Letters.

CHEMICAL REACTION

This is to congratulate BLACK ENTERPRISE and Mays Chemical, the BE Company of the Year, on your article in the June 2001 issue ("Finding the Right Formula for Success"). Your article did an excellent job of capturing founder and CEO Bill Mays' journey and his essence as a truly committed being.

Bill deserves every accolade that he receives. Having been a personal friend for more than 30 years, I can say that he has helped countless others, old and young, in their quest to achieve their dreams. He is a tremendous friend as well, one who truly remembers his early struggles and is always here to help others who are trying to help themselves.

Again, I commend you and congratulate Bill Mays and Mays Chemical on this excellent article.

George E. McDaniel Jr. President and CEO Community Bank of the Bay Oakland, California 

POWER IN D.C.

I have been a subscriber of BE, off and on, since the inception of the magazine. I have watched the adpages grow (a sign that a magazine has impact) and the product evolve over time.

I think this is the time to expand the Washington, [D.C.], coverage. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will be heard from as they start breaking ranks with the Democratic Leadership Council. They are already making noises about opposing campaign finance reform as we speak.

And let's not dismiss all those high-profile black people in [President George W.] Bush's administration out of hand (see sidebar, "The Cabinet," accompanying the feature "Will Powell's FCC Wire Black Business for Success," June 2001). The fact that they are at the table means the policies that come from the White House will have black input at the highest levels. There are a whole lot of black Americans and readers who are very concerned about what is going on and will be going on in Washington.

Let me end by saying I am from the Ebony generation, when we were doing cartwheels every time we elected a black mayor or a Benjamin O. Davis got general bars. Our inclusion in the Clinton and Bush II administrations has had me walking on cloud nine.

Lames Junior Houston [e-mail]

BATTLING HIV/AIDS 

I am responding to the article, "Money for HIV/AIDS On the Home Front" (Newspoints, June 2001). I found myself stunned by the lack of funding there was for HIV/AIDS in the black community. It was compelling, though, to see people have worked hard enough on this important issue for more funding to have the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative passed, increasing funding from $158 million in 1999 to $350 million now.

It is striking to read that of the 40,000 new HIV infections each year, 50% of these infections are among African Americans. If this statistic is known to people, it is very important that they get the funding needed for such a serious and life-threatening disease.

Congratulations to the CBC members who worked so hard to get the appropriate funding for this issue.

Andrea Nederostek Lodi, California [e-mail]

AIR TIME

I enjoyed your article on Alyson Beausoleil ("She Believed She Could Fly," Lifestyle, March 2001). It is great to see a full page dedicated to aviation.

John L. Addison New York [e-mail]

CORRECTIONS

Our July, 2001 Stock Update column ("Same Ole Story," Moneywise), which updates the performance of five stocks recommended by Blair Capital Management's Lester Blair, omits key information regarding Blair Capital and the performance of its Midcap Blend portfolio. While the five stocks recommended by Blair in the July 2000 Private Screening column ("Stretching the Meaning of Value," Moneywise) had total returns of-70.64%, Blair Capital's Midcap Blend portfolio was down only 10.8%. Blair Capital had an overall cumulative return of 15.4% as of the end of May 2001.

Blair Capital currently holds only one of the positions recommended in the July 2000 issue, Robert Half. The firm's policy is to liquidate any holding that declines by 15% or more, except in special or unusual circumstances; this policy would preclude holding any equities that might drop as significantly as the four recommended last year, preventing a 70% drop for Blair Capital's portfolio.

BE welcomes comments from our readers. Address all correspondence to Letters, BLACK ENTERPRISE, 130 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011. Fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]. Letters should include the writer's full name, address and daytime telephone, and may be edited for clarity or space.