Dave,
It goes without saying (but, being me, I will say it) you are definitely
correct about the revolving doors in the Fed's offices. I found this to
be very true while I was dealing with the FDA and the CPSC.
73,
Jim Weaver, K8JE
Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/
5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je(a)arrl.org
ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is!
MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is!
-----Original Message-----
From: Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ [mailto:dsumner@arrl.org]
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 12:05 PM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11324] Re: FCC BPL Meetings 9/29/04
Hello from Trinidad, where we just heard the Deputy Secretary General of
the ITU say some very nice things about amateur radio and emergency
communications.
Two things about educating people inside the Beltway. First, it's a
never-ending process because people rotate in and out of government, and
in and out of various positions within the government. We (not me -- I
was in Geneva at the time) did a very good job educating the FCC staff
and Commissioners three years ago. But many of those people have moved
on. Second, you can't educate people who don't want to learn (doesn't
mean we shouldn't try).
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Weaver, Jim K8JE (DIR, GL)
Sent: Fri 10/1/2004 3:44 AM
To: arrl-odv
Cc:
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11323] Re: FCC BPL Meetings 9/29/04
Chris,
Without any intent to kick anyone at all in the shins, my take is that
we (ARRL) have much to learn as we struggle to become politically
effective in and around the Beltway.
To the rest of the Board Family, I suggest we make it a priority in our
5-year plan to educate/acquaint all appropriate members of agencies and
offices that are critical to our survival with what and who we are and
do as amateurs. I realize we've been working toward this, but it seems
we may be smart if we make this one of our early goals.
Thanks to Kay and Chris for their observations.
s
Jim Weaver, K8JE
Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/
5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je(a)arrl.org
ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is!
MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is!
-----Original Message-----
From: W3KD(a)aol.com [mailto:W3KD@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:29 AM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11318] Re: FCC BPL Meetings 9/29/04
In a message dated 9/29/2004 11:13:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,
K5ur(a)aol.com writes:
Well, interesting observation you made about Jennifer Manner. Begs the
question now about our effectiveness. I mean, were our people like
Sumner, Haynie, Imlay and others supposed to have already educated those
types, or should it have been our lobbyists, or was she and other key
assistants just not on the radar?
Rick, Jennifer's comment was, I think, not just political. I think she
genuinely didn't know what it is that we do, at least with the HF bands.
While Kay educated her effectively, she shouldn't have had to. I think
it is fair to say that we are not in the Commissioner's faces, and
therefore not on their radar. We do so much self-administration, and
require very little regulatory attention. Therefore, there are not many
opportunities to meet with them. Jim Haynie, early in his presidency,
visited each Commissioner, and spent time with them explaining our
educational initiatives and made, I think, a very positive impression.
As it happened, it was just prior to 9/11 and he had, fortuitously,
talked about Amateur Radio's role in disaster planning and relief. He
has wanted to see Commissioners since then, but we have had little
opportunity to do so, either for constructive things, to brag about our
accomplishments, or as an opponent of something. It is unfortunate that
we are put on the defensive so often by OET on spectrum issues and
perhaps have a reputation among the Commissioners for being a naysayer,
since that what they hear about Amateur Radio is largely, these days,
from OET. Neither, however, is it a simple matter to get an appointment
with Commissioners just to talk about the "good news" of ham radio. They
don't have time for non-issue-oriented meetings. So it is a bit of a
Catch-22.
It strikes me that Kay has a good solution to the immediate problem.
Send Jennifer Manner over a nice letter and a Cronkite CD. We are doing
that now. But there should be more of a regular presence at least among
the 8th Floor staff, if not by in-person meetings, then by sending them
stuff about what we do well. It is not satisfactory to have the Legal
Assistant to a Commissioner ask what it is that we do in emergency
communications. They aren't going to hear it from the Wireless Bureau,
and they aren't going to hear about it from OET, for sure. They have to
hear it from us.
Chris
Chris
Hello from Trinidad, where we just heard the Deputy Secretary General of the ITU say some very nice things about amateur radio and emergency communications.
Two things about educating people inside the Beltway. First, it's a never-ending process because people rotate in and out of government, and in and out of various positions within the government. We (not me -- I was in Geneva at the time) did a very good job educating the FCC staff and Commissioners three years ago. But many of those people have moved on. Second, you can't educate people who don't want to learn (doesn't mean we shouldn't try).
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Weaver, Jim K8JE (DIR, GL)
Sent: Fri 10/1/2004 3:44 AM
To: arrl-odv
Cc:
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11323] Re: FCC BPL Meetings 9/29/04
Chris,
Without any intent to kick anyone at all in the shins, my take is that we (ARRL) have much to learn as we struggle to become politically effective in and around the Beltway.
To the rest of the Board Family, I suggest we make it a priority in our 5-year plan to educate/acquaint all appropriate members of agencies and offices that are critical to our survival with what and who we are and do as amateurs. I realize we’ve been working toward this, but it seems we may be smart if we make this one of our early goals.
Thanks to Kay and Chris for their observations.
s
Jim Weaver, K8JE
Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/
5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je(a)arrl.org
ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is!
MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is!
-----Original Message-----
From: W3KD(a)aol.com [mailto:W3KD@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:29 AM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11318] Re: FCC BPL Meetings 9/29/04
In a message dated 9/29/2004 11:13:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, K5ur(a)aol.com writes:
Well, interesting observation you made about Jennifer Manner. Begs the question now about our effectiveness. I mean, were our people like Sumner, Haynie, Imlay and others supposed to have already educated those types, or should it have been our lobbyists, or was she and other key assistants just not on the radar?
