I am against extending HF privileges to technician operators. 1) Having new amateurs on (primary) line of sight bands gains experience in a more forgiving spectrum. 2) The existing general exam is not a barrier. My experience was that it was not that much of a step change in difficulty. 3) I fear the ARRL, well intentioned, is overstating the importance of HF and its potential for recruitment/retention. HF does not equal ham radio.