Article February 25, 2002 Issue

Morals, morale, and money

Outside/inside views of Enron's downfall

Warren Bolon Sentinel Staff

ER is well-known medical shorthand for emergency room. Today it also could stand for Enron Revealed. In a sense, there is a kind of spiritual triage being practiced by many people directly and indirectly affected by the collapse of America's former eighth largest corporation. And there are already large lessons that can be drawn from their response to this emergency.

"It's been so jarring. People are in shock over what's happened," Houston resident Suzie Cadey says, speaking of Enron's sudden downfall and the 4,500 workers laid off. "Enron was the pillar of Houston business, the exciting place to work. They generously supported the arts and local charities in Houston." Cadey, a former special events coordinator for the Houston Ballet and fundraiser for UNICEF, notes that Enron could be counted on for several donations every year for the ballet's operations and events.

Cadey has compassion for those who have been hurt in this corporate Greek tragedy, but she also sees a connection between the Enron aftermath in Houston, and the impact on congregations and parishioners after revelations of child sexual abuse by clergy. "It's the issue of trust and betrayal. In both cases people were putting their trust in a human institution, or in human beings, in something other than God. In Houston, employees thought, 'Enron will take care of us. We've hit the jackpot.' And we hear on the media these sad stories of people who've lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or millions [in retirement savings].

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