wrote in message ...

I think the FCC already decided this one, when they lowered the code
test to 5 WPM, it was solely due to the treaty requirement. In effect,
they've already sought, and received, plenty of commentary on the matter.

That's what the R&O said in 2000, and it was reaffirmed in their
dismissal of the Wormser-Adsit-Dinelli Petition for Reconsideration.

So once everyone in Washington is back from their vacations, they'll
just axe Element 1,

The Senate has to ratify the new treaty first.

and leave restructuring the written tests to
whomever is in charge after 2004.

Possibly. Or they will simply wait for the ARS to come up with a
restructuring proposal.

Michael Powell is rather busy these
days, what with all the brouhaha surrounding ClearChannel and the media
consolidation. If we think that he, or anyone all that high on the food
chain at the FCC gives a rat's patootie about what's going on in
Amateurland, we're fooling ourselves.

I doubt Mr. Powell has much knowledge of what the ARS is, let alone
what the issues are. That's his staff's job.

As far as I'm concerned, it should have happened years ago.

Why? Hams still use code. It's very popular. Learning enough code to
pass the test is about as hard as learning to recognize about 40 words
in a foreign language.

I think the
written tests should be harder,

That's easily arranged. All you have to do is write up some "harder"
questions and answers in multiple-choice format, and submit them to
the QPC.

There were a bunch of structural changes for the written tests
suggested to the FCC back in '99 as part of the restructuring, but
they ignored all of them and instead reduced written testing.

and I think you should re-test when you renew your license.

Nice idea - are you volunteering to be a VE? Because requiring retest
upon renewal would just about triple the tresting workload of the
VECs.

Retesting would be a very tough sell because you would have to
convince FCC that there is some sort of serious problem caused by lack
of it.

73 de Jim, N2EY