Ahhh, phil, you 'ol party pooper. You just spoiled all the fun.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 2:28 PM
Subject: Re: Unbelievable!
> Sounds like an April fools joke to me.
>
> Phil.
> K0NX
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 10:35 AM
> Subject: Unbelievable!
>
>
>> KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog =BB Blog Archive =BB Unbelievable!
>> list of 1 items
>> . KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog=20
>> list end
>> =20
>> Search!=20
>> Rate Me on eHam.Net
>>
>> Unbelievable!
>> =20
>> This from Jim, WB8AZP, via the=20
>> ARROW
>> mailing list:
>>
>> block quote
>> Buried in the middle of the 1200-page Health Care Reform package is =
>> something that should be disturbing to all US amateur radio operators. =
>> Embedded in the
>> funding guidelines section 415, paragraph 27, line 45, are details on =
>> one of the mechanisms that the government intends to employ to help pay =
>> for the staggering
>> costs of the new plan.
>>
>> To put it simply, the new health care guidelines support the notion of =
>> creative funding from untapped resources, and from other government =
>> agencies, like
>> the FCC. This puts the burden on funding on other agencies, and =
>> therefore the health care reform pundits can claim that "they" didn't =
>> introduce any new
>> taxes to pay for everything.
>>
>> Lurking in the depths of the new health carecare package is a time bomb =
>> waiting to affect all US Amateur Radio Operators; The new Talk And Pay =
>> (TAP) Tax..
>> What does the TAP Tax do? Well, just as it implies, it adds a tax on to =
>> each amateur license, based on usage of the bands.
>>
>> The FCC knew it was going to be troublesome to enforce this kind of =
>> regulation, so they came up with a clever scheme - taxation by license =
>> class. All Technician,
>> General, and Extra Class Licensees will be taxed at a different rate. =
>> Any holdover licenses from different classes will be taxed at the next =
>> higher rate,
>> so novice license holders will be taxed as technicians, advanced holders
>> =
>> as extra class licensees and so on. The logic is that higher class =
>> licenses can
>> use more of the frequencies; therefore they pay a larger percentage. =
>> There are even paragraphs that define taxing stations that haven't =
>> operated, (although
>> you have to prove that by filing a waiver), stations where the license =
>> holder has become a silent key (a different waiver), and repeater or =
>> space stations
>> (when the license is held by a non-profit group, you can apply for a =
>> waiver as well). They legislators have even thought of the mechanism to =
>> capture revenue
>> from youngsters, in their special Tax On Eventual Earnings (TOE) tax. =
>> So, a youngster who is not working will pay into a TOE TAP TAX account, =
>> in the form
>> of a debit owed to the government. Even retirees do not escape this tax,
>> =
>> as there is a provision for the SNAP TAP TAX (Sure Not Accounting for =
>> Productivity).
>>
>>
>> There does seem to be a provision for testing down to a previous license
>> =
>> class, so you can get a tax break by forfeiting your current license =
>> class, (after
>> taking a new 50 question written exam, and paying a hefty 45 dollar =
>> examination fee). You'll be then required to sign BCKTP in CW or "slash =
>> Back Tap" in
>> voice.
>>
>> This looks to be pretty well thought out. I stopped reading after seeing
>> =
>> the FCC amateur radio entry. It appears that Cell phones and wireless =
>> data networks
>> will be next. There are 20 other government agencies listed in the =
>> document. Where will this insanity end? All of this is scheduled to go =
>> into effect on
>> April 1, 2011, because there apparently wasn't enough time to implement =
>> it before then.
>>
>> If this doesn't negatively impact the growth of amateur radio, I don't =
>> know what will! I think it will also promote the notion of going really =
>> underground,
>> and not using your callsign at all., actually a practice that I've =
>> already heard lots of people adopt, especially on VHF.
>>
>> I called my congressman after reading all of this, and he said that =
>> there are already proposals being filed to allow credit for amateur =
>> radio operators
>> involved in public service, and he called it the Support for Individuals
>> =
>> Desiring to Engage in Services Training, Education, and Planning =
>> (SIDESTEP). That
>> makes me feel a little better.
>>
>> I think it just might be time to get rid of my gear, before all this TOE
>> =
>> TAP, SNAP TAP, BACK TAP, and SIDESTEP stuff goes into affect. Once =
>> again, the government
>> is here to help you.
>>
>> block quote end
>>
>> By: Dan KB6NU |=20
>>
>>
>> "Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to =
>> live at the expense of everybody else."=20
>> -Frederic Bastiat
>>
>> Steve
>> Lansing, MI
>>
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