Romney "Disses" Amateur Radio In Televised Town Meeting (and why he won't get my vote)

Eastern MA American Radio Relay League ^ | Wednesday 16 November 2005 @ 15:48:10 | Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

[Rick.Donaldson]

Romney "Disses" Amateur Radio In Televised Town Meeting Posted on Wednesday 16 November 2005 @ 15:48:10

Governor Mitt Romney dismissed the role of Amateur Radio operators in emergency communications during a televised "town meeting" program last night on WCVB's "When Disaster Strikes: Segment Two." The program featured public safety and volunteer organization officials from across Massachusetts among its audience.

Host and moderator Natalie Jacobson asked an increasingly-agitated Governor Romney questions about communications interoperability, and communication without commercial power. Romney was next asked by Jacobson, "...so does it come down to ham radio?..."

The Governor replied in a disgusted tone, "No, we don't need to deal with ham radio operators..."

Embarrassed public safety officials later tried to put in a good word for Amateur Radio. National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Glenn Field was prepared to state the importance of Amateur Radio, when Salvation Army Colonel Fred Van Brunt was called upon. Van Brunt remarked about his organization's quest to improve its communications capabilities and how Amateur Radio has aided his organization. "The ham radio situation helps a great deal," he stated.

"I have already written and submitted a letter to the Governor's Office," wrote Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY. "I have also written an email to Natalie Jacobson."

ARRL Section Manager Mike Neilsen, W1MPN sent a section-wide email today to all Eastern MA ARRL members describing the incident along with actions he and his staff were taking to mitigate the situation.

"[Romney's] attitude about us sets an unfortunate tone within the state's executive branch," wrote Neilsen. "As a former military officer, I see this as a failure in leadership. My immediate concern is our working relationship within the [Massachusetts Emergency Management Team] environment." Neilsen intends to address the Governor's comments as "an urgent matter" at a meeting on November 17 with Don Carlton from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

"I was very disturbed about what the Governor stated on the program," wrote Ron Wood, W1PLW, the section's Public Information Coordinator. "It does show that more work is needed by all hams in the section. It's a great idea to write letters explaining the good we do." Wood is attempting to schedule a meeting with the Governor's office tomorrow so that EMA ARRL staffers might discuss the matter further.

Tom Kinahan, N1CPE wrote that Governor Romney's comment has made "a PR problem" for Kinahan in his role as MA State RACES Officer.

"I've got a roster of over 150 Amateur Radio operators that support local communities, and those of us that directly support the state government. There are at least double that in terms of people that are actually out there that I don't have formal paperwork on that support Amateur Radio emergency communications in some organized manner... The Governor has said that he 'certainly doesn't need to rely on ham radio' -- where does that leave the RACES program now?"

"I am ashamed tonight that I am a Republican!" remarked one ham radio viewer. "[Romney] speaks in derogatory tones about hams. He certainly shows an ignorance as to what we do and are capable of. I suggest a grass roots campaign of local hams calling the State House and The Governor's Office to protest."

The television program can be viewed at http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/5334306/detail.html.

[Petronski]

I read the whole thing and agree with you. I think the reaction you’d prefer is a discussion of the merits of the article.

[Rick.Donaldson]

The one part you fail to address is the simple fact that if everything goes down the tubes to the point only ham operators are ‘up and running’ nobody but other ham operators will hear them....(chuckle)

It wasn't the point of the article nor of my comments to "address this issue", but you're incorrect. When emergency communication is required, it's not relevant who is hearing the hams, what IS relevant is that hams hear one another -- AND they get the messages through.

I've personally passed emergency traffic, health-and-welfare traffic and other forms of data to people looking for their loved ones after a disaster. I've passed simple "greetings" messages along (that during times of a non-emergency could easily have been passed on a telephone), but it certainly gives us practice to do so, and when a youngster gets a "telegram" from their granny through a Ham Radio Operator - their eyes light up.

It's about service to the community. I was a "Radioman" for 26 in the Air Force and not to denigrate CB, there simply is nothing for a CBer to do these days on their little 2 Mhz wide bandwidth, other than listen to cussing and screaming and noise. /shrug.

As for your remarks about Romney doing those things.. no, I'd certainly reconsider if he simply admitted that 1) He was ignorant at the time of INFRASTRUCTURE failures around the country where hams save the day and 2) simply apologized for his remarks to the Amateurs of his STATE (You know the place where he was GOVERNOR!?)

[Badeye]

RD,

I was pulling your chain, bro...(chuckle)

The internet has replaced the CB for the ‘scream and screech’ crowd, as we see daily here.

[ElectricStrawberry]

I think the HAM operators used to send messages for us from our duty station (mine was Hawaii) to anyone in the country.

...and I really know nothing of them.

BUT...the National Guard has pretty good radio communications for use in a State “in case of emergency” too.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Probably be wrong then. I don’t smoke (never have, never will). I Do on occasion talk to others in foreign countries, and I do work with Skywarn here in town often. I’ve worked with ARES and RACES both over my years as a Ham. But, understand that they aren’t what you expect. :) (Though, some are, and they don’t take baths. lol)

[Red_Devil 232]

Oh Gees!

[street_lawyer]

Some signs of a hidden addenda by the proponent:

    1. an increasingly-agitated Governor Romney

    2. replied in a disgusted tone

    3. Embarrassed public safety officials

    4. "[Romney's] attitude

    5. I was very disturbed about what the Governor stated

    6. "I am ashamed tonight that I am a Republican!"

    7. "[Romney] speaks in derogatory tones about hams.

