"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...

There are many ways to get rid of something you don't like.

First, (over and over again) we have said, quite honestly, that
we have no goal of eliminating the ability of hams to choose
voluntarily to use Morse, nor to restrict that ability. ALL that
we object to in terms of regulation is the REQUIREMENT
that everyone pass a Morse test to get a license with privs
in the 160-10m bands. (Yes, we object to those who insult
and denigrate those who agree with us, but that's a social
issue, not a regulatory one ...)

I see this a similar to blocking off the inlet to a lake, and watching
the fish die as it dries up.

This is a poor analogy ... you guys are really big on poor analogies.

Unlike blocking the inlet to a lake (preventing the inflow of water),
removing the Morse test requirement does NOT preclude ANYONE
who WANTS to from learning and using Morse.

Since Morse does take some effort to learn, there is no doubt that
less people will take the effort. There will most likely not be enough
new beepers to replace the old ones.

It's up to "the old beepers" to recruit new ones ... THAT is NOT a
legitimate government regulatory function.

As I said, I have no problem with folks using Morse ... but it's no
more my job than the government's to be YOUR recruiting force.
If you want "new beepers," YOU recruit them from those who
are willing ... but that would require some effort on your part,
wouldn't it? It's "easier" for you if the government forces folks
to learn Morse to get an HF license ... then you don't have to
"recruit on the merits," just skim off the ones who decide they
like Morse.

So which group REALLY is unwilling to put forth effort to achieve
a goal ... those who have no desire/intention of using Morse (using
Morse is, after all, not THEIR goal), or those who want a continuing
supply of Morse users, but aren't willing to put forth the effort to gain
"recruits" by working for it, rather than relying on a government life
support system to provide (at least some number of) "recruits" ?????

Next time you talk about folks "putting forth effort to achieve
a goal" think about that one. Maintaining a population of Morse
users is/seems to be YOUR goal ... it's not my job, nor the FCC's.

Do your own recruiting work! (and if you're unwilling, don't complain)

HOWEVER, phone band expansion is NOT an NCI agenda ... the ARRL has,
though, asked the FCC in the past to expand the phone bands by
"refarming"
the Novice bands ... and, if the FCC were to see that roughly half of
our HF
bands were grossly underutilized, they might, of their own volition,
decide
to
do some "refarming" in the form of phone band expansion.

As I have said over and over, I would NOT favor/support phone band
expansion
at the expense of the CW/digital portions of the bands.

But it isn't all about *you*

Then bitch about it to the folks who you think DO favor phone band expansion
and leave me (and NCI) out of that one ... it's not our agenda.

Carl - wk3c