The Ham Radio Parity Act Unanimously Passed By US House (arrl.org)

This week the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed "The Ham Radio Parity Act" -- a huge victory for grass-roots advocates of amateur radio. Slashdot reader bobbied reports: This will allow for the reasonable accommodation of amateur radio antennas in many places where they are currently prohibited by homeowner associations or private land use restrictions... If this bill passes the Senate, we will be one step closer to allowing amateur radio operators, who provide emergency communications services, the right to erect reasonable antenna structures in places where they cannot do so now.
The national ham radio association is now urging supporters to contact their Senators through a special web page. "This is not just a feel-good bill," said representative Joe Courtney, remembering how Hurricane Sandy brought down the power grid, and "we saw all the advanced communications we take for granted...completely fall by the wayside."

Comments

Re:The real issue

[Shane_Optima]

but it is extremely illiberal to deny a group of people the right to voluntarily associate in a manner than they all find beneficial.

As a "deregulation libertarian" (for lack of a better term), I really despise this all-too-common perversion of the word "liberalism", whereby one is deemed illiberal if one don't agree with the unlimited privatization of the law and freedom of association is conflated with an unlimited "freedom" for deep-pocketed corporate entities (not actual, singular human beings) to unilaterally foist contracts of adhesion on individuals.

The perverted (but commonly accepted) libertarian or classical liberal argument is that every contractual restriction that the courts deem invalid is a gross example of big government trampling on individual freedom. I tend to believe exactly the opposite: that every enforcible contract provision, beyond the minimum necessary for societies and essential institutions to function, represents an enlargement of government and should be considered by default undesirable unless there is a compelling argument to the contrary. This is particularly evident in any situation where contracts are neither simple (like the sale of goods) nor negotiable. It also should be particularly evident when one person is signing a multi-page contract with a fictitious legal "person" who has access to a half dozen layers.

At the end of each one of these "voluntary association" contracts, the vast majority of which are non-negotiable, there are the police with guns drawn to enforce the terms. You can call that many things, but it is not small government, and it is not the pinnacle of freedom.

Corporations forcing consumers to use shitty, pro-corporate watered down versions of the court system with zero right of appeal (due to binding arbitration clauses) is not liberal. And as the grandparent said: allowing HOAs to snap up all the good land (a limited resource that government traditionally aims to ensure equitable access to) and then set up their own capricious set of permissible usage rules that are ultimately enforced by public police paid for with my tax dollars is not a particularly liberal state of affairs.

If you still disagree, then I have a simple question for you: do you think people should be allowed to sell themselves into slavery? If not, where do you think the line should be drawn regarding the rights people are allowed to "voluntarily" sign away? It is just on this side of slavery, or are there perhaps other areas that the government shouldn't be sticking their noses into, regardless of what any piece of paper says?

Re:Will be a huge victory for hams if signed into

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing you say here is true. In fact, HOAs can still enact reasonable restrictions on satellite and TV antennas. My HOA requires satellite antennas be pole mounted not more than 3 feet above the ground, not more than 75cm in diameter, mounted within 12 inches of the side of the house, and painted the same color. All perfectly legal.

There are already rules requiring "reasonable accommodation" for ham radio operators. This bill does absolutely nothing to expand them or to provide enforcement. This bill in fact strengthens the HOA's ability to restrict ham radio antennas based on aesthetic standards.

This is yet another bill that does the exact opposite of the title. You've been trolled by Congress once again. You have lost. Have a nice day.

Re:The real issue

[evilviper]

some people want to live in a place where their neighbors can't leave trash out or have cars on their lawn (and to have enforcement that has teeth, unlike some municipalities). Some people want to raise roosters, other people think that owning a rooster violates your neighbors' right to quiet enjoyment of their homes.

That's called zoning and code enforcement. You don't need an HOA for any of that at all. Just move into an area zoned residential and you'll have no roosters. If codes aren't being enforced, you let your city representatives know it's important to you, and your family and friends will vote them out next election if they don't make it a priority.

HOAs are just a bunch of busy-bodies deciding what color you can paint your bike shed, and taking your money so they can play like they're doing something important. Governments keep having to preempt HOA restrictions, no requirements for green grass during a drought, no restrictions on antennas, etc. And it will keep going until HOAs are powerless, as it should, because they're fundamentally detrimental to everyone and everything.

you are somehow suggesting that the non-HOA living arrangement is somehow in danger, which is patently ridiculous since 20% of existing homes and 40% of new homes don't have one.

There are big geographic areas in which you simply cannot buy a home without an HOA restriction. If you want to live there, you're screwed. In other areas, you can't find an HOA no matter how hard you try. It's not a nice even mix where you can pick and choose whether you'd like an HOA area, or not.

HOAs are like an addiction... Whatever the reason you were convinced to start, you can't ever make it stop. At least personal service contracts are limited to 7 years by law. Your property is stuck with that horrible HOA on it for centuries, and owner after owner. A contract you can't ever get out of is borderline slavery.

Re:Lobbyists must be stopped

[rally2xs]

You don't understand. Hams do this for enjoyment. If these restrictions ruin enjoyment, then they won't do ham radio at all. So, when the community does need emergency communications, there will be no one with a radio that is able to help. People aren't going to become hams just to spend money to be of help in an emergency, they spend the money to have an enjoyable hobby that has as a byproduct the ability to help the community when emergency communications is needed.