    8. clearly not qualified to stand in the position as Commander-in-Chief of the United States

    9. Mr. Romney has shown his incompetence

I could go on, but suffice it to say that what I got out of the article was the Romney said that "we don't need to deal with ham radio operators". and I thought homosexuals were sensitive. I'm quite sure that radio experts or so-called amateurs can contribute in an emergency by providing a network of communications that could be a valuable asset, but perhaps, gentleman and ladies, what Gov. Romney meant was that the government does not have to put it's two sense into your independent world organization. Or is there more to this story then I know?

[Cold Heat]

Romney is saying simply that Ham Radio should remain free and unencumbered by government regulation expansions.

This is a conservative view.

He was not dissing Ham radio. He has no reason to.

You people are totally off base here. Interoperability involves frequencies that are not used by current Ham operations. It has nothing, or should have nothing to do with Ham. If it did, it would involve testing,licensing, certified equipment and the elimination of overlapping users.

The frequency spectrum is totally different and the Ham is necessary when all that fails. Government would destroy ham radio, not assist it.

You want that?

Good grief!

[technomage]

It's no mare "immature" to vote or not vote for someone based on lying. This is similar to lying. It's called "ignorance".

Okay that's a first for me. So, if someone is ignorant, they are a liar. Hmmmm. I had no idea that if someone does not understand something, that makes them a liar. I will try to remember that next time.

...(But, you and the other previous posters are certainly IMMATURE because not ONE of you had TIME to read the article, check it out, NOR read my comments before posting your own).

Well, now you are just plain wrong. I read your post completely. All you did in the post was give us information on why you will not vote for Romney because he does not supposedly understand ham radio's position.

So, don't preach to me, until you have educated yourselves.

I had no idea that a one short sentence is preaching. I would say that your lengthy post was preaching to us.

Don't get me wrong. I understand the benefits and position that ham radio has in this country and I may actually add this to the reasons I would, or would not, vote for someone.

But I will also consider taxes, whether the candidate will continue to grow big government, will continue with the pro-active war on terror, will secure our borders, what type of SCOTUS judges will they elect, etc.

But, that is just me.

[paulcissa]

Any Governor who is ignorant of the role that organizations like ARES, RACES, and SKYWARN play during times of emergency or disaster doesn't deserve an Executive position anywhere in Government. Period.

Bullseye! - Thank you.

[pops88]

"Any Governor who is ignorant of the role that organizations like ARES, RACES, and SKYWARN play during times of emergency or disaster doesn't deserve an Executive position anywhere in Government."

I agree 100%. I'm appalled at his ignorance.

[Rick.Donaldson]

I read the whole thing and agree with you. I think the reaction you’d prefer is a discussion of the merits of the article.

No, the merits of a man running for the Office of President of the United States, who has little understanding or clue of infrastructure failure inherent in any massive system (in particular in this case, a communications system) and the interoperability therein of said system, and 'what the F***' we you do when the power goes out and doesn't support that system?

No, I prefer a discussion of the merits of the MAN based on his obvious misunderstanding of something.

The point is, he will have a communications agency taking care of him, and certainly HE will be in communication with SOMEONE if "TSHTF" (as someone stated) but guess WHO WHCA will be talking too? FEMA. Guess who FEMA will be getting IT'S COMMUNICATIONS from? HAMS.

It's a foregone conclusion that if someone doesn't understand this on a state level as a Governor, he's going to be less than clueless as President.

Amateurs are the unsung heros of many disasters, and are rarely if ever mentioned. Did you know that during 9-11 many hams went into the disaster zone and provided communications at risk to their lives -- when they could have stayed in their "poorly lit basements chain-smoking" or whatever?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=9-11+ham+radio+operator&btnG=Google+Search Try that search.

Seven Amateurs died in the World Trade Center on 9-11. Here's a link to a story. Check it http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/09/12/4/ and I'd like the folks that made the remarks to take a close look at the two hams in the picture, a husband and wife - both Salvation Army folks.

[TexanToTheCore]

Ham operators are worth their weight in gold.

[LibLieSlayer]

As an Amateur Radio Operator holding the highest class license available in the US... and being a Ham that lived through Katrina... I can tell you that the State and Federal governments have awarded local Ham groups for supplying emergency communications for Local, State and Federal agencies... when cell and other forms of communication were down for weeks to months. Hundreds of lives were saved by hams doing what we always have done.

We now have voice and digital communications installed (post Katrina) that will carry ham radio and emergency communications well into this century. I am highly offended by this ignorance on mitt's part and any President that does not understand this asset is not ready for office. President Bush has been involved with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL in Newington CT) in support of and in awarding hams and groups for their volunteer emergency service. mitt is not fit for the office of President for many reasons... this being one that I take personally!

LLS

[LukeSW]

This is a crock. I watched that segment. I am a Ham. But Romney was not dissing ham radio, he was simply discussing the changing capabilities of the State communication resources and the fact that the State can rely on their own systems for disaster communications.

Sheesh

[Fiji Hill]

Senator Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz,) at his ham station

[Rick.Donaldson]

Yes. I KNOW :) I was responding though, because it was actually a fair question. LOL

[Free Vulcan]

I hope he was taken out of context. It’s really starting to bother me that every time he’s pressed, he either gives a big govt answer, or he refuses to go for the kill on some other candidate’s big govt position.

I really want someone to vote for if Thompson doesn’t get it. It won’t be Huck or Crazy John.

[AlaskaErik]

Mitt Romney...alienating America one group at a time.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Yeah. Actually, Hams and MARS stations. MARS stations are actually Ham Radio operators with two licenses, one to operate Amateur Radio in their bands and one to operate within military bands providing health and welfare traffic (and phone calls home over HF etc).

Yes, Guard units indeed DO have good communications systems. I was NCOIC of a communications flight here in Colorado with HF, UHF, VHF and computer systems setups that were deployable in many circumstances, and could (and HAVE) been used in emergency communications.

However, MOST Guard units are small, and there are very few of them.