2002-10-04

I'm going to disagree with you on this one.  The size, colour, shape, name
or whatever feature a coin may have has absolutely nothing to do with its
acceptability.  The Susan B. Anthony dollar would be accepted today and
nobody would complain about it looking like a quarter.  Over time, we all
adapt to what is new and find ways to distinguish the differences, no matter
how fine or minute.

Both dollars failed by plan.  The plan that introduced them did not allow
for the phasing out of the paper dollar bill.  If the paper dollar had been
phased out in 1979 when the SBA dollar was introduced, people a long time
ago would quickly adapted to it.  But, the paper bills were not withdrawn
and people refused to adapt.

Sound familiar?  It is the same problem with SI adoption.  No one is going
to use SI if the old system is allowed to persist.  Take FFU away and
completely replace it with SI and in no time people will be using it as if
they were born knowing it.  Our leaders in their infinite stupidity can't
seem to get it through their thick skulls that voluntary does not work.  All
it does is create a long period of confusion and frustration.  Think of the
costs and mistakes that occur daily in industry as companies have to deal
with two systems of measurement.  And they do, but they don't care because
they feel this is normal and they pass those costs on down to the end user.
And as long as all are willing to pay the price the status quo remains.

Can you imagine the chaos if the EU did things the American way?  Their
national currencies would still be legal along with the Euro.  And guess
which currencies would be used more often?  The national ones, because they
are/were familiar and the Euro is new.  The Europeans are smarter then the
Americans when it comes to implementing long term plans and eliminating or
reducing potential problems.  It is just a matter of time before our poor
planning methods catch up with us and we are left behind in the dust.

John




----- Original Message -----
From: "John David Galt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, 2002-10-02 17:04
Subject: [USMA:22425] Re: $1 coins (was Metric clothing labels)


> > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> >> The one dollar bill.  A waste of taxpayer... well, dollars.  If the
treasury
> >> department had been firm in its commitment to kill it by not printing
them
> >> anymore, we'd all be using the Sakkawea coins by now.
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> > The treasury department was ORDERED by Congress to keep printing dollar
bills
> > -- that was specifically included in the dollar coin legislation!  One
more
> > case of Congress wimping out to the whiners.
>
> It's not whining to point out that the new $1 coins are too unfriendly to
use.
> Despite the smooth edges, they still feel exactly like a quarter in one's
> pocket.
>
> I'll start using $1 coins when they make them the size of the Eisenhower
$1
> coin again.
>
>

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