Cell phone tappers get slap on wrist

[K8YS]

On the news, I heard this evening, a very small announcement about an issue that I have been watching.

A little background to refresh the memory;

many years ago, I forget the year, a taped conversation was published in the news medial. The tape was a cell phone conversation between an Ohio Congressman (John Boehner) and the Speaker of The House, Newt Gingrich. The tape was traced back to a couple in Florida that just happened to be listening to cell phone calls, and just happened to have a tape recorder handy. These people turned the tape over to "Baghdad" Jim McDermott, who in turn, turned it over to the news media.

What caught my interest, this all happened AFTER the "Communications Privacy Act", which made monitoring cell phones illegal, as well as the Communications Act of 1934 which made the act of divulging the information learned illegal.

The privacy act drew a lot of attention at the time, so it would be no surprise to ANY ONE if they were caught breaking the law, and the Communications Act had been on the books long enough as not to be a surprise to anyone either.

This "innocent couple" claimed that they picked up the stuff to build the equipment at Radio Shack. Anyone that knows Radio Shack, knows how false that statement was.

Well, this evening news said that the Florida radio felons got a $500 fine (each) and "Baghdad" Jim got a $600,000 fine!

So, now we know that the "$10,000 per day" fine is really $500.00.

Any bets that "Baghdad" Jim OR the Florida Felons never send the FCC a dime??

[ai4ep]

problably not

[k4kyv]

Until recently, other countries regulated radio transmitting and receiving, but the US only attempted to regulate transmission of radio signals. It was always just assumed that the gov't has no jurisdiction over what you RECEIVE over the air. Now the US has joined the bandwagon of other countries that attempt to censor radio reception.

If someone wants to transmit messages over the airwaves without the risk of interception, let them encrypt the transmissions. The software is available and cheap.

If you do not want me to hear what you say over the airwaves, then keep your damn photons off my property!

[KB1GYQ]

Quote[/b] (K8YS @ Oct. 29 2004,18:31)]why have a law if it is ignored?
So you can make even more new laws, obviously

[KC2HJN]

Aren't cell phones basically nothing more than part of a trunked radio system. The gov't has been listening to your cell conversations for years (yes they have), they just got all upset because someone did it back to them and they got caught saying something they shouldn't have.

Quote[/b] ]This "innocent couple" claimed that they picked up the stuff to build the equipment at Radio Shack. Anyone that knows Radio Shack, knows how false that statement was.

Not true. I have built some stuff that you wouldn't believe was so easy with a few parts from radio shack.

[K7FE]

Quote[/b] ]Not true. I have built some stuff that you wouldn't believe was so easy with a few parts from radio shack.


That must be where NASA buys all those parts to build Space Shuttles, Satellites and stuff. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[k4kyv]

Quote[/b] (KC2HJN @ Oct. 30 2004,06:09)]Not true. I have built some stuff that you wouldn't believe was so easy with a few parts from radio shack.
Probably not anymore. I understand they have about completely discontinued selling components and other stuff they used to stock that you could use to build things.

[al2n]

If I remember correctly, those two who taped the phone call were active with the Democratic party in their county as well.

[KC2HJN]

Quote[/b] (k4kyv @ Oct. 30 2004,18:38)]Quote[/b] (KC2HJN @ Oct. 30 2004,06:09)]Not true. I have built some stuff that you wouldn't believe was so easy with a few parts from radio shack.
Probably not anymore. I understand they have about completely discontinued selling components and other stuff they used to stock that you could use to build things.
True, but didn't the incident happen around 1995 or so?

[K8YS]

Quote[/b] (KL1RO @ Oct. 31 2004,01:28)]If I remember correctly, those two who taped the phone call were active with the Democratic party in their county as well.
which is WHY they were following Boehner - he was somewhere between Florida and home here in Ohio on business, or vacation, spotted, and followed.

I think that $500 SHOULD have been $50,000.

"Baghdad" Jim got fined $600,000, but heck, he can make that up in just one sleezy deal.

I am not in favor of ANY censor law, the airwaves belong to everyone (Comm Act of 1934), and when the FCC, under pressure by the cell industry, (and ironically - Radio Shack!) gave in and passed the Privacy Act, they took away our rights.

Then this politically motovated group, openly flaunt the law and basically get way with it.

It is bad law, it should either be enforced or removed.