Letters: Apr. 28, 1997

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Schiavo's list of "planes with a past" consists of the French-Italian ATR, Brazil's Embraer 120 and all Russian-built planes. Strangely, it does not include a model involved in accidents mentioned in your article--the Boeing 737, an American plane. PIERRE ARNAUD Lyons, France

DARK DAYS FOR BIBI

I am not a great fan of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policy [WORLD, March 31], but there was something troubling in your article. You said, "Violence is the only real lever the Palestinians have in their conflict with the Israelis." However, terrorism must not be a lever in this situation. The Palestinians must understand that the large portion of the Israeli people who do want peace and are ready to pay the heavy price for it, will never accept killings of children or pregnant women. MICHAEL WIEDERMAN Raanana, Israel

More than 100,000 Israelis already live in the West Bank. Only supporters of "ethnic cleansing" would propose that they leave their homes to make room for the Palestinians. So in order to achieve peace, Palestinians must live side by side with Israelis. The land has been ruled by "absent landlords'' for 2,000 years, and no one group can claim the constitutional right to live there. The Israelis rule by the force of arms but are prepared to give the Palestinians autonomy while insisting on a military presence for security reasons. Who could possibly blame them for that? So what is the great fuss? Did anyone believe the Israelis were easy to deal with? ARNE W. FINNE Lidingo, Sweden

IN CELEBRATION OF DAVID HELFGOTT

I have just read your review of Shine pianist David Helfgott's performing tour in the U.S. [MUSIC, March 17]. As an Australian, I take offense at the way you portrayed him. You celebrate men like Christopher Reeve and his comeback from severe spinal-cord injuries that could have killed him, praising his courage and resolve. Yet you fail to do the same for Helfgott, a man who deserves as much adulation as Reeve for his determination to overcome a mental breakdown and succeed in the music world. I wonder what you would have done if Helfgott were an American. Would you have put him on your cover and hailed him as a hero? Helfgott is an inspiration to all people. CHRISTIAAN M.A.WILLIAMS-SAXELBY Wishart, Australia

MANAGING THE IRS

Your report on problems at the Internal Revenue Service [BUSINESS, April 7] failed to acknowledge what is actually working at the IRS: its employees. Last year IRS workers processed more than 200 million tax returns and 1.2 billion pieces of information. Unfortunately, the current IRS management has launched a plan that will erode customer service and, in turn, voluntary compliance by taxpayers. The agency is implementing a program that will eliminate the jobs of 2,100 IRS employees who provide assistance and information to taxpayers and hire some 1,300 new, untrained employees to do the same work, in many instances several hundred miles from the communities they are to serve. The IRS should abandon this plan. ROBERT M. TOBIAS, National President National Treasury Employees Union Washington