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#10
April 12th 07, 01:05 AM
posted to rec.radio.shortwave
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why Bother getting a licence to use a GMRS radio?
dxAce wrote:
bpnjensen wrote: On Apr 11, 1:12 pm, D Peter Maus wrote: Bruce, the license is part of a two pronged approach to reigning in potential abuse of the system. One is the regulations themselves. The other is the license. The regulations establish procedures by which operators occupy the spectra, the assignment of spectra based on application, and the technical parameters that must be met in order to operate within regulatory limits. The license, is a paper trail that 1) Identifies the operator, and verifies him/her as a valid operator to both the regulatory agency and other operators, 2) identifies the operator as signatory to a contract between the operator and the regulatory agency stipulating the operator knows, understands, and will operate in compliance with the regulations, making him or her responsible for compliance, 3) permits the regulatory agency to take swift and purposeful action against operators not in compliance. I disagree with none of this. The fee does three things. One is that it is part of the contract, ie, consideration given for value received, and makes the contract binding. Not every contract, even one in which one or another side is materially (as opposed to behaviorally) obligated, requires a fee to be binding, but that's beside the point for now. The second is that it helps pay for the operation of the regulatory agency overseeing the use of the spectrum as specified. Understood, and I don't deny that this oversight is necessary, however - I assume then that you believe the cost of administering GMRS and oversight is a bit higher (and an immense amount higher per watt used) than for amateur radio? Assuming such oversight actually occurs on a regular basis? Another way to put this last comment - once the fees are collected, do they go to the FCC, or to the General Treasury Fund of the US for redistribution as Congress directs? And if the latter, does the FCC get back all that it collects for its operations? My point there is, lots of fees that are collected are cash cows for their respective agencies or umbrella agencies, and I wonder about the FCC as much as any. The third, though minor, is that it inhibits incentive to some operators to discourage them from acquiring privileges in order to keep the spectrum from being overcrowded. Maybe, but given the populist-sounding intent of the GMRS (which is almost identical to FRS in its family-friendly language), I think you hit the nail on the head with the term "minor." Further, I am not sure that with so many channels, such low inherent wattage and the inherent nature of this kind of signal at these freqs, the issue of crowding would ever become serious. Sometimes there are privileges that are accessible to those successful enough to afford them. There is nothing wrong with that. Again, I refer you to the stated and very populist-sounding intent for the GMRS. There is, in my mind, an inconsistency. And wrt democratic government, I'm not sure I agree at all with this philosophy. These are not rights, but privileges. Meaning they are not guaranteed for every citizen. No, only to the "priviliged class," I guess. And there's nothing wrong with that, either. Here, we disagree. I can afford to get the license, and the radios, if I so choose. It is, however, not hard to imagine poorer people than I who would have a better use for these radios and who may actually need them far more than I would, but the license "privilege" may be too high in cost. I detect unfairness in this system, analogously as I would with a flat income tax. Why would a flat income tax be unfair, if it treats all the same? I'm wondering that, as well. |
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