Rick, Jennifer's comment was, I think, not just political. I think she genuinely didn't know what it is that we do, at least with the HF bands. While Kay educated her effectively, she shouldn't have had to. I think it is fair to say that we are not in the Commissioner's faces, and therefore not on their radar. We do so much self-administration, and require very little regulatory attention. Therefore, there are not many opportunities to meet with them. Jim Haynie, early in his presidency, visited each Commissioner, and spent time with them explaining our educational initiatives and made, I think, a very positive impression. As it happened, it was just prior to 9/11 and he had, fortuitously, talked about Amateur Radio's role in disaster planning and relief. He has wanted to see Commissioners since then, but we have had little opportunity to do so, either for constructive things, to brag about our accomplishments, or as an opponent of something. It is unfortunate that we are put on the defensive so often by OET on spectrum issues and perhaps have a reputation among the Commissioners for being a naysayer, since that what they hear about Amateur Radio is largely, these days, from OET. Neither, however, is it a simple matter to get an appointment with Commissioners just to talk about the "good news" of ham radio. They don't have time for non-issue-oriented meetings. So it is a bit of a Catch-22.
It strikes me that Kay has a good solution to the immediate problem. Send Jennifer Manner over a nice letter and a Cronkite CD. We are doing that now. But there should be more of a regular presence at least among the 8th Floor staff, if not by in-person meetings, then by sending them stuff about what we do well. It is not satisfactory to have the Legal Assistant to a Commissioner ask what it is that we do in emergency communications. They aren't going to hear it from the Wireless Bureau, and they aren't going to hear about it from OET, for sure. They have to hear it from us.
Chris
Chris
Chris,
Without any intent to kick anyone at all in the shins, my take is that
we (ARRL) have much to learn as we struggle to become politically
effective in and around the Beltway.
To the rest of the Board Family, I suggest we make it a priority in our
5-year plan to educate/acquaint all appropriate members of agencies and
offices that are critical to our survival with what and who we are and
do as amateurs. I realize we've been working toward this, but it seems
we may be smart if we make this one of our early goals.
Thanks to Kay and Chris for their observations.
s
Jim Weaver, K8JE
Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/
5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je(a)arrl.org
ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is!
MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is!
-----Original Message-----
From: W3KD(a)aol.com [mailto:W3KD@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:29 AM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11318] Re: FCC BPL Meetings 9/29/04
In a message dated 9/29/2004 11:13:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,
K5ur(a)aol.com writes:
Well, interesting observation you made about Jennifer Manner. Begs the
question now about our effectiveness. I mean, were our people like
Sumner, Haynie, Imlay and others supposed to have already educated those
types, or should it have been our lobbyists, or was she and other key
assistants just not on the radar?
Rick, Jennifer's comment was, I think, not just political. I think she
genuinely didn't know what it is that we do, at least with the HF bands.
While Kay educated her effectively, she shouldn't have had to. I think
it is fair to say that we are not in the Commissioner's faces, and
therefore not on their radar. We do so much self-administration, and
require very little regulatory attention. Therefore, there are not many
opportunities to meet with them. Jim Haynie, early in his presidency,
visited each Commissioner, and spent time with them explaining our
educational initiatives and made, I think, a very positive impression.
As it happened, it was just prior to 9/11 and he had, fortuitously,
talked about Amateur Radio's role in disaster planning and relief. He
has wanted to see Commissioners since then, but we have had little
opportunity to do so, either for constructive things, to brag about our
accomplishments, or as an opponent of something. It is unfortunate that
we are put on the defensive so often by OET on spectrum issues and
perhaps have a reputation among the Commissioners for being a naysayer,
since that what they hear about Amateur Radio is largely, these days,
from OET. Neither, however, is it a simple matter to get an appointment
with Commissioners just to talk about the "good news" of ham radio. They
don't have time for non-issue-oriented meetings. So it is a bit of a
Catch-22.
It strikes me that Kay has a good solution to the immediate problem.
Send Jennifer Manner over a nice letter and a Cronkite CD. We are doing
that now. But there should be more of a regular presence at least among
the 8th Floor staff, if not by in-person meetings, then by sending them
stuff about what we do well. It is not satisfactory to have the Legal
Assistant to a Commissioner ask what it is that we do in emergency
communications. They aren't going to hear it from the Wireless Bureau,
and they aren't going to hear about it from OET, for sure. They have to
hear it from us.
Chris
Chris
Kay,
After just two more wounds, you can be rotated back home.
Jim Weaver, K8JE
Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/
5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je(a)arrl.org
ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is!
MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is!
-----Original Message-----
From: Kay Craigie [mailto:n3kn@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 10:37 PM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11313] Re: FCC BPL Meetings 9/29/04
Chris has described our meetings very well and I have little to add. The
two people we met with were not singing quite the same tune, though I
wouldn't want to over-interpret that.
Jennifer Manner indicated that the R&O would resemble the NTIA's
recommendations, which sounded good on the surface, but she didn't have
a good grip on the details. I guess a lot would depend on *which* NTIA
they are paying attention to: the one that initially agreed with our
evaluation, or the one that came hard about and agreed with what the
White House wants. I'm not nearly ready to be happy.
Chris and I were dismayed to find out that someone in her position in a
Commissioner's office had zero knowledge of Amateur Radio emergency
communications work. I suggested this morning that he might send a copy
of the Walter Cronkite video to her, and he's going to do that.
At least talking to Ms. Manner was not like talking to the wall, unlike
the conversation with Ms. Wilkerson. Ms. Wilkerson even had a frosty and
defensive reaction to our attempt to begin the conversation on a
positive note by calling attention to the encouraging-sounding letter
from the White House staff person to Jim Weaver's constituent. We
soldiered on.
73 - Kay N3KN
