It goes back to the old message about what sticking with customary measures
really costs the average American. Pat Naughtin did some work on this, and
came up with something like 9% (if memory serves) of the total US GDP. I
once (as an economist - construction) also did some numbers, and while I
came to a much lower figure, it was still huge. And this is an annually
recurring cost.
Americans, probably more than any other nation, truly value not spending any
more on what is perceived to be government and other non-discretionary
spending than they have to. If we can get the message out to enough people,
that having two systems is costing the US economy big time, perhaps Arizona
and all other States, as well as the Federal Government, might start to look
at the big picture. Converting would be a good way to both provide short
term economic stimulus at a time when jobs are disappearing fast (as
evidenced by last week's Non Farm Payroll) AND improve the US's
competitiveness in the longer term.
----- Original Message -----
From: "John M. Steele" <jmsteele9...@sbcglobal.net>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 1:29 PM
Subject: [USMA:43678] Re: Arizona I-19 losing kilometer signs
I'm not sure if it was the same or another article, but the mile signs
were placed MUCH later, and presumably aren't worn out yet. The reflector
material does wear out.
However, the later placement of the mile signs indicates they have been
plotting this for a while, but needed an excuse to suck Federal pork.
Given the design of the U-channel posts, you can't just mount the sign on
another face to rotate 90°. You have to dig it up and replant it. (I
think). As the mile markers are mostly for the highway department, I
think this is affirmation that AZDOT will NEVER use metric again, sadly.
--- On Wed, 3/11/09, Pierre Abbat <p...@phma.optus.nu> wrote:
From: Pierre Abbat <p...@phma.optus.nu>
Subject: [USMA:43675] Re: Arizona I-19 losing kilometer signs
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 9:00 AM
On Saturday 07 March 2009 09:45:59 John M. Steele wrote:
> This article
>
http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2009/03/06/breaking_news/00mileposts0308.txt
> reports that Arizona Dept. of Transportation will
spend $1.5 million of its
> Federal economic stimulus money to remove the metric
distance signs along a
> 100 km stretch of I-19. This will include removal of
the metric and
> rotation of already placed Customary signs to face
traffic.
>
> Perhaps not quite the way we hoped stimulus money
would aid metrication.
>
> (On the other hand, being a leader for 30 years, with
no follower or plans
> for followers is proabaly silly too.)
I just heard on NPR that the signs are worn out and need to
be replaced. That
doesn't explain, though, why a rotated sign isn't
worn out, or why they don't
put both units on the signs.
Pierre
