My letter is in response to the article "GM gets Jolt from Electric Volt" (Oct. 2). Bob Boniface, director of design for E-flex systems at GM, stated, "This is the first car from a manufacturer that really promises to save on gas and emissions." Does the EV1 ring a bell?

GM was the first company to produce an electric car (EV1 got 160 miles per charge) from 1996-1999, and it was GM and Big Oil that led to the demise of the EV1 program in late 2003 -- despite unfulfilled waiting lists and positive feedback from the EV1 owners.

Does GM honestly believe the American people are that naive or forgetful? If GM wants to give the country a "Jolt," disclose the real reason they abruptly discontinued production of the EV1. Or, is Big Oil paying them to keep that a secret as well?

DENISE D. DREON
Bridgeville

In your Oct. 12 business story about George Miles and his extensive number of outside board commitments ("WQED Chief on AIG Board, Several Others"), he is quoted as saying: "I have not clocked the time, but I do spend a lot of time. ... You're expected to be prepared. You're expected to participate. I love that. I absolutely love that."

How wonderful for George Miles that he's so thrilled with his excessive participation on outside corporate boards and committees, including the board of now-infamous AIG, the bankrupt insurer bailed out by U.S. taxpayers to the tune of $85 billion. How much time, though, does this really leave Mr. Miles to successfully complete the tasks of his day job -- running WQED Multimedia Inc.?

And how successfully is he really doing that job when he's pulling down nearly $1 million a year in directors' fees for serving on other companies' boards?

If you're the highly paid CEO of a publicly funded media conglomerate, you're also expected to be prepared and to participate in the operation of that organization. How prepared is Mr. Miles for his 9-to-5 job? How much does he participate? How much does he "love that ... absolutely love that?"

LARRY SLATER
Mt. Lebanon