Re: All abroad
To the Editor:
My peers and I in the global trade services group at U.S. Bank in Minneapolis read with interest, then horror, some of the comments printed in Mr. Wirtz's article, "All abroad" [May 2003]. While it is true that doing business overseas is a sometimes-difficult process, especially for new participants, we did take umbrage with the statement by Mr. Whittey of LAS International that "banks know virtually nothing about exporting, and they don't want to know anything about exporting." On the contrary, banks should be viewed as a key player in supporting the development and expansion of any international business initiative. U.S. Bank, as well as many of our competitors, provides a global network of correspondent banks, country and regional specialists, and advanced information technology. The banking community offers expertise on international risk assessment, assistance in trade negotiation and trade financing solutions to help move goods and services into global markets.
Finally, access to most of these services is not limited to Fortune 500 companies. The U.S. Bank Global Trade Services team takes pride in providing international assistance and advice on a daily basis to both small and large companies alike who have an interest in expanding their global presence.
Chad Vogt
U.S. Bank
Global Trade Services
Minneapolis, Minn.
Re: Brain drain
To the Editor:
After reading the Ninth District's fedgazette issue on "Plugging the brain drain" [January 2003], I was curious if a prior edition had focused on funding K-12 education. I checked your archive and found nothing.
While I am not a resident of your region, I find your in-depth review of specific issues to be very informative, particularly as the rural economic issues you address are similar to those discussed in rural New England communities. Education funding represents about one-third of our tax dollars, and in rural communities, some facing declining population and school enrollment, maintaining the quality of the education program is an increasing strain on decreasing resources.
I would be very interested in seeing you dedicate an issue to funding K-12 education.
Thanks for your consideration.
Matt Freeman
Norwich, Vt.
Editor's note: The fedgazette will look at K-12 funding, although tangentially, in a future issue as part of a cover story on the relationship of government spending and well-being, attempting to answer the question: Is it good/bad to be a high/low tax state, and how do you know?
