adequately enforce the rules once the CB culture had become
one of simply ignoring them.

How do others see it?

That's a decent Readers' Digest version of what happened. Part of the
problem was a turf war between two Bureaus - the one that issued the
licenses and levied the penalties, and the one (that I was in) that
did the grunt work of finding and citing the offenders. Throw into
that mix the one-and-only attorney in the latter bureau, someone who
didn't believe in doing anything that took work (I had many run-ins
with her), and a Congress that was short-changing the agency in the
number of field personnel authorized because "we weren't supposed to
be in the surveillance business" according to a specific congressional
committee chair echoing the "man behind the curtain", one JEdgar
Hoover, who was dead set against anyone doing law enforcement
investigative work except his hand-picked crew at the FBI that he
could control with an iron hand.

The ham community fared a little better, because many if not most of
the managers who had any responsibility for the ARS and even some of
the Bureau Chiefs at the agency were well-known and well-respected
(feared ?) hams and they tried really hard to get the ARS to keep its
skirts clean. Eventually, though, these fine folks retired or died
and the nickel-nursers and "bright young folks" who succeeded them
fell into the pattern exemplified by one of my favorite phrases from
the biblical Book of Exodus "There arose in Egypt a new Pharaoh who
knew not Joseph...." I can count the number of active and experienced
hams who are decision-makers about the ARS on the fingers of one hand
now.

My personal opinion.
--

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

e-mail: k2asp [at] arrl [dot] net