To the Editor:
Re “Shortcuts ‘Paint a Picture of Boeing Cedding Quality'” (front page, March 31):
The sad story of Boeing unfortunately seems to be a metaphor for this country. We have quality issues throughout our infrastructure. we have world-class institutions that strive to maintain standards. we have political brands that are discredited because of extreme positions taken by certain leaders.
Boeing — before it was taken over by management brought in through the 1997 takeover of McDonnell Douglas — was by far the best airplane maker in the world. However, new management in the post-merger period emphasized return on investment and profitability rather than engineering and quality, and the company’s culture changed over time.
Charles H. Gessner
Marblehead, Mass.
The author was an in-house consultant for Swissair.
To the Editor:
Re “Boeing chief to step down in major shakeup” (Business, March 26):
Boeing’s latest leadership overhaul will only achieve the necessary results if the company does the hard work to change its culture as well.
For years, Boeing has been plagued by a culture that has been described as “broken,” “sick” and full of “secrecy and intimidation.” Employees were afraid to talk openly about problems they saw internally.
A Harvard Business School professor, Amy Edmondson, once called Boeing “a textbook case of how the absence of psychological safety—the reassurance that one can speak up, offer ideas, point out problems, or deliver bad news without fear of retribution – can lead to disastrous results.”
Solving problems in any company requires a culture of transparency and information sharing. It means prioritizing curiosity over guilt. Employees should feel free to point out any problems they see and admit their mistakes without fear that a single mistake will mean the end of their career.
It’s time for Boeing to stop looking for people to point the finger at and start looking for systemic flaws that allow these dangerous incidents to occur. The more employees have a sense of support and a positive team mentality, the more Boeing will prevent future disasters.
Jason Corman
Miami
The author is the CEO of Gapingvoid Culture Design Group.
Arizona Abortion Ban: ‘What Century Are We Living In?’
In 1864 women couldn’t vote, their husbands were their masters, girls could be forced into marriage at age 10, and they had little indoor plumbing and no electricity. And are we going to roll women’s rights back to that era?
I’m furious but also confused. What country and century do we live in? I cry for Arizona and America.
Barbara Rosen
Fullerton, California.
Don’t cancel student loans
To the Editor:
Re “New Bid to Help Out of Student Loans” (front page, April 9):
On August 14, 2023, my check for $8,653.90 paid off the balance of my undergraduate student loans. It’s no coincidence that the final balance was less than $10,000 as I waited to see if the Supreme Court would allow President Biden to “cancel” my federal student loans up to that amount.
When the court announced that it would not allow it, I sent the money to avoid paying the interest that would soon continue to accrue. I am proud to have accepted the obligation and completed it much earlier than I had planned due to an interest-free forbearance for several years.
I am disappointed that the administration is again trying to cancel student loans for many Americans for two reasons. First, I believe it is a purely political effort to rally support for the election which will likely be very close.
Additionally, I believe that loan cancellation for some Americans is wrong, as it relieves people of a liability they willingly accepted, and does nothing to address the rising cost of higher education.
There are better solutions, including lowering the interest rates set by Congress (the current rate for undergraduates is 5.50 percent) on these loans. The lower interest rates will help reduce what Education Minister Miguel Cardona cites as “interest outflows,” while also ensuring that people have an incentive to pay off their loan obligations as quickly as possible.
Christopher M. Palma
Little Silver, NJ
Why leave the “Nice” countries?
They love New York and traveling across our vast and diverse country, but rarely want to stay here permanently.
Au pairs from “nice” countries like Sweden, Australia, Germany or France, for example, want to live back in their home countries, where health care and education from preschool to college is free or low-cost . They don’t have to worry about mass shootings or abortion, and they claim even the food is better!
I knew an au pair from Poland who paid for her flight home, had a root canal and flew back for less than what the procedure would cost here. So, Donald Trump, if you want people from these “nice” countries to come here, some major changes will have to be made.
Eileen Friedman
Port Washington, New York
Protesters “For Humanity”.
To the Editor:
Re “Gaza protests hostile Democrats from White House to Town Hall” (front page, April 7):
In your excellent story about the warlike protests in Gaza challenging Democratic leaders, a caption and the body of the story both use the term “pro-Palestinian protesters.” Using this term can unnecessarily spark division and discord.
I am among those who vehemently protest President Biden’s policy on the war in Gaza. I am neither pro-Israeli nor pro-Palestinian. I support Israel’s right to defend itself, but not with the appalling siege and bombardment tactics that have left Gaza in ruins, tens of thousands dead and Gazans on the brink of starvation.
My America does not support these types of war tactics by any nation, including its allies. This is a deeply moral issue for many of us, and it cannot be boiled down to being pro-Palestinian. It is pro-humanity.
Nancy Ketchum-Colwill
Arlington, Va.
Caring for fish benefits us
To the Editor:
Re “Politicians Aren’t Even Fooling Themselves”, by Gail Collins and Bret Stephens (The Conversation, April 2):
Mr. Stephens’ comment on environmental regulations, “Let’s protect people and care less about, say, fish,” is from the pre-Silent Spring era. Protecting the health of fish populations benefits not only the ecosystem but also the well-being of industries such as commercial and recreational fishing and tourism. New Yorkers should be proud of their efforts to protect the Hudson River.
For a national and global perspective, readers should consider the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s One Health approach, which “recognizes that the health of people is closely linked to the health of animals and our shared environment.”
Fred Pinckney
Takoma Park, Md.
The author is an aquatic biologist.
