[aprssig] Bad Press in Wall Street Journal Sep. 6th 2005...

[Kriss & Erin Kliegle]

Here's what our former club president wrote, I couldn't have said better myself...


Open Quotes....

September 7, 2005

Mr. Edward J. Zander
Chairman of the Board and CEO
Motorola, Inc.
Schaumburg, IL   60196

Mr. Zander,

As a professional firefighter and fire captain for thirty years I have used many Motorola products on a daily basis.  As a licensed master electrician for twenty years I have some understanding of the frailties of electrical and electronic equipment.  As an amateur radio operator I understand the basics of communications systems.
With this in mind I am appalled at the comments by Motorola employee Jim Screeden in the September 6, 2005 Wall Street Journal article by Christopher Rhoads, "As Telecom Reels From Storm Damage, Ham Radios Hum" .  Not only are Mr. Screeden's comments insensitive and completely out of order, they are just plain wrong.  Mr. Screeden, and everyone else at Motorola and it's competitors that has any involvement with public safety related communications, needs to take a serious look at which systems are functional in disasters and which systems have a long and consistent history of failure or reduced capability in the times of greatest need. 
Mr. Screeden may be an excellent manager for repair operations.  However, he, and all of Motorola, must realize that he is repairing equipment that failed when it was most needed.  The amateur radio system that he refers to as "better than nothing. but pretty close to nothing" has continued to function and in many situations is now the only choice.  And it functions with out taxpayer support or the need for specialized repair teams from distant states.
I sincerely hope that you will address this situation with a full page letter to the public in the Wall Street Journal apologizing to the amateur radio community for Mr. Screeden's unjustified remarks.   Anything less will leave a serious black spot on the reputation and ethics of your company.  


Thank you,
Tom Richardson,  AB1CL
11 Littlehale Road
Durham, NH   03824-2106


Cc:
American Radio Relay League
Federal Communications Commission
Department of Homeland Security
Wall Street Journal
 
Close Quotes....



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