The AM Forum

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/27/101/?nc=1

If you read the latest ARRL bulletin you will see that they are withdrawing but not retreating--note the lame comment about how they presented their plan several years ago and felt they had a mandate form the ham community to blunder forward. They are reserving the right to "reload" and make another attempt.
It is a "Catch 22" situation--they poll their membership--aggravate many--who leave or don't participate--and thus are left with an even higher percentage (in the active membership) that agree with their positions. Until the ARRL makes a serious attempt to include other than their inbred opinions (outside the active membership) these types of petitions will continue.

Thanks Don. The notice was posted here early this afternoon at the top of the ARRL Forum page, after I received an e-mail from my Director, with a copy of the text.
http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=10970.0 (http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=10970.0)
The "official" notice to the FCC was posted late this afternoon on the FCC RM-11306 Comments page:
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6519309716 (http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6519309716)

Although the petition is withdrawn, there is still no guarantee that the FCC won’t react to some of the 1900 plus comments made in the comments phase of the petition. The scuttlebutt around our government agencies is that “digital” and newer technologies are the continuing wave of the future and anything analog is old news. Sooner or later the FCC, under the pressure from these government agencies, is going to take a hard look at the entire amateur radio picture and probably develop its own plan and proposed rulemaking for our future. Whether or not the FCC takes into consideration any of the comments or counter proposals filed remains to be seen, but it seems inevitable that amateur radio’s structure will be reshaped by the FCC in the not to distant future. Unfortunately, we have little to no control over any proposed rulemaking that the FCC wants to bless upon us. At least they have a 1900 plus comments to work with as a start.

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In the matter of:

Petition to impose a                       )
Bandwidth-based system               )      RM-11306
Of coordinating modes and            )
Activities in the Amateur Service    )

To the Commissioners:

The FCC couldn't care much less about amateur radio.  To them, we are an anachronistic pain in the arse, that they would much rather simply not have to deal with, or deal with as little as possible,  hence the "streamlining" of the service (volunteer exams, no-code, diminished enforcement of amateur rules).

Proposals such as "Regulation by Bandwidth", particularly right on the heels of the recent phone band expansion and no-code, are merely taking the FCC's time and making them even more weary of amateur radio and its regulatory issues.  This will be especially true now that the League has made the proposal, then submitted amendments to it and finally withdrawn it, if the proposal is re-filed any time soon.

Don't forget that the ARRL also has a lawsuit against the FCC concerning "FCC's  baby" BPL.

Whether the ARRL refiles, some other group or groups file, or the FCC develops their own proposal of rule making, change is most likely in amateur radio's future.

Remember, TV black boxes are mandatory after Feb. 2009 to receive "off-the-air" TV signals. I'm sure the U.S. consumer is thrilled about that FCC decision.

LOL. No really? That's like saying we're all gonna die some day. ;D

I asked on another list what the ARRgghhL is going to pull out of their dirty bag of tricks next?

Pete, you forgot Rocky and Bullwinkle ;)

I think they have little significance to ARRL's RM-11306.

“Sooner or later the FCC, under the pressure from these government agencies, is going to take a hard look at the entire amateur radio picture and probably develop its own plan and proposed rulemaking for our future.” WA2CWA

“Whether the ARRL refiles, some other group or groups file, or the FCC develops their own proposal of rule making, change is most likely in amateur radio's future.”WA2CWA

My comment:

14. Argumentum Ad Baculum (appeal to force)
If we don't do this, someone will make us do it. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t, but the mere fact that they might doesn't add to the validity of the argument you're trying to make.
From:
http://jordan.fortwayne.com/ns/editorial/apig/apig4.php

Sounds like the same crap the ARRL feed me in 1967 about “incentive licensing”. (If we don’t do it the FCC will make us.)

Marty WB2RJR