Comm Site Fees to Significantly Increase for Ham Radio Repeaters

Finger food FTW...

 

Pushing hard to get the thread closed. Make note.

 

Ooh Rah!

 

Typical Government sticking it to the Ham Radio community...There is no reason to be charging fees for a group like Ham radio operators who volunteer their time during emergencies. My Opinion: Government >>>Hey you provide a free service during disasters and all kinds of emergencies!....Then you pay us for your free services!

 

So, so RIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have a problem with many 501(c)3s. There are many 501(c)3s that are a problem. But I'll follow the latest rule and not express anything about 501(c)3s here.

 

Showing my age but Indianapolis Baptist Temple.

 

And if they were exempt it would likely mean they wouldn't allow amateurs to occupy their tower space.


We found someone who will pay the fee.....get off our tower.

 

Ham Radio Tax on the Horizon.....

 

It's especially frustrating considering that WE ALREADY OWN THIS LAND. Who do they think paid for it? Where does all federal money come from? Taxpayers. The Forest Service, in most cases, charges an entrance fee for national forests, but they don't own the land. We do. This is just another in a long, long list of tyrannies that are becoming quite tiresome.

 

The rationale is simply that the FS must spend tax money to administer the permitting and other compliance activities for other people’s radio installations on FS land, so Congress decided those people ought to pay those costs rather than the taxpayer. (Same reason that many other FS and National Park user fees have greatly increased in recent years.)

Whether that has unintended consequences (such as for hams) or really results in a net savings after accounting for having to administer the collections is important but not always considered well by Congress.

 

Devils Advocate here.... Cell phones when working, are way more valuable than a ham radio. Cell service and internet service is vital during a disaster. Does that mean cell phone providers should also be exempt since they are a public service? That would mean nobody would qualify to pay the fee. IDK. Yes they are more capable of paying higher fees, but that doesn't make them less important than ham radio.

 

Post a comment at: https://www.regulations.gov/ search for, "RIN 0596-AD44". Or via USPS mail to Director, Lands & Realty Management Staff, 201 14th Street SW, Washington, DC 20250-1124, and must include the identifier “RIN 0596-AD44.”

 

the same thing the ARRL has done for many years.....say that they are the spokeperson for amateur radio when indeed they are only concerned with the money aspect.......they have a different agenda than what we think they should have!!! jmo

 

Here's what the ARRL is actually doing: " ARRL to Oppose Forest Service Administrative Fees for Amateur Facilities"
See the details here: https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-to-oppose-forest-service-administrative-fees-for-amateur-facilities