In article .net, "Dwight
Stewart" writes:

I think you and Jim are both (perhaps intentionally) missing the point.
This issue is not limited to just the ham radio community. The frequencies
we use don't belong just to us - they belong to the entire country (all
Americans). As such, the FCC has to take all Americans into account when
making the rules and regulations to govern the use of those frequencies, and
the license requirements for those frequencies. Therefore, Hans is right -
if you're going to instead propose some type of poll to help establish what
those license requirements might be, it should include all Americans.

Almost all Americans can become hams without a code test. Been that way for
almost 13 years.

As for myself, if you're going to ask Amateur Radio Operators if code
testing is necessary today to meet the goals and purposes of the Amateur
Radio Service (as defined in Part 97) and serves some valid need as far as
the American public is concerned, then I would love to see the results of
that poll - it would be very interesting to see how many (or how few)
operators would actually place the goals and purposes of the Amateur Radio
Service, and the needs of the American public, above their own desire to
keep a code testing requirement.

So you assume that the goals and purposes of the ARS are incompatible with any
code testing at all?

And let's consider a basic principle of Hans' "learner's permit" proposal:
forced upgrading.

If FCC adopted his proposal, all new hams would have to either get Extras
within 10 years or leave ham radio. He's said that if 80% of newcomers drop out
under such a system, that's OK with him.

IOW, a 5 wpm code test is an unreasonable burden, but having to pass the Extra
written within isn't.

73 de Jim, N2EY