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LETTERS

By D Magazine |

OPTIONS COMPENSATION

I AM WRITING IN REGARD TO YOUR ARTICLE “The Most Overpaid (and Underpaid) Chief Executives in Dallas” [November 1996]. As a regular reader of D Magazine for many years. I am extremely disappointed at the lowering of your editorial standards, particularly in this article.

Specifically, the article’s coverage of James L. Donald, CEO of DSC Communications, misled your readers to believe his 1995 compensation package was already paid to him or is guaranteed. This is absolutely not the case.

The article focuses primarily on grants of 2.15 million shares of DSC stock provided to Mr. Donald. It is important to note that these options were provided to him only after DSC stockholders approved this grant in April 1996, and are valueless unless DSC’s stock price doubles from the price DSC stock was trading at the time they were granted or a period of nine and one-half years from the date of grant.

Mr. Donald is the entrepreneur who brought DSC from its position in 1981 as a start-up company to a mature industry leader with close to $1.5 billion in 1995 revenue. Mr. Donald is an industry leader, innovator and most importantly, an entrepreneur.

RAYMOND T. ADAMS

VP, Corporate Communications DSC Communications



Author’s Note: Mr. Adams ’statement that my article “misled your readers to believe his 1995 compensation package was already paid to him or is guaranteed” is patently false. 1 went to considerable length to show the high risk associated with Mr. Donald s stock options, citing in the article the 36 percent probability that he would make nothing from them.

Speaking of risk, it is one thing to be a Lee Iacocca, who, when he joined Chrysler, took $1 a year in salary, no bonus and a ton of stock options. And it is another thing to be a James Donald. The same study that showed Mr. Donald’s total compensation to be 1,711 percent over the market also showed that his base salary of $9J9,492 was 67 percent above what a competitive-paying company would offer a CEO to run a company the size of DSC Communications. And it went on to reveal that Mr. Donald’s $5.6 million combination of base salary and annual bonus was 396 percent above what a competitive-paying company would offer for a company with DSC Communications’ size and performance. That pattern of excess in every major form of compensation, not merely in stock options alone, demonstrates to me that Mr. Donald’s idea of financial safety is like crossing Niagara Falls on a high wire with a safety net six inches under. It’s a safety-net his shareholders don’t have.



THE POWER OF PINK

I FEEL KlMBERLY GOAD WROTE A FINE ARTIcle on “The Pink Mafia” [November 1996], But, as the gay owner of an ethical and honest business-which has been intimidated by the real Mafia-I find the use of the word “mafia” terribly offensive!

Calling organized gays and lesbians “mafia” is simply awful, especially since none of the gays and lesbians I know share the character traits with the Mafia folks I’ve encountered.

Furthermore, I liken those words on your cover to the process of selling a home that’s stunningly beautiful inside but which has awful curb appeal. Many folks would simply drive by the house without ever looking for the gems inside. Please use better judgement in titling your next article on gays and lesbians.

DAVID J. WOZNIAK

CARROLLTON



I enjoyed most of klmberly goad’s arti-cle, at least the parts that chronicled the history of the gay and lesbian organization in Dallas. However, I feel that her chart dividing the gay community into “A-Gays” and “Declasse” was unnecessary and did not lend power or credibility to her article.

The most glaring fault of this piece is the main title: “The Pink Mafia.” Obviously, it was used for sensationalism and shock value-a way to sell more magazines. Most of my dictionaries define mafia as “a secret society of criminals” or ’’any group characterized by an attitude of popular hostility to law and government.” Parents of gays and lesbians certainly do not associate these definitions with our children.

One of my dictionaries had definition No. 3: “any exclusive or dominating group.” Whoever chose the title must think this excuses the use of the term. Ethically, it does not, because we all know that few people are aware of that definition and the word is rarely used that way. The term is misleading and has a negative connotation.
PAT STONE

President, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays/Dallas



I READ WITH INTEREST AND SOME INDIGNAtion Kimberly Goad’s personal perception of Dallas’ gay community. While her exposure to our community has provided her with some limited insight as to how some of us choose (and are able) to live, she missed entirely the main focus: gay power.

It could be easily argued that the two most widely recognized, predominantly gay organizations in the country are the Cathedral of Hope and the Turtle Creek Chorale. Clearly to Ms. Goad’s chagrin, both have an enviable list of achievements, and both have far exceeded their original goals and aspirations of bringing all the citizens of Dallas together as one people. Yet, Ms. Goad chose instead to focus on the Federal Club, which is considered by most to be a social outlet rather than an organization to effect change.

Not all Dallas A-Gays fit Ms. Goad’s narrowly defined stereotype. Many of us, despite the fact that we are sometimes on tile front lines, have our own interests, our own agendas and our own community organizations to support. Does that make us “declasse”?

JAMES N. SIMMONS, MBA, CPA

DALLAS



I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I respect a magazine for printing a story about such a taboo topic. However, I am disappointed that you looked upon the rest of the gay community in such a derogatory way. Some of Dallas’ money may be within the “Pink Mafia,” but without the drag queens and the other people down on Cedar Springs, the movement would not have come as far as it has. Without those of us who do not have a lot of money fighting for our rights, “The Pink Mafia” would not have had a leg to stand on.

SHAWNE EWERT

DALLAS



HAVING BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A HATEFULLY inaccurate, homophobic hatchet job in the Dallas Observer last summer, I must compliment Kimberly Goad for her objectivity, her unbiased reporting, sticking to the facts and leaving opinions to the reader.

HARRY PRESTON

GARLAND



DECLASSE? HARDLY. MY PARTNER AND I have a combined annual income well above that required for entry into “A-Gay” society. We, however, still remember which side our bread is buttered on and support those “declasse” institutions that support us. Besides. Parigi won’t valet my Chevy Dually.

MARC L.W. MORRIS

UNIVERSITY PARK



I CAN SEE IT AS IT MUST HAVE HAPPENED, Mr. Allison and Ms. Goad in a meeting.

“Say, we haven’t done a story on gays in at least 10 years. Let’s do some gay bashing.”

“OK, but it will have to be really subtle. Maybe we should slant it toward the more wealthy among the community, to add legitimacy to the suspicion that gays are a wealthy and influential minority not in need of civil rights protections.”

“We could nail it down by calling the piece ’The Pink Mafia.’ Then their lobbying for equal rights will sound illegal and underhanded, even if we don’t say it is.”

“Yeah, and we should probably pretty much ignore lesbians, since people don’t like to be reminded that there are women among the gay population.”

“And no one in the gay/lesbian community will dare complain, since they know the social right will be outraged that we did the piece at all.”

Brilliant strategy. Pathetic journalism.

CHUCK DONALDSON

DALLAS

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