It is also a little known fact that I am doing my best to make well known:
USMA's Web site is featured as a "useful link" on the Web site of the
International Bureau of Weights and Measures. That we are considered to be
such by the people in Sevres, France, is a mark of distinction that we
should be proud of in assessing our capabilities to move the U.S. to metric
measure. As an internationally recognized source of information on the
metric system, we are a recognized player in the process. It also shows
whenever the press looks for metric information; they call us.
Paul T.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Frysinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: 06 May, 2008 08:22
Subject: [USMA:40855] Re: Political Action
Metric Today reports some of the things that USMA does "in Washington" in
the person of President Lorelle Young and others. I have been in the NIST
FPLA forums on the "permissive metric amendment" with Mrs. Young. I have
joined her and another person in a meeting with the President and Director
of Publications of the National Teachers of Mathematics Association. She
represented USMA at one of the "Town Meetings" convened by the National
Math Advisory Panel. I know that she regularly meets with people on The
Hill and she has attended various association venues as our
representative. And I know that she corresponds with many people in
government and industry.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I sat in on a five hour meeting Lorelle Young
had with the Metric Program Office's staff. They briefed us on the status
of many issues (including labeling) and we provided our views. The next
day she attended a meeting of the IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 14
which is, in essence, IEEE's "metric committee", on which she is a
volunteer member.
It should be kept in mind that USMA is not registered as a lobbying
organization. Yet, USMA is a recognized group in many legislative and
agency offices in Washington and it is listened to.
But, we do not "hire" our President to do all the work to promote
metrication.
Jim
Victor Jockin wrote:
Ernie Edwards posted a question on March 26 to this group, asking what
the President of USMA had done recently in terms of personally meeting
with federal elected officials. I was a little taken aback that he
received no reply, but was simply chided for using the term “metrics”
(and that he’s since been unable to post to this group). I asked similar
questions on April 1, regarding our efforts to effectively counter the
food marketing lobby. More pertinently, because I suspect we lack the
funds to effectively lobby Congress, I wondered what our efforts have
been to approach potential wealthy advocates (there are many,
domestically and internationally), or to build coalitions with larger and
more powerful groups. I’m not sure what the lack of replies to those
questions means either.
I don’t mean these questions as criticism of USMA or any individuals, and
I’m sure the same is true for Ernie. The truth is, we don’t know the
answers to these questions. I joined USMA just a few months back and
nearly sent in a lifetime membership (decided to give it shot for two
years instead) assuming I was supporting a viable political advocacy
group that understood Washington and was actively working the system to
advance the goals stated on the USMA website.
If on the other hand, as I'm starting to suspect, there actually is no
credible metric lobby or PAC in America today (in other words, that our
cause is dead) let’s talk about how to change that.
--
James R. Frysinger
632 Stony Point Mountain Road
Doyle, TN 38559-3030
(H) 931.657.3107
(C) 931.212.0267
