Dear Mr. Herritt,
While I grant that I am not a California resident, I am an American who,
since 1974, has supported U.S. transition to the SI metric standard of
measurement. Your agency's intention to roll back 11 years of progress by
canceling its metrication program could be a damaging blow to that process
in our country as a whole, since California usually leads the nation in
fostering an idea whose time has come.
Although the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century provides no
federal mandate for metrication, the same Congress that wrote that law also,
in 1988, amended the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 to declare metric the
preferred system of measurement for trade and commerce in America, and your
action goes counter, not only to that Congressional declaration, but also to
the measurement standard of the rest of the world.
I supposed wrong, but nevertheless I had supposed that CALTRANS would have
continued to work diligently with its commercial partners in lifting
metrication out of the mire of antiquated thinking, and standing with
Congress to prefer metric over non-metric standards. It is not too late to
reconsider this action, and for California to continue on with the excellent
metrication work it has done. Also, I would think that the cost of
re-conversion will end up doubly ridiculous when the 2009 deadline for
European Union prohibition of non-metric labeling arrives, and,
embarrassingly, your state may have to revisit the issue.
Sincerely,
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
3609 Caldera Boulevard Apartment 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
home 432-694-6208
work 432-685-1549
cell 432-349-4688
fax 501-665-5366
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"There are two cardinal sins, from which
all the others spring: impatience and laziness."
---Franz Kafka
