The Australians followed that rule. They are metric. Paul Trusten, Reg. Pharmacist Vice President U.S. Metric Association, Inc. Midland, Texas USA www.metric.org +1(432)528-7724 [email protected]
On Jan 14, 2013, at 16:36, "Martin Vlietstra" <[email protected]> wrote: > 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
