>On Thu, May 7, 1998 at 15:21:04 (-0500) Yoshie Furuhashi writes:
>>Bill wrote:
>>>I thought the recent spectacular freight problems were in the non-auto
>>>transportation sector (railway; viz the recent transportation foul-ups
>>>after Union Pacific's bumpy 1996 takeover of Southern Pacific).
>>
>>Yes, that's what I was talking about.
>
>I'm a little confused, then. Why did you say "auto-centered
>transportation policy may be causing a problem for industries", when
>the problem above is clearly not due to "auto-centered transportation
>policy"? When you say "that's what I was talking about", do you mean,
>"Yes, of course, bonehead, didn't you read what I wrote?", or do you
>mean, "Yes, that's what I really should have said."? If the latter,
>then I assume you would agree that your evidence showing "a problem
>for industries as well" has evaporated. Do you really think, if you
>did mean the latter, that there is evidence that auto-centered policy
>causes any real harm to industry?
The articles on those freight problems I have read say that there is a lack of investment in R & D for the non-auto transportation sector. I would think that industries would benefit from a good mix of trucking & (efficient) railways, which should lower transportation costs.
Yoshie