Very recently I received a message that in view of the
next APS meeting the  word should be spread to non-APS
members and particularly students (APS meetings are dominated
by students) that they should take a few minutes and consider 
becoming members.

Also  recently the big news (yes -still) is that Bill Clinton 
will sign a balanced  budget for 1999 and that the economists of this 
country are projecting a surplus (well,  in the sense of stop bouncing 
checks and only borrow from the brother-in-low as some journalist
pointed out.)

So of course, the first thought in my mind was why don't we 
claim back some of the economy growth and bring the moneys
 ... for example at CDF.

The APS related message came to my mind regarding 
how many and in what way,  physicists represent their physics  in 
front of the goverment.   I am told that APS is an important 
organization in terms of making physics visible to the Congress.

Now if you take a look at the following staement :
"Leading economists who have analyzed the role of technical 
progress in the post-war period found a greater influence on the 
productivity of capital; that is, new technology makes a given quantity 
of capital go further. In other words, technology and our capacity for 
innovation are core economic issues." *
you must be tempted to ask yourself  what is the role of the scientist (you) 
in the economic growth or how much you  push/test/use the new 
technologies in what you do. It looks like the answer is 

-Huge.

And then ask  yourself what your  role should be in claiming
the funds that allow you to do what you do.
 
In the previous years - and after the cold war ended,  "because 
of the need to balance the budget and cut the deficit,  it bacame 
increasingly difficult for the R&D enterprise to claim the 
Federal support that was used to"*. 

Some physics largely paired with  industry in short-term R&D 
proposals with  short term business goals. 
And some physics  is by its nature long-term-ed. 
But it does  contribute  amazing R&D that circles around
the globe comes back and raises the public's dollar value.
(perhaps you can persuade industry to fund your vision,
too long and too fundamental as it may be -
someone persuaded Silicon Valley to fund the Loonar Prospector
mission to the moon, maybe APS can do the same for 
HEP experiments...)  

Well,  if indeed APS  stands strong in front of the Congress, 
then it seems to me that the time is more that right to join and 
strengthen the organization and claim back now  all the days 
and nights  you invested in your labs building and
searching for the long-term physics so that others like you 
continue tomorrow.   

MS

* quotes from 
THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN SCIENCE AND
                           TECHNOLOGY

                        PLENARY SESSION
               AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY
                            APRIL 18, 1997

                     DR. MARY LOWE GOOD
          UNDER SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY
             U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE