Readers Report
Pleasantly Surprised by ADM's Alan Andreas
I was quoted in "A different kind of Andreas at ADM" (People, July 9) as having said of the promotion of Alan Andreas to CEO of Archer Daniels Midland: "I thought it was classic nepotism." What I actually said was, "I thought it was classic nepotism, but have been pleasantly surprised by the direction he has provided and the job he has done." There is an enormous difference between the two statements in both content and intent. We continue to be stockholders and enthusiastically support Andreas and the leadership he is providing. Obviously at some point we think it will be recognized and reflected in the price of the stock.
Timothy E. McKinney
Candia, N.H.
Give Chris Galvin His Due at Motorola
How could you write a story about Motorola and omit any mention of the highly successful $15.4 billion merger between General Instrument and Motorola, the company's largest ever ("Motorola," Cover Story, July 16)? The merger was decided upon by CEO Chris Galvin, approved by the board, and finalized in less than two months' time.
Likewise, the comments on Iridium ignore the complexity of this project. It was essential to maintain the system in order to secure a responsible solution [regarding de-orbiting]. Within 90 days of addressing the U.S. bankruptcy court and U.S. government concerns, Galvin reached an agreement to transfer the system responsibility from Motorola to Boeing Co., and a new Iridium service company was formed.
Chris Galvin takes full responsibility for the results at Motorola, but at the same time he should be afforded full and proper credit for many parts of the job which have been well done.
Rusty Brashear
Senior Vice-President
Motorola Corp.
Schaumburg, Ill.
NAFTA Puts a Dent in the U.S. Auto Industry
The shift from a small U.S. surplus with Mexico in 1994 to a $24.2 billion deficit last year makes a big contribution to the deterioration in the overall U.S. trade balance ("NAFTA's scorecard: So far, so good," Economics, July 9). This is especially true for trade in automotive products. The U.S. deficit with Mexico has steadily climbed from $3.6 billion in 1993 to $23.3 billion in 2000. That is nearly twice the increase in the U.S. auto trade deficit with Japan over the same period.
The United Auto Workers understand the importance of that higher trade deficit in the loss of jobs. Moreover, U.S. employers routinely use the NAFTA card--i.e., the threat of moving to Mexico--at the collective-bargaining table and in union-organizing drives.
Stephen P. Yokich
President
International Union
United Auto Workers
Detroit
Mexican Trucks Should Follow the Rules of the U.S. Road
"No time for protectionism" (Editorials, July 23) made some good points. But with 37 years in the trucking industry and 50 years going in and out of Mexico, I disagree about Mexican trucks crossing the U.S. border. The rules for American trucks and truckers are very stringent and (after taxes) safety is foremost. Canadian truckers and trucks must adhere to U.S. rules to work across our border, or they stay home. Why should Mexico be safety-exempt?
Tex W. Harris
Scio, Ore.
Without Factory Workers, Who Will Be the Consumers?
In a series of three short articles, "Brave new factory," "When machines chat," and "Even the supervisor is expendable," (Industrial Management, July 23 in some editions) the discussion centers on new technologies that will eventually reduce the need for factory workers down to an absolute bare minimum.
If this "efficiency" is taken to the limits, we will need perhaps 5% of the current manufacturing workforce to run our factories. Where will the other 95% go? Who will buy the output of these factories? What will eventually happen to the major "driver" of our economy...consumer spending? I certainly do not advocate returning to the dark ages of manufacturing, but we do need to think seriously about how far we should go in the name of efficiency.
Aaron Gewirtz
Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany
Try This One on for Size
In "Getting a grip on consumer tastes" (Up Front, July 16), your average 6.44-ounce gulp means downing one quart in five gulps. I dare you!
M. Steinbach
Banks, Ore.
Still Shipping with FedEx
"Ground wars" (Industries, May 21) might make readers think National Semiconductor Corp. no longer did business with FedEx Corp. In fact, National continues to have positive business relationships with Federal Express, United Parcel Service, and other leading logistics providers around the world.
Second, National Semiconductor's new warehouse in Singapore, operated by UPS, opened in August, 2000, not "two years" ago, as the article suggested.
Jeff Weir
Director
Worldwide Public Relations
National Semiconductor Corp.
Sunnyvale, Calif.
Thanks for Giving Women the Financial Savvy They Need
Your article on women's need for knowledge of investment, pensions, and financial planning was excellent ("A feast of financial seminars," BusinessWeek Investor, July 16). As your article implied, women need to catch up, so that girls can follow their lead.
M. Burch Tracy Ford
Head of School
Miss Porter's School
Farmington, Conn.
You Can't Put a Price on Human Capital
Robert J. Barro contends that increasing the life expectancy of the population might actually worsen the AIDS epidemic ("Why would a rock star want to talk to me?" Economic Viewpoint, July 16). He forgets the economic impact of having people live longer. They continue to work and contribute to the economy. They will be consumers and purchase, further contributing and, lastly, pay taxes. Almost the entire middle class in some African countries is being wiped out, and the economic devastation will take generations to recover from. It need not happen.
Alan Ennis
Thornhill, Ont.
There are other ways of counting passage of time than the hours Barro seems to believe the dustier masses can handle for medicinal purposes. People hang on to life not for the sheer pleasure of it all, but primarily for those one might leave behind--even if it is a life filled with "ignorance" and disease.
Rosemary Ngwiri
Takoma Park, Md.
In 1999, I had the privilege of working for several months at a mission hospital in rural Zambia. Focusing Western efforts on increased availability of antiretroviral agents would, by itself, benefit few HIV patients in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
Even if medications were affordable and distributed to health-care facilities, people in outlying villages are sometimes many days' walk, bicycle ride, or oxcart ride away, if they are well enough to make the journey.
Dean C. Cauley, M.D.
Chesapeake, Va.
Laying Off Workers Won't Get the Economy Moving
In an economy that is increasingly consumer-driven, how do we get the economy moving if more and more people are laid off ("The past won't be prologue in this recovery," Business Outlook, July 23)? Business must find another answer to its earnings problems if the economy is going to avoid sinking into a big black hole.
Lawrence R. Greenberg
West End, N.C.
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Copyright 2001 , by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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