A HUGHES MISTAKE?

The demise of Hughes as announced by Sandra Tsing Loh came as quite a surprise to those of us who work there (“A Huge Mistake,” Guest Bites Town, Aug. 16). Should we box our stuff, shred our secrets and move to Montana soon? Won’t the customers be surprised!

Nah, Tsing Loh is pulling your leg. Despite a 14% nationwide head-count reduction, there will still be about 55,000 people at Hughes in January, 1994--unless we actually require more workers before then.

Hughes has many new and ongoing contracts in defense, aviation, satellites and the commercial area. No way can we just not perform. Our customers wouldn’t tolerate such a failure. Besides, it’s great work.

If Tsing Loh thinks peace has broken out all over, she doesn’t read the papers. Distant civil wars may not seem like much of a threat when the weapons are just small arms, but guess what!--H-bombs are virtually available at warehouse sales and swap meets nowadays, for any dictator to acquire. Could anyone use a towed sonar array? Hughes has ‘em. How about aircraft/missile-sensing radar? Yeah, we have that, too--everything a nation needs to protects its citizens from invasion or annihilation.

That’s real serious, but we make some cool stuff, too. Would you like a silent transmission in your automobile? How about cars that generate no emissions? Both of those are a result of Hughes research and engineering.

I’m sorry Tsing Loh ever came to Hughes. She is obviously the sad and sorry product of nepotism. Not that nepotism always fails, but in her case it would have been better for us if she’d passed on Hughes and worked at Wendy’s instead of using her pen to gore the faithful ox of industry.

W.S. MORRIS

MATERIAL PROJECT MANAGER

HUGHES, GROUND SYSTEMS GROUP

Fullerton