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 Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters |  Next: AO-40 Transponder Operation Possible This Summer |
NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 26, 2001--A delegation of four from the ARRL Hudson Division recently trekked to the state capital of Albany on April 17 to garner support for New York's Amateur Radio antenna bill. Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, reports the group met for nearly five hours with Assembly and Senate members and staffers as well as with a member of Gov George Pataki's staff.
An effort to incorporate the wording of the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1 into New York's statutes fell short of its mark last year. Fallon says he's more optimistic this time around, now that companion bills have been introduced in the Assembly and Senate, designated A 1565 and S 2893.
 (L-R) Eastern New York Local Government Liaison Ray Wemple, KA2DVM, Assistant Directors Diane Ortiz, K2DO, and Gerry Agliata, W2GLA, and Greg Allen, Assistant Counsel to Gov George Pataki (right, standing). [N2FF Photo] |
Accompanying Fallon on the visits were Assistant Hudson Division Directors Gerry Agliata, W2GLA, and Diane Ortiz, K2DO, and Eastern New York Local Government Liaison Ray Wemple, KA2DVM.
"We met with Greg Allen, the governor's assistant counsel to explain the significance of the bill and answer any concerns he might have," Fallon said, adding that the group explained how low antenna heights limited effective communication range. "We had an interesting discussion and discovered that his father-in-law was a ham."
During the visits, Fallon said, the delegation explained that a state antenna bill was needed to supplement PRB-1, since many local town and villages seem unaware of PRB-1 or ignore its provisions. "We explained how our bills would save local governments time and money and avoid confrontation among neighbors over a very technical issue few local legislators fully understand," he said. "The staffers laughed when we mentioned that we were the victims of the current NIMBY [not-in-my-back-yard] cell tower craze, as they had certainly a great deal of experienced with that sort of legislation."
Fallon said the group painted amateurs as "the good guys" and likened Amateur Radio operators to volunteer firemen who, rather than responding to fires "respond to communications emergencies when the lights go out and phones go dead."
The group presented detailed anecdotal accounts to support its position and presented the staffers who attended with a public relations packet compiled with the assistance of ARRL Public Relations Manager Jennifer Hagy, N1TDY, of the Headquarters staff. The package, housed in a slick folder, includes handouts about ARES and emergency communications, the nature of ham radio and ARRL, articles about the Caribbean pirate shooting incident, a recent copy of QST, a copy of PRB-1 with key parts highlighted, and a New York Times op-ed article written by Fallon on the subject of restrictive ordinances.
"Those we spoke to seemed receptive to our arguments," Fallon said, "and one assemblyman said that his committee would again report our bill out as it had done last year." The legislator told Fallon he'd received letters of support from Albany and from downstate amateurs. Fallon said word about the bill recently went out to New York hams living in the Atlantic Division, and he said he hopes they'll respond with support as well.
"We will need individual votes from senators and assemblyman when the bills get to the floor," he said. "The governor--a former ham (ex-K2ZCZ) we are attempting to once again get interested in ham radio--will almost certainly sign the bill when he receives it."
Fallon said individual letters will convince individual legislators to vote yes on the bill and get it to the governor's desk. "We hope more New York hams will soon write, make phone calls, and personal visits to legislators," he said. "Letters, phone calls and visits are much more effective than e-mails."
The Hudson Division Web page has a copy of the bill, links to find names and addresses of state representatives, and copies of sample letters.
 Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF (right), greets Jimmy Hannell, W2JHO, who runs Jimmy's Newsstand in the New York Legislative Office Building. [N2FF Photo] |
Fallon said that before leaving Albany, the delegation had a chance to meet and thank Jimmy Hannell, W2JHO, for his efforts on behalf of the PRB-1 bills. Fallon said that Hannell--who runs "Jimmy's Newsstand" on the concourse level of the Legislative Office Building--meets and talks to a wide range of patrons at his place of business.
"He has not only kept tabs on the progress of our tower legislation, but he has also made a constant daily effort to gain support for the bills by reminding senators, assemblymen and aides how important the bills are to ham radio," Fallon said. "Jimmy has really served Amateur Radio above and beyond the call of duty."
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