Two quick comments:
- My suggestion re: opposing FMI was mostly focused on organizing existing
interest groups to pressure FMI itself, not just Congress directly, so that
component would not be lobbying. Food retailers are businesses, and if they
see the Boy Scouts or Hispanic groups telling them to drop opposition to
metric only (two random examples, but not unthinkable), they may very
quickly ask themselves whether avoiding the cost of buying a couple of new
scales is really worth the bad PR. Opposition from USMA alone will never
have that impact.
- If USMA's structure prevents us from raising and spending the money we
need to have an impact, let's change that structure, or set up a sister
organization. The key thing is, approaching foundations and philanthropists
needs to be a central and ongoing function of our organization. It is our
only hope to make a difference.
[USMA:44289] Re: Opposing FMI
Paul Trusten
Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:00:44 -0700
Victor, we don't need modest funding. We need extraordinary funding, like
the
funding illustrated by some of the recent Internet posts about how to
dramatize
the huge sums Congress is throwing around. Lobbyists pay many millions of
dollars to affect legislation.
A friend of mine sent me one of those money cartoons. It starts with a $100
bill and shows what one teradollar of $100 bill stacks would look like. It
would take up hectares (Oh, no, guys, please don't spend 25 posts to figure
that one out!).
But, do you see me stopping? No way. I shall continue to use the bully
footstool of USMA, and my own voice, to advance the goal of U.S.
metrication.
Just a reminder that USMA is a non-profit organization, and therefore cannot
lobby like FMI does.
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: Victor Jockin
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: 02 April, 2009 18:04
Subject: [USMA:44283] Opposing FMI
With some modest funding to hire the right talent, we could probably
assemble
an array of organizations and interest groups that could effectively
pressure
FMI to drop opposition to metric-only, or to counter their weight in
congress
(perhaps immigrant groups, food importers, educators, scientific and medical
organizations, etc.). A bunch of the members of FMI are not even American
companies, and wouldn't take much to sway, if they're even aware of FMI's
stance on this issue today. And metric conversion is probably number 12,712
on
FMI's list of legislative priorities.
There really are no efforts to raise the funds we would need to have any
hope
of making an impact, right? Can anyone comment on why not? Since joining
USMA
about a year ago, this has surprised me more than anything else.
