Remember, legislators listen only to the whiners.
Carleton
In a message dated 2002-10-06 11:38:46 Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "lynn_kramer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > I have been a Civil Engineer for over 25 yrs. I do highway
designs
> > as a consultant to State Transportation Depts. (mostly Idaho).
What
> > happened? We were converted to metric in 1985, the feds forced
the
> > issue, by threatening to withold funds, but it was done. Now
most
> > ever engineer whole heartedly enjoys using meters.
> >
> > So what happens? Now we are informed that we are changing back
to
> > Imperial Units. As of now all new highways will be in feet and
inches.
> >
> > What happened? Who did this to me? Why? Who should I call?
>
> I have known about Idaho's reversion for about a year now, as I
found it
> out from an IDDOT engineer who I visited while on a roadtrip in
Colorado
> over last year's Memorial Day weekend.
>
> These 'reversions' are normally foisted upon the various state DsOT
> (however unwillingly) by powerfull contractors' lobbies and a
sheepishly
> ignorant legislature and governor that are easily 'convinced' (in
the
> usual manner) that 'reverting' is a good idea. Contractors are the
> epitomy of that American cultural phenominon of extreme inertia.
> They've always used 'Olde Englishe' units and that alone is the best
> reason of all to keep using them.
>
> You can contact your legislators and Governor's office, but it will
take
> a greater force than that to undo that reversion. I would start
leaning
> on your Congresspeople to set a new, IRON CLAD, drop-dead deadline
for
> the state DsOT to go 100% SI on federally funded projects in the
next
> transportation bill.
