Can you say "April Fools"?

Or, at least I sure hope it is!

Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ

----- 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
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> 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
>