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BusinessWeek: January 10, 2000 |
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Readers Report
Seattle Was Ugly in More Ways Than One I believe the WTO can be reformed, but I headed downtown to stand against the police when they crossed the line. If the tactics used by the Seattle police are deemed acceptable (and the major media plays a vital role in making them so), then those who yelled "police state" have a point, and we all have something to fear. Andrew Faber Seattle I may not be an environmentalist, but I was a little surprised at "The lessons of Seattle" (Editorials, Dec. 13). The author seems to believe that simply keeping things "clean" meets the standard for good environmental stewardship. Environmental responsibility means much more than cleaning up after you have used what you want from the natural resources; for many, it means preserving the environment in its present state. This demonstrates the real problem: our misunderstanding, poor communication, and lack of interest in one another's positions. I see some of the ill effects of the global economy here in Minnesota: When my local river is fouled with silt, sediments, and pesticides so that a few thousand farmers in the Valley can grow soybeans for customers in Asia, I see the results of the global economy firsthand. When the size of my state's forest land diminishes each year because of clear-cut logging to feed the hundreds of mills sending paper, 2x4s, and furniture around the world, the very landscape, culture, and enjoyment I gain from living here changes because of the global economy. Gene Kalligher Minneapolis The notion that World Trade Organization protesters are "anti-trade" is spin by corporate think tanks trying to marginalize a well-informed international movement. The American people understood the protests, and the more they learn about the WTO, the less they like it. No wonder rulings are made in secret. The WTO, acting on behalf of multinational corporations, has empowered itself to trump any national or local environmental, health, safety, or labor standard if it affects profits. Having no other voice, tens of thousands hit the streets in Seattle with fellow citizens from around the world. Perhaps we can create a system that protects workers, children, and the environment as vigorously as it does intellectual-property rights. Brian Smith San Francisco Return to top  Is GE Still an American Company? Thank you for running "Welch's march to the south" (The Workplace, Dec. 6) on GE's aggressive exporting of U.S. jobs the same week the WTO was meeting in Seattle. It helped to focus the issue. When an old-line company like GE not only sends its own jobs overseas but also aggressively pressures its suppliers to do the same, it is clear that Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan, and the labor unions have a point. If the jobs being lost were white-collar rather than blue-collar, it is a safe bet that there would be a greater public outcry and media frenzy. GE's actions also raise the fundamental (and disturbing) question of what is an American company. If corporate profits now trump any sense of community or national allegiance, the pride many Americans still feel for "our" private sector will be short-lived. While the mantra of free trade may work during good times, American business will pay a heavy price in terms of political support during the next (inevitable) downturn. John K. Dirlam Jr. Wellesley Hills, Mass. Return to top | |
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Little Muffy Should Do Without "The pampered pet" (Lifestyle, Dec. 6) provokes a strong reaction--first disbelief, and then disgust. Because I trust your accuracy, I now believe that there really are people buying $500 beaver and leather coats from Chic Doggie and $950 woven leather beds for their pets. In most of the world, a person can work hard all year and still earn less than the cost of such items, and their children sleep on floor mats. It is disgusting that there is such a waste of resources on animals at the same time that an estimated 24,000 people die from hunger each day. Perhaps your article should be included in some of the many time capsules being prepared for the millennium, so our descendants can see how strange were our values. Joseph Enright Bronx, N.Y. Return to top TWA: Silence Is Golden Regarding "Long odds on a short-haul jet" (The Corporation, Dec. 13): Commenting on marketing competition between the Boeing 717 and the Airbus A318, it was reported that "carriers such as TWA and British Airways PLC say Airbus is successfully undercutting Boeing" on price. TWA made no such comment to BUSINESS WEEK. The article further stated that "the lower price was one reason TWA split its order." Again, TWA made no such comment. TWA has not disclosed financial terms either for our 717 order or our A318 order, and we have no intention of doing so. The article implies that TWA is somehow dissatisfied with the 717 and that this is why we ordered the A318. Not so. We ordered both aircraft because we like both, and we see a role for each model in our fleet. Also, the article identifies Bill Compton, our president and CEO, as a former airline pilot. He is an active airline pilot (MD80 captain) who flies the line for TWA on a regular basis. Mark E. Abels Vice-President Corporate Communications Trans World Airlines Inc. St. Louis