IN THIS ISSUE

* CECO General Membership Meeting Rescheduled for February 10th
* New to ACEC's Web Site
* Corporation Commission UST/AST Rules Update
* State Board Corrects List
* IRS Mileage Reimbursement Rate Increases
* Construction & Properties Administrator Might Not Be Licenced Professional
* ACEC's "The Last Word" Going Electronic
* ACEC Government Affairs Report 1-27-00
* Legislative Updates on CECO Web Site
* The Past and Future -- What They Said and What They Are Saying

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CECO GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING RESCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 10TH

Due to the snowstorm which hit Oklahoma this past week, the CECO meeting, originally scheduled for Thursday, January 27th, has been rescheduled as follows:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH
DOUBLETREE HOTEL WARREN PLACE
TULSA

Updated registration information has been sent to all members. If you had registered for the January 27th meeting, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM AND RETURN IT TO CECO. Basically, we are starting over, so we need your registration form. If you have previously paid, DO NOT PAY AGAIN. We will apply your previous payment to the February 10th meeting.

Guest speaker for the luncheon will be Bob Portiss, Port Director, Tulsa Port of Catoosa.

Portiss has served as the Port Director since 1984. In addition to this position, he also serves as the General Manager for the Tulsa's Port of Catoosa Facilities Authority, the Port's Trust financing agency.

Bob is a graduate of North Dakota State University with both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Economics. Following graduation, Bob worked for the Kiamichi Economic Development District, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, and Landmark Land Company. In December, 1977, Bob left Landmark and returned to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa to resume his position of Manager of Traffic and Sales. He was later promoted to two different positions, Director of Marketing and Transportation and Deputy Port Director, prior to becoming Port Director.

Bob is currently the First Vice President of the Arkansas Basin Development Association, a five-state water resource organization. He recently completed a second term as Chairman of the National Waterways Conference, and he currently serves on The State Chamber Board of Directors.

Thanks for your understanding of cancelling the January 27th meeting. We look forward to seeing everyone on February 10th!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEW TO ACEC'S WEB SITE

EJCDC (Engineers Joint Contract Documents) document sets are now downloadable directly at ACEC's website (http://www.acec.org). Click on ACEC Publications. Credit cards are accepted. Also, a library of on-line engineering courses from both ACEC and NSPE are now available through a consortium with Virtual Education Corporation. Click on Education Program.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CORPORATION COMMISSION UST/AST RULES UPDATE

In the last edition of the CECO Report, we reported that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission had amended proposed rules by the Commission's Storage Tank Advisory Council by accepting the recommended amendments from CECO, the State Board of Registration, and OSPE.

What we failed to understand at that time, and thereby report to you, was that the Commission's action was on "emergency" rules rather than "permanent" rules.

The Commission adopted the "emergency" rules as we wanted, and then sent that information back to the Advisory Council for their use in developing the "permanent" rules.

On January 12th, the Advisory Council met regarding the permanent rules. CECO presented the same information to the Council as we did to the Commission, and the Council was fully aware of the Commission's action and recommendations.

Following our presentation and discussion, the Advisory Council ignored both the Commission and CECO's recommendations by voting to submit their original "emergency" rules for adoption as "permanent" rules to the Commission.

Considering the fact that the Commission had made a bold and clear statement by amending the "emergency" rules, CECO was shocked by the Advisory Council action. One would expect that the Advisory Council would have "taken the hint" by the Commission's action, but apparently they didn't.

Where's that leave us? Well, the proposed "permanent" rules now go back to the full Commission for consideration, amendment, and adoption. There is no timetable for that at this time, but be assured that CECO will be present and urge the Commission to "do the right thing" by rejecting the Advisory Councils recommendation and adopting the "emergency" rules as "permanent" rules.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STATE BOARD CORRECTS LIST

In the State Board of Registration's January, 2000 edition of the BOARD'S BULLETIN, the ABET accredited engineering programs in Oklahoma were listed. Unfortunately, in creating the list, the University of Tulsa was inadvertently omitted.

