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Dear Governor Rounds,
I understand that, due to the recent gasoline pricing crisis
and some peculiarities in some South Dakota gasoline pumps, you have authorized
the use of half-gallon or liter unit gasoline pricing in your state. However, on
this matter you reportedly stated, "Most South Dakotans are more familiar with
the English system rather than the metric system and seem more comfortable with
a half-gallon cost comparison."
As a practical matter, the half-gallon cost comparison might
be more convenient, since it would then be a matter of doubling the displayed
pump price to get the actual total of the sale. However, I must take issue with
your comment that the metric system, particularly the liter, is unfamiliar to
the people of South Dakota.
Both carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages have been
marketed in liters throughout the United States for more than 30 years. The
liter has been used prominently in U.S. advertising for many years, and is a
by-word in such high-traffic places as electronic marquees posted at Walgreens
stores. I contend, emphatically, that the liter is a very familiar unit to the
people of your state, and if gasoline were sold by the liter, people would have
little trouble in making the adjustment to metric sales.
Also, as you may know, the metric system was declared by
Congress in 1988 to be the preferred system of measurement for trade and
commerce for the United States. Any major change in the way unit price is done
in this country--such as gasoline pricing---ought to be in terms of metric
units. Indeed, gasoline pricing by the liter would take the sting out of
our new, high prices.
I would be most interested in your thoughts on this
issue.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Sincerely,
Paul Trusten
3609 Caldera Blvd Apt 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
U.S. Metric Association, Inc. www.metric.org Editor, "Metric Today" 3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] "There are two cardinal sins, from which all
the others spring: impatience and laziness." ---Franz Kafka |
