[USMA:29990] Re: Three Silly Reasons for Not Adopting the Metric System

[Jim Elwell]

I've made the point several times on this forum that the US Federal 
Government is the single largest consumer of goods and services in the 
country, and if they simply refused to buy non-metric products, that would 
provide a dramatic metrication push, without having to place any regulation 
onto private businesses.

As Phil points out, adding state and local governments would do even more 
to metricate the country, again without any regulation of private business.

Bill, I'm not sure what you mean by "originally intended" -- are you 
referring to the 1975 metrication legislation?

Jim
At 26 05 04, 11:02 AM, Phil Chernack wrote:
The same argument could be made against the removal of the metric mandate
from TEA-21.  If the mandate had stood, states could have forced county and
local governments to change to metric and thus, remove the major complaint
of contractors.
Phil
-----Original Message-----
Bill Potts wrote:
It was originally intended that the Government do all its own procurement
using SI units. If government departments and agencies had followed through
on that, rather than using the loophole that was provided, the country might
be mostly SI by now.
Bill Potts, CMS
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]