Monday, October 10, 2011

Top 10 economic events in Texas history lists A/C and Nafta




The Fort Worth Star Telegram featured an article this past weekend detailing Texas economist Ray Perry's list of what he considers to have been pivotal events or developments in making Texas a leading economic state.  Included among the list are: the work of pioneering heart-surgery Doctors DeBakey & Cooley in establishing Houston, Texas as one of the premier Healthcare-biomedical complexes in the country, the 1973 OPEC oil embargo and its effect on transforming the Texas energy industry, the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA in 1994) and the wonders of Air Conditioning among others.

From The Fort-Worth Star Telegram

Air conditioning. Texas' population has grown about twice as fast as the nation's since 1974, whereas before 1960 it grew at about the same rate. The difference? Good old A/C. By 1965, half the homes and cars in Texas had air conditioning. Without A/C, Perryman argues, you wouldn't have people relocating to the South, or moving to the suburbs and spending all that time driving to work, making it the top socioeconomic event. Little-known fact: Fort Worth has a long history in auto A/C, dating to resident John L. Clardy establishing a manufacturing and installation business about 1950.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/10/09/3431641/economist-ray-perrymans-top-10.html#ixzz1aOUkhJIi
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1 comment:

  1. wiolwakerOctober 10, 2011 at 11:17 PM

    The population of Texas increased nearly two times faster than the country since 1974, while before 1960, grew at the same speed. The difference? The good old A / C. In 1965, half of the homes and cars in Texas had air conditioning. Perry man argues would be the relocation of people in the South, or move to the suburbs and spend all that time driving to work.
    LNB

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