Hi Paul,
I was concerned to see that you advised that "costs should be borne where they fell". The British made that mistake nearly 50 years ago. The South African Government on the other hand picked up the tab where the cost was related to a statutory requirement (eg changing a petrol pump from gallons to litres). Regards Martin Vlietstra From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Trusten Sent: 14 January 2013 19:10 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:52174] USMA to the President: suggested general approach to U.S. metrication The following was sent to President Obama as a general suggestion, as a message to the President's Office of Public Engagement, The President's Office of Jobs and Competitiveness, and also on an organizational page (i.e., suggested being submitted by an organization) . No lunch for me today! Attached is a pdf copy of the general approach suggestion. Dear Mr. President, The whitehouse.gov "We The People" petition urging U.S. changeover to the international metric system as the Nation's measurement standard is about to garner its 30,000th signature since its posting Dec. 31, surpassing your attention threshold by 5,000, and we are still counting! It is time for us to start making tangible plans for America to go metric. On behalf of the U.S. Metric Association, I wish to suggest the following general approach to meeting the goal of a metric America. This approach is our modern revision of the Commerce Department recommendations summarized in its 1971 report, "A Metric America: A Decision Whose Time has Come," by Daniel V. DeSimone, a report mandated by the Metric Study Act of 1968. SUGGESTED GENERAL APPROACH TO U.S. METRICATION U.S. Metric Association January 14, 2013 1) In accordance with Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, the Congress shall set a goal of changing the Nation's standard of weights and measures to the International System of Units (the SI, or the modern metric system). This process is commonly termed metrication. 2)This goal shall be achieved through a cooordinated national program. 3)To assign the responsibility for effecting this change, the Congress shall empower a central coordinating body responsive to all sectors of American society. 4)Each sector shall develop its own detailed plans and timetables for the switch to the SI standard. 5)PRIOR to the start of the changeover, the Nation shall commit itself to educating all of its citizens--all students as well as the public at large--to think in metric terms. 6) In order to increase efficiency and minimize the overall costs to U.S. society, the general rule shall be that any changeover costs shall "lie where they fall." 7)The Congress, after deciding upon a plan for the Nation, shall establish a target date 10 years ahead, by which date the U.S. will have become predominantly, if not exclusively, metric. 8) The change shall be accomplished in the spirit of a national compact for U.S. metrication--that is, a firm national commitment to the change,not only by the government but also by the individual sectors of our society. Once the change has started, confidence must be high there shall be no general reversion to a pre-metric standard. SIncerely, Paul Trusten Registered Pharmacist Vice President, U.S. Metric Association www.metric.org [email protected] +1(432)528-7724