The University of Tulsa has accredited engineering programs in Chemical, Electrical, Engineering Physics, Mechanical, and Petroleum Engineering.

The Board sincerely apologizes for the omission, and for any inconvenience this oversight may have caused. A correction will be included in the next edition of the BOARD'S BULLETIN.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IRS MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT RATE INCREASES

Beginning January 1, 2000, the standard IRS allowable mileage reimbursement rate has increased to 32.5¢ per mile for business use of an automobile. This is an increase from the 31.0¢ per mile rate which began in April, 1999.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTIES ADMINISTRATOR MIGHT NOT BE LICENSED PROFESSIONAL

CECO has been contacted recently by several members reporting that the Oklahoma Department of Central Services (DCS) is considering options to appoint a new Administrator of the Department's Construction and Properties Division (C & P) who is not a licensed Architect or registered Professional Engineer.

The Administrator's position is currently vacant, and is currently being filled in an interim capacity by a DCS staff person. Oklahoma Statutes requirements for the position are that, "The Administrator shall be a registered professional engineer or a licensed architect..."

If DCS wishes to appoint a non-professional to the position, a statutory change would be required.

The CECO Board will discuss this issue at the February 10th meeting, and seek your input.

Should the C & P Administrator be a licensed professional? Why or why not?

Please let us know your position on this issue prior to February 10th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ACEC'S "THE LAST WORD" GOING ELECTRONIC

For several months, ACEC has been distributing The Last Word newsletter via e-mail on a limited basis. Members who have been receiving this service are e-mailed the "link" to the latest edition of The Last Word on the ACEC Web Site. Then, simply by clicking on the link, The Last Word appears on your screen. This new service has been well received by members, and now ACEC is taking the next step in the ever-expanding electronic world.

ACEC will discontinue the mailing of The Last Word via third-class mail within the next six months, and will rely heavily on electronic distribution of The Last Word.

ACEC has made it easier for members to access the electronic Last Word by removing The Last Word home page from "Members Only" section which required a username and password to access. If you are not currently receiving The Last Word by e-mail and would like to, you can subscribe on-line. To subscribe to the e-mailed Last Word, go to http://www.acec.org/listserv/lastword.htm, type in your e-mail address, select the option to "subscribe", then click the submit button. With that, you will automatically receive the next issue via e-mail. If you don't want to received The Last Word electronically, follow the same procedure but click "unsubscribe". This will remove you from the mailing list.

If you either don't have web access or would just like to continue to receive the hard-copy version of The Last Word rather than e-mail, ACEC will send it to you via first-class mail.

The current and back issues of The Last Word are always available by going to the archive pages on the ACEC web site at http://www.acec.org/happen/lastword.htm.

If you have any questions about ACEC's new distribution of The Last Word, contact Francis George (fgeorge@acec.org) at ACEC.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ACEC GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS REPORT 1-27-00

The ACEC Government Affairs Report keeps you updated on the latest legislative and regulatory activities affecting the engineering community. To view the entire article, go to the links provided.

ACEC to mobilize members in support of FAA bill - Conferees to the stalled FAA Reauthorization bill (H.R. 1000) returned to the negotiating table January 26, but their brief discussion did nothing to loosen the gridlock over how to fund airport and airway projects. For full text of the article visit http://www.acec.org/programs/wr01272000.htm#faa

Congressional Budget Office predicts $1.9 trillion surplus - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has forecast on-budget (i.e., ignoring Social Security and other off-budget accounts) surpluses as high as $1.9 trillion over the ten years 2001-2010. For full text of the article visit http://www.acec.org/programs/wr01272000.htm#budget

Asbestos Litigation Reform - In order to adjudicate the huge backlog of cases related to asbestos compensation, the House Judiciary Committee plans to report a bill, most likely by February, to establish a separate, nonprofit legal entity. For full text of the article visit http://www.acec.org/programs/wr01272000.htm#liab

