FCC proposes new filing fee structure, new fees for ham radio

This ^^^^!!!!

I'd like to think my general tax payments would/should cover the administrative costs of my license, but am happy to become a direct paying client... with service expectations.

 

People that have more than one call sure need to start paying. Some guys have 5 to 10 calls (Club calls and such) no wonder the FCC wants to charge!
Some foreign calls cost 30 to $50 per year
We've been having a free ride for a long time.

 

Hell I didn't even know there was a question book when I took my test, I just start studying Theory books and I know many others did the same thing.

 

Point is, the old tests really weren't all that "hard" at all.

The link I posted proves it.

 

The FCC is made up of 5 people, three represent the majority party and two from the minority party. When Pai was nominated by Obama, it was to fill one of the two minority slots. When the GOP became the majority, Pai was made Chairman.

 

http://www.arrl.org/vanity-call-sign-fees

 

UNTRUE. The FCC is funded by appropriations from Congress. Fees and other collections may be used to offset the appropriations, however. Funds in excess of that appropriated each year by Congress go to the General Fund and may not be spent or held by the FCC.
-QUOTE-
Federal Communications Commission FY 2019 Appropriations
For necessary expenses of the Federal Communications Commission, as authorized by law, including uniforms and allowances therefor, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901–5902; not to exceed $4,000 for official reception and representation expenses; purchase and hire of motor vehicles; special counsel fees; and services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, $339,000,000, to remain available until expended:

Provided, That $339,000,000 of offsetting collections shall be assessed and collected pursuant to section 9 of title I of the Communications Act of 1934, shall be retained and used for necessary expenses and shall remain available until expended:

Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced as such offsetting collections are received during fiscal year 2019 so as to result in a final fiscal year 2019 appropriation estimated at $0:

Provided further, That any offsetting collections received in excess of $339,000,000 in fiscal year 2019 shall not be available for obligation:

Provided further, That remaining offsetting collections from prior years collected in excess of the amount specified for collection in each such year and otherwise becoming available on October 1, 2018, shall not be available for obligation:

Provided further, That, notwithstanding 47 U.S.C. 309(j)(8)(B), proceeds from the use of a competitive bidding system that may be retained and made available for obligation shall not exceed $130,284,000 for fiscal year 2019:

Provided further, That, of the amount appropriated under this heading, not less than $11,064,000 shall be for the salaries and expenses of the Office of Inspector General.

Source: Title V of Division D of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6) – available at www.congress.gov and https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/.
UNQUOTE[/QUOTE]

 

And the point of all that is? The guy has a degree in social studies and a degree in law....not a ham, no engineering background, lets get rid of him.

 

[/QUOTE]
Didn't you read that? The appropriation is contingent on user fees reducing it to $0 over the fiscal year.

In other words, the net = funded by user fees.

 

Hams should start charging the Government when they need us to assist in emergencies. Of course, we'd need them to pay in advance.

$50 for a renewal is usury.

 

Didn't you read that? The appropriation is reduced by user fees to $0 over the fiscal year. Net = funded by user fees.[/QUOTE]
Didn't YOU read it? The FCC IS funded by annual appropriations by Congress. Fees and other collections offset the appropriations. The FCC IS funded by Congressional Appropriations.

 

Didn't YOU read it? The FCC IS funded by annual appropriations by Congress. Fees and other collections offset the appropriations. The FCC IS funded by Congressional Appropriations.[/QUOTE]
Um, so aren't we agreeing? The fact is that the money which they ultimately use each fiscal year is from user fees which MUST offset the appropriation entirely, leaving $0. It's an accounting artifice.

 

$50 bucks, for a 10 year license renewal. $5 per year.
Used to be the vanity callsign application (*when I got mine in the late 1990's) c9st $50. That was nearly 25 years ago. With inflation running a couple percent per year, that would be about $85 today, or about $8.50 per year. Automation has helped lower the cost, but not elimiated it entirely.

Folks pay more for that at Starbucks or McDonalds for a coffee or a soft drink. I'd say to not complain too much - the money flow has a way of helping to justify our existence for what is today a mostly-irrelevant "service"...at least for few more years/decades.

 

I don't buy it. Gear is cheaper than ever... $50 for a 10 year license, not bad at all. The $22 baofeng is 10X cheaper than what it "used to cost" to get into ham radio

 

As stated this may keep many younger folks from joining our ranks. Not sure this is a good idea.