Michael Pascoe’s article, “Ken Lay beats Enron rap” (yesterday, item 22)
insults not only Mike Milken, but also the hundreds of people who have worked
with him – many for decades – on his various non-profit initiatives.

“Trying to repair his reputation” was the
farthest thing from his mind when he started his philanthropy in the 1970s, a
decade before any legal issues arose.
That’s when he began to focus on medical research. He formalised his individual efforts in early
1982 (when few people had ever heard of him) with the formation of the Milken
Family Foundation, which was to be endowed with several hundred million
dollars. Over the past quarter century,
the Milken Family Foundation has been one of America’s
most innovative forces for the advancement of education and medical
research. These have been Mike’s
lifelong passions and they have nothing to do with concern for his
reputation.

Despite your cynicism,
Mike’s focus is on saving lives, not polishing his image. I work shoulder
to shoulder with him and I’m constantly amazed by the depth of his compassion,
the abundance of his energy and the effectiveness of his ideas in action. Thousands of people are walking around today
who would be in their graves if not for Mike.
The facile dismissal of this great man’s work as just some PR ploy aimed
at redemption says more about Mr Pascoe than about Mike Milken. You owe him an apology.