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Re: Moving stuff from Point A to Point B...
Author: BOB 2
Date: 02-23-2007 - 13:43
Wow, make a practical suggestion, and the next thing you know, we have a "communist revolution" on our hands???
As someone who tries to plan for our future, including accomodating our the transportation needs to support our economy, I find this diversion, quite enlightening. As an economist, a former railroader, and a US citizen, the level of understanding of transportation, the direction of our economy, and our neighbor to the south is a little frightening.
Fact: Mexico does have issues with corruption, poverty, and some "ancient" history of nationalization.
Fact: It also is a member of NAFTA, has introduced major capitalist reforms, is building economic and political transparency (free elections and the end of one party rule?), is being flooded by international investment, is reforming its legal and social institutions (sometimes painfully), and is enjoying one of the highest growth rates in the world.
Even on the corruption front, Mexico has relieved and disarmed several corrupt border police agencies and installed the Army (10,000 strong) to fight the drug gangs and local corruption.
Economic opportunity and growth in Mexico will be the solution to our cross border issues, including immigration (which generally benefits the US, although some apparently would like to pay $6 a head for lettuce?).
Baja may well be the site of our major natural gas import facilities (we really don't have good land side capacity for these types of high risk facilities in our urbanized west coast ports) major new power plants (to meet the needs of both sides of the border), it may assist in taking some of goods movement burden off of our west coast ports, support the enormous increase in trans border trade, as we become part of a global economic system.
The UP would be foolish not to invest in this opportunity, the same as KCS has successfully proven.
As someone who tries to plan for our future, including accomodating our the transportation needs to support our economy, I find this diversion, quite enlightening. As an economist, a former railroader, and a US citizen, the level of understanding of transportation, the direction of our economy, and our neighbor to the south is a little frightening.
Fact: Mexico does have issues with corruption, poverty, and some "ancient" history of nationalization.
Fact: It also is a member of NAFTA, has introduced major capitalist reforms, is building economic and political transparency (free elections and the end of one party rule?), is being flooded by international investment, is reforming its legal and social institutions (sometimes painfully), and is enjoying one of the highest growth rates in the world.
Even on the corruption front, Mexico has relieved and disarmed several corrupt border police agencies and installed the Army (10,000 strong) to fight the drug gangs and local corruption.
Economic opportunity and growth in Mexico will be the solution to our cross border issues, including immigration (which generally benefits the US, although some apparently would like to pay $6 a head for lettuce?).
Baja may well be the site of our major natural gas import facilities (we really don't have good land side capacity for these types of high risk facilities in our urbanized west coast ports) major new power plants (to meet the needs of both sides of the border), it may assist in taking some of goods movement burden off of our west coast ports, support the enormous increase in trans border trade, as we become part of a global economic system.
The UP would be foolish not to invest in this opportunity, the same as KCS has successfully proven.