To go directly to the current Government Affairs Legislative Report on the ACEC web site visit http://www.acec.org/programs/wr01272000.htm. To view back issues of the Report visit http://www.acec.org/programs/legreg.htm. The report is updated weekly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES ON CECO WEB SITE

The Oklahoma Legislature will officially begin their 2000 session on February 7th but activity is already underway. Over 1000 bills have been filed to date, and more will be filed prior to the February 7th start-up date. Committees have begun their "pre-session" meetings, where bills are reviewed but no formal action taken.

CECO is monitoring the bill introductions and pre-session meetings, and will provide updates on the CECO web site (http://www.cecok.org) on a regular basis.

Currently two bills of interest are posted on the web site, and more will follow. Check the CECO web site regularly for the most current versions of bills, and for other updates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE PAST AND FUTURE -- WHAT THEY SAID AND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

We recently heard that in the late 1800's it was suggested that United State Patent Office be closed because, "Everything that can be invented has been!"

Now that we are firmly entrenched in the year 2000, we thought we might look back at some of the predictions that didn't come true prior to the beginning of 2000, and at some of the predictions for the next 50 years.

Rocket belts, flying cars, food pills, and inflatable houses are just a few of the things that failed to materialize prior to the beginning of the new year/century/millennium.

A 1950 article in Popular Mechanics stated, "Because everything in her home is waterproof, the housewife of 2000 can do her daily cleaning with a hose."

According to the book, "The Experts Speak: The Definitive Compendium of Authoritative Misinformation" (1984, Christopher Cerf and ictor Navasky), here are a few others:

"What can be more palpably absurd than the prospect held out of locomotives traveling twice as fast as stagecoaches?" The Quarterly Review, England, March, 1885.

"Men might as well project a voyage to the Moon as attempt to employ steam navigation against the stormy North Atlantic Ocean." Dr. Dionysus Lardner, professor of natural philosophy and astronomy, University College, London, 1838.

"When the Paris Exhibition closes, electric light will close with it and no more be heard of." Erasmus Wilson, professor and Oxford University, 1878.

"Well-informed people know it is impossible to transmit the voice over wires and that were it possible to do so, the thing would be of no practical value." Editorial in the Boston Post, 1865.

"Heavier than air flying machines are impossible." Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, circa 1895.

"There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will." Albert Einstein, physicist, 1932.

"Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 19,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may only have 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weigh 1.5 tons." Popular Mechanics, March, 1949.

"There is no need for any individual to have a computer in their home." Ken Olsen, President of Digital Equipment, 1977.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943.

So, what's in store for the future? Here's a few predictions for the coming years:

"Embedded computers common by 2009 in clothing, watches, rings, earrings, and other body ornaments, and in walls, tables, chairs, desks, clothing, jewelry and bodies. Wireless worldwide network connections access books, music albums, and software. People interface without regard to physical proximity. By 2019, a $1,000 computer has the computational capability of the human brain. By 2029, modest computers have 1,000x the capacity with displays implanted in the eyes and images projected directly onto the retina." Spiritual Machines; The Merging of Man and Machines; The Futurist, November 1999.

"An environmentally sustainable global economy provides everyone the basic necessities of life, social stability and world peace. The Internet is a right of citizenship. Biotechnology, nanotechnology and closed-environment agriculture feed the world. Vaccinology and genetic engineering have eliminated most acquired and inherited diseases. Orbital habitats, the lunar base and pioneering Mars communities are working. Computers have supported diversity through mass customization. Anyone can get the training, market research, planning, credit and other resources to start her or his own unique business. The transition from a mostly illiterate global population to a mostly educated world was achieved in the mid-2040s. Access, not possessions, is the measure of wealth." A Global Status Report: January 1, 2050; The Humanist, Nov/Dec 1999.

Time will tell!!!!!!