Editor's note: BUSINESS WEEK misunderstood Abels' comments about the economics of the Boeing 717 and the Airbus A318 and inaccurately attributed the article's conclusions about their price differential to Abels. Return to top Leave All That Net Hype to the Ad Agencies After more than 20 years of reading BUSINESS WEEK, I have never seen your magazine go as overboard as you did in "The Net is a family affair" (Net Culture, Business Week e.biz, Dec. 13). "The family that clicks together sticks together"--come on! This kind of stuff should be left to the neoscientists who write for futuristic magazines and sci-fi. "`E-mail has made it easier...to say `l love you,' says a mother with a son in Hong Kong." Please try some antacid at once. You do acknowledge in one paragraph out of many that "there is a dark side," but quickly rebound to say that the Net is proving to be "more balm than bane." Isn't it enough that you extol the computer in every issue for all kinds of business reasons? Do you have to add this kind of mushy sociological/psychological hype? How about some data on the number of broken families--divorce, etc.--that have been exacerbated if not caused by the Net? Or the fraudulent offers and scam artists who now have a new weapon to use in their scams? Don't turn back the clock--just turn down the hype. Leo Molina Philadelphia Return to top Why Johnny's Teachers Can't Teach "Why Johnny may learn to add" (Science & Technology, Dec. 13) referred to a "new" way of teaching. This way has been around since the 1960s, and research provides conclusive evidence that it is superior to traditional methods. It is regrettable that individuals in the various branches and levels of government still anchor their educational beliefs on mental discipline and behavioristic psychology. Until the government and other flat-earth citizens are able to reject the notion that the way they learned was best, educational improvement will be difficult to attain. Frank Thompson Milledgeville, Ga. America has to be careful with its implementation of "inquiry-based" mathematical learning. I have no idea whether it is true that suburban schools are thriving on this new way of teaching math. What is clear to me is that "hands-on," "inquiry-based," "learning-by-doing" educational methods are a disaster in the inner city. At the South Bronx elementary school where I teach, my students have been learning according to these techniques since kindergarten. When they entered my classroom this September, perhaps two or three children out of a class of 28 could have told me what 5 times 4 was (only through traditional, back-to-basics drilling are they finally learning their times tables). They still made mistakes in basic addition and subtraction, and they showed virtually no understanding of division, fractions, or basic measurements. These new approaches to teaching math assume children possess knowledge that they may never have acquired. Unless students can practice a concept for extended periods of time, they won't internalize it adequately and certainly won't retain it for long. There may be a reason those traditional math and reading teaching methods have been around for so long. The old ways tend to work, and I would give anything to be allowed to teach them again. Matthew Clavel New York Return to top Techie Coaches Start Setting Standards Regarding "Tough love for techie souls" (Working Life, Nov. 29): Coaching has become a legitimate industry, clearly established as a self-regulating profession. Last year, the International Coach Federation established a set of competencies for the qualification of professional coaches and coach-training agencies. They then implemented a rigid certification program and an accreditation program to identify quality coach -training programs. At minimum, to become ICF-certified, coaches must successfully complete a specified program of coach training of at least 125 classroom hours and accumulate at least 750 direct client-coaching hours. While author Michelle Conlin asserts that "a lot of coaching in the industry focuses on how to use a day planner more effectively," a survey we conducted last month indicated that corporations using coaching are seeing not only improvements in individuals' performances but also increased profits, customer satisfaction, and retention of employees. Additionally, employees report more self-confidence, stronger skills, more goals achieved, and better relationships as a result of coaching. Marcia Reynolds President International Coach Federation Angel Fire, N.M. Return to top A Hole in the Glass Ceiling? While I am pleased that BUSINESS WEEK dedicated significant space and resources to women-related issues, I was disappointed to see my quote taken out of context in "The CEO still wears wingtips" (Working Life, Nov. 22). Deloitte & Touche's Initiative for the Retention & Advancement of Women is one of the longest-standing programs designed to attract, retain, and develop high-talent women. Thus Deloitte & Touche has the highest percentage of female partners among the Big Five professional services firms. It also leads the profession in developing innovative approaches to advancing women into positions that will lead our firm into the next century. Mary Ellen Rodgers, Partner National Director Initiative for the Retention & Advancement of Women Deloitte & Touche Cleveland Return to top |
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