During the recent federal disaster suffered by Kentuckians due to the predicted severe ICE STORM, that devastated a major swath of our Bluegrass, I would like to thank the Kentucky National Guard for sweeping and rescuing people in the critical area in Western Kentucky, the most severely isolated storm region. (FEMA)
As for the FCC and its control of our airwaves, I, along with many others from what I am reading in news papers, were at the mercy of battery operated RADIO. All my INFORMATION about the outside world came through the SONY am/FM SW radio I depend on when needed. At 7AM on the morning of the initial power outage I had to listen to a powerful signal (as a Christian Radio Station signed ON) OVERRIDE and drown out the Louisville station on which I wanted to learn current emergency. Rock and roll praise of Jesus was no help considering I had a flooding basement to deal with, a generator to fuel, start and manage, plus a phone line about to crash. My cell phone lasted long enough to deal with my little emergency. And the utility company contracted tree trimmers have yet to arrive (14 days) to remove the heavy oak branches weighing down my main power line to the transformer and pole on the street. Patience is a virtue.
Apparently WHAS-84, that beacon of community information is no longer an option which beamed some fanatical rant of right wing ignorance by some egocentric licenced RANTER who calls himself "the center of the known radio universe". A space probe piloted by this idiot would be a great idea for a Mars Space Program.
I have always believed our National Guard troops were recruited for defense of the state, and National Emergency. Unfortunately many have been asked to defended our nation in a foreign country since 2003 serving many return assignments while limiting the numbers back home. This war will eventually cost US $3,000,000,000.000. I don't know what a trillion anything looks like. So, speaking of investing in our homeland security...
What kind of EMERGENCY RADIO PLAN is still in place in the USA that serves the public in a time of EMERGENCY. Compared to an ice storm a major earthquake from the New Madrid Fault region (which we expect to occur) will create a LONGER, more severe and structurally more damaging event to old architecture, gas and power grids and impact water lines than the ice storm caused.
Digital television cannot be the solution to informing the public in a time of an extended interruption to electrical service. What will be done with the broadcast bands left open after the nation goes DIGITAL in June (delayed from the February planned date)? And what has happened to the EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM which still tests its signal on TV each week informing us with the mantra:"This has been a test, if this had been an actual emergency you would have been told to tune to a channel for more emergency information.
So, WHAT'S THE PLAN? What IS an EMERGENCY other than a nuclear attack?
We Need a Plan. Knowledge is power when power doesn't run a TV. Talk Radio is no help in a LOCAL EMERGENCY. How can usaserve.org fit this need?
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