Billy Long: Congressman Representing the People or Skilled Actor in Fooling the People

The News-Leader reports this morning that Billy Long met with the HAM radio operators. Long upset these HAM radio operators by sponsoring HR607, a bill he didn't take the time read and admits he co-sponsored when Peter King, a gun grabbing Republican, asked him to put his John Hancock on the bill to push further in the depths of legislative debate.

As people began to look at this bill, it was obvious the federal government is taking more control of the airwaves. This time confiscating frequencies used by the HAM radio operators, a network of licensed radio operators that provide emergency services when needed. Long was unaware of this when asked about it upon a trip back to his home district as reported by the Springfield News-Leader.

But when asked about the provision in the bill that would sell off the frequency used by amateur radio operators, Long said that was news to him. He said he co-sponsored the bill because King, the homeland security chairman, asked him to and because the bill is supported by many organizations that are committed to public safety, something he values.

This is about as hard hitting of a piece the News-Leader has done on Billy Long, and today, they once again are giving him a pass without reporting the obvious. Long met with these HAM radio operators last night, and the News-Leader was denied entry into the meeting. This seems strange within itself, but without attending the meeting, the paper writes another puff piece leaving questions unanswered.

Once again, it just appears to me Billy Long is the perfect politician. He knows how to pander from his years as a salesman--telling people what they want to hear to close the deal. Last night, it appears Long was in his salesman form, something that I find dangerous in DC, as suddenly it appears the HAM radio operators are no longer concerned their frequencies are about to be confiscated by the federal government. (What happened to Billy Long promising us less government by the way?)


"Right now, the bill is in its initial stages and this is one of many ways to address any concerns," the Springfield Republican said in a statement issued shortly after he met with operators Tuesday.

Long is a co-sponsor of H.R. 607, a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security.

The bill is intended to strengthen the communications capabilities of first responders by reallocating certain frequencies.

"I will continue to listen to ensure that we are not cutting any vital emergency services and not adversely affecting ham radio operators," Long said in the statement.

Rod Kittleman, a spokesman for Southwest Missouri Amateur Radio, was present at the meeting.

"Everyone felt good after they left the meeting," Kittleman said. "Billy is trying to do the right thing."

While the bill and its intent have wide support, local ham radio operators are concerned with a clause that calls for selling the 420-440 MHz frequency to commercial interests.

That's because ham radio operators have used the spectrum to build an extensive infrastructure, which is used not only for the hobby but also for crucial communications.

Hundreds of thousands of Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers and severe-weather spotters, for example, use the 420-440 MHz band.

The bill, if passed in its current version, would dismantle that existing communication structure, Kittleman said.

Long said earlier he wasn't aware of the provision when he agreed to co-sponsor the bill but promised to visit the issue when he returned to southwest Missouri.

On Tuesday, Long met in his Springfield office with representatives from local ham radio communities, emergency management offices and the National Weather Service.

Citing limited space, Long's office declined a request by the News-Leader to be at the meeting, but those who attended it said it went well.

"He understood where we came from," Kittleman said. "He reassured us he will do everything he could to keep the ham radio community informed. But he did not guarantee that spectrum would not be taken away."

Jimmy Sebree, fire chief for the Nixa Fire Protection District, said he found Long to be "open and amicable for solutions."

The Nixa fire department works closely with ham radio operators, who put radio equipment in the department, Sebree said.

"The working relationship between emergency service and the amateur radio folks is pretty good," Sebree said.

"We support them whole-heartedly."

Sebree said the radio equipment is individually owned and maintained and that the private investments are sizable. Some pieces cost thousands of dollars, he said.

Sebree said he hopes the bill, which is in its early stages, will be revised to address the concerns of ham radio operators.

"I was impressed with the meeting," Sebree said. "Everyone was able to voice their concerns."

So let's examine what we know about Billy Long and the HAM radio operators based on this piece.

"I will continue to listen to ensure that we are not cutting any vital emergency services and not adversely affecting ham radio operators," Long said in the statement.

Long will continue to listen? Folks, he doesn't even read the bills before he co-sponsors the bill. Remember this commercial from Billy Long during the campaign?



Billy Long isn't going to Washington to scratch anybody's back, that he can assure you. Well what do you call it when you co-sponsor a piece of legislation without reading the bill all because another Congressman asks you to? Isn't that scratching someone's back? Long obviously didn't have any concerns for his constituents when he told Peter King he would co-sponsor the bill, not enough concerns anyway to instruct King that he would read the bill and see if his constituents would be affected negatively before co-sponsoring.

So why is it HAM radio operator Rod Kittleman has confidence in Billy Long now? Because Billy Long told him he cares? Barack Obama tells us he cares? All politicians tell us they care, Rod. Obviously Billy Long didn't care about you and your role as a HAM radio operator before you expressed concerns over HR607, and without any real promises of altering this bill to protect your interests and the interests of the people of Southwest Missouri who benefit from the emergency preparedness of HAM radio operators, everyone leaves the meeting happy.

Billy Long is a salesman--a snake oil salesman. He knows how to pander because that is what he has spent the last thirty years of his life doing as the auctioneer with his good ol' boy under the cowboy hat rhetoric. It's how he got elected. Billy Long told you he was everything but what is wrong in Washington DC, and Southwest Missouri bought it hook, line, and sinker as Long even went as far as promising to read the bills before voting on them. He co-sponsors them without reading them, what makes you think he reads them before he votes on them.

Mr. Kittleman, Billy Long met with you this week because he is on Congressional recess and his two year election cycle means he can't continue to upset Southwest Missouri voters on the pace he has upset them on. You leave happy with a new buddy, but you have no guarantee Billy Long is going to Washington to fight for your interests, of course that might change if you got your checkbook out last night. Sometime in the near future, you will wake up and realize your frequencies are now controlled by the federal government. All this pathos generated by the snake oil salesman to provide this illusion he cares will betray you. If he had cared, he would have read the bill before co-sponsoring it so he knew that these frequencies were going to be taken over.

If Billy Long was trying to do the right thing, he would have read the bill. It's really that simple.

There was such an uproar from Republicans last year about Obamacare, and the fact few on the left actually took the time to read it. It works both ways, and have you noticed all the pandering in the effort to repeal Obamacare is slowly being silenced? Mr. Kittleman, you will soon be forgotten about. This is the reality of it.

In the end, what did you get out of this meeting. HOPE?

Sebree said he hopes the bill, which is in its early stages, will be revised to address the concerns of ham radio operators.

Oh yeah, the politics of hope... We have heard that before. No promise to revise the bill to protect your frequencies just the hope there could be a possibility. You might have HOPE, but I guarantee you things are probably going to CHANGE not to your liking.

So I ask constituents of Southwest Missouri one more time, is Billy Long representing the people, or he is a skilled actor, a "salesman" who panders, fooling the people. After reading this story, I think the latter.