Call it a fee or tax it does not matter how you word it. What do we get for this fee/tax ? Absolutely nothing, there is no enforcement period.
But thats not necessarily a good thing. You do have hams who are dormant for 10, 20 or 30 years who return to the hobby and are great operators. Their dormancy is maintained because the license incurs no fee. I am sure a goodly number of hams who are dormant will see the $50.00 as an annoyance and won't renew - never to return. There is also the issue of appearing to be a dying service to those who want to take spectrum for us. If headcount goes from 775,000 to 550,000, its not a good image for our service.
Here is a table showing headcount from mid 1997 to early 2019 (the last month for with AH0A has posted data).
If you read the actual NPRM, you'll find that the suggested fee structure is for administrative costs. They don't say it recovers costs of enforcement, nor should it. When they do actual enforcement, they have a fine structure which could be used for that. ($10,000 per day for each offense etc....)
I would agree with that. I proposed a method for assessing activity levels - a combination of ARRL membership count, CQ subscription count, and QRZ.com activity levels - that put the figure at about 250,000.
That is considered an inherently government function and is not allowed. According to Federal Acquisition Regulations, https://www.acquisition.gov/far/7.503. See Part 7, Subpart 7.5, Section 7.503, (c) (15), The approval of Federal licensing actions and inspections.
I can see a fee to process applications. Maybe $5 to $10 for ham operator since everything is done my computers. But I can not see a $50 fee to help fund the Ray Baum's Act of 2018 which is about improving 911 and also provide a pay raise for some body or any end of year bonuses. Here one thing on Ray Baum's Act https://www.fcc.gov/mlts-911-requirements. Do more research on Ray Baum's Act of 2018. It seem it has to with improving 911. Here is another document please read it I hope you can understanding it. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-116A1.pdf
In usual FCC form, they don't present a cost analysis for what the actual administrative cost of providing the licensing service for Amateur Radio. I've repeatedly looked and have never been able to find a valid cost analysis.
I disagree, it should cover enforcement. Enforcement has been non existant since Riley left. Suggested administrative cost ? Really ? I`m glad you believe everything they say.........
Why charge it at all? They haven't provided a credible cost analysis for their claim that it is to provide for administrative costs. It's their claim. Put up or shut up. They haven't proven a need for that amount of "administrative fee". They are not a profit making organization and can't just charge fees without justification
