A man of integrity

John Rigas is the kindest and most generous wealthy man I probably will ever know. I used to work for Adelphia, and his motto in regards to employees and their concerns was to "Have a heart!" When Chief Operating Officer Mr. Ron Cooper and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Bill Schleyer took over in 2003, that motto went away. I was the top sales rep for Adelphia in 2002, but when they took over, the recognition, rewards and motivation came to a standstill. I knew that I had to get out because the stress was unbearable and I was miserable.

When the Rigases were forced to resign, they took nobody's pension, nobody's 401(k). They took nothing from a single employee, unlike Ken Lay and the Enron scoundrels. I personally believe the Rigases did act in the best interest of the company. I think they made some mistakes, but I do not believe they had any intent of malice whatsoever! How do you explain the dozens of banks that went along with everything the Rigases did, and not one person threw up a red flag? I was sickened on the day they televised John Rigas being cuffed and dragged into a police car in New York city. Why didn't they bother to do the same with the Enron boys? Why make a big show with the little guy who was such an easy target for the government? What it did was wrong.

John Rigas has more integrity and class in his little finger than Cooper, Schleyer, and the vehemently obsessed government prosecutors possess combined! Rigas did a great thing for Coudersport, and now corporate America only wants to take it away and destroy everything he built for the small, but once thriving community.

Truth be told, the employees who continue to work for Adelphia in Coudersport to this day have a work ethic that cannot be matched anywhere else in the country. The folks who work in larger cities really don't care as much about their jobs because they can walk down the street and get another one. They are the ones who really don't treat customers, or even other employees well. The retention department in Coudersport works harder, knows more, and simply can do it all. All other call centers throughout the United States pale in comparison!

And finally, for all the stockholders who are still whining that they lost money because of this ordeal ... Guess what? Buying stock is just like gambling! Oh, it may be more of a calculated risk, but there is risk nonetheless. You were aware of that risk when you first purchased stock in Adelphia, or any other company for that matter.

My wife and I are going to write to the president to ask him to pardon John Rigas. (Rigas in June was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy and bank and securities fraud, which he is appealing). I encourage many of you to do the same. What satisfaction can the government find in sending a kind and generous elderly man to prison for almost the rest of his life? This man has done more good for so many people in Coudersport and even around the world. The government should leave this man alone! C'mon, "Have a heart!"

GARY BROOKENS
Port Allegany

I was taken aback a bit by Mellon Financial Chief Executive Officer Mr. Martin McGuinn's article "A Friend In Pennsylvania" in the June 28 issue. He references the tax code and etc. in Pennsylvania, but Mr. McGuinn never references that his own organization has "displaced" [many local workers] over the past 2 years. Mellon masks it by saying that their jobs are being eliminated, but after a period of time, their positions seem to be filled by younger, cheaper workers or outsourced to a foreign country.

I guess he plans the corporate net income tax situation for these displacements! Maybe he should look into his own organization for the loss or lack of boosting jobs in Pittsburgh!

I believe Mr. McGuinn needs to answer to ex-Mellon employees as to why they are out of work and not worry so much about how much money he is spending on corporate taxes.

HEIDI MADDEN
Reserve

Like thousands of other Americans I will be boycotting Exxon due to its environmental practices and policies.

Boycotts are an effective way to influence big business because boycotts speak the language of business -- that of profits. At a time when Exxon is seeing record profits, it continues to duck its responsibilities to victims of the Exxon Valdez spill, fund junk science that refutes global warming, and actively lobby to open up protected areas to oil drilling. These practices will not be tolerated by the American people who want spills cleaned up, science to be based on facts, and selected areas left untouched.

Someday soon I hope Exxon realizes that adopting these practices will be good for America, and, more importantly for it, good for its business.

CHRIS FICK
Squirrel Hill

Owning my own business has been a vision of mine since I was a kid. It's something I dreamed about for a long time before actually taking the plunge and starting my own business, Nitor Technologies Inc., in 2002.

Little did I realize back in 2002 that running my own business was more than just selling a product to a customer? Many different things are involved such as business planning, record keeping, financial analysis and government regulations. When I started, I knew very little about how government regulations would affect our business strategies. During the time I was starting my company, I learned of regulations such as the Pipeline Safety Act of 1992, which required not only public safety but also the protection of the environment, the focus of the Office of Pipeline Safety. I have come to realize that understanding the different regulations and business planning will affect Nitor's business success.

I have also come to realize how important a good source of information and assistance is in dealing with these issues. One resource that has been instrumental in helping me grow my business has been the Small Business Development Center at Duquesne University (SBDC). The SBDC helped Nitor Technologies develop a 57-seven page business plan that included our 3-year financial projections, market strategies, and an extensive breakdown of competitors' strengths and weaknesses compared with Nitor's product. As a result of the assistance of the skilled staff at the SBDC, Nitor Technologies will begin electrical manufacturing by the end of this year and is working on other patents for the leak detection industry. Nitor Technologies and Carnegie Mellon University were awarded a grant in January to develop sensors to monitor CO2 in sequestration areas to help reduce greenhouse gas and global warming. With the new success of the company, we will create more manufacturing jobs in our community, and not overseas.

My company is typical of the types of business that make up the state's economy. In fact, 85 percent of businesses in Pennsylvania have 20 or fewer employees. With an economy dependent upon the success of small firms, such as mine, Pennsylvania should do more to support proven, successful programs such as the Small Business Development Center.

I urge you to join me in calling on our state legislators to provide funding of $9.8 million for the SBDC. With this level of funding, the SBDCs will be there to help others pursue their dreams -- and to help ensure that they succeed.

PAUL M. ORLANDO SR.
Oakland