Letters to the Editor

Bank of Hawai'i isn't the bank it used to be

As 30-plus-year patrons of Bank of Hawai'i, we cannot wait to thank the people at Bankoh for ending their profit-losing Far East services business to increase their profits at home.

Too bad that also apparently includes reducing and ending many of their services to small businesses and individuals.

For example, their recent termination of VISA cards and replacement with American Express mean many cannot pay some bills to merchants who don't accept the higher-cost Amex cards. Bank of Hawai'i did not notify or offer to provide its own merchants (such as our business) with replacement service. Many people and businesses cannot complete some preauthorized charges with those merchants (local and online) who don't take Amex.

Bankoh had already made the VISA business a pain by moving all payments and customer "service" to the Mainland, where they don't know or care about us. Now when we call locally about other matters, they no longer have customer service personnel who will return calls to explain, much less apologize, for charging for services we did not authorize, for withdrawals from accounts without notice or authorization, for taking four days to send an "instantaneous" money wire transfer requested by fax to our "personal banker," or for having mortgage and business lease and loan rates that are no longer competitive. Ê

What happened to caring about and servicing your customers? Time for all of us to move, I guess.

Elbridge and Diane Smith
Kailua

Neighborhood board vote shows commitment

Thank you to all those who voted in the neighborhood board elections. It shows that you are willing to do something about your community and state.

If you have an issue or a concern, do something about it, get involved, be pro-active, go to your neighborhood board meeting to speak out. In the primary and general elections, please vote. Your vote does make a difference.

Carolyn Tsukayma-Walther
Palolo Neighborhood Board

Roosters' 'racket' is part of Wahiawa history

Regarding Madison Clark's May 5 letter "Roosters' racket begins early in the morning": For your information, Wahiawa is a historically rural area with a history of livestock and unpaved roads. That part of history will be a remnant in some areas of your community.

It is rather narrow-minded to assume that rooster owners are "bums" or "bad guys," as you so bluntly stated. I do agree there are some owners who participate in chicken fighting, illegal gambling and drug dealing, but those are totally separate issues that have nothing to do with the noise you consider a nuisance.

If your allegations about your neighbors are true, then you should focus on those issues rather than taking it out on the roosters. One suggestion is to simply find another place where there are less signs of rural activity so that you can rest from your so-called "worn-out workday."

Just one piece of advice: Wherever you go, I'm sure you'll come across another nuisance, such as traffic noise in town and nightlife activities that attract illegal gambling, drug dealing and prostitution. Good luck.

N. Grace Santiago-Fowler
Mililani

Peer Ed program helps many students

Many people obviously don't realize how beneficial the Peer Ed program is to the youth in Hawai'i's high schools. If the people who cut the funding for Peer Ed knew how much the program helped out, they would be increasing the funding instead of cutting it.

Peer Ed may impact a few students tremendously, but most importantly, it helps out all of its students at least a little so that in some way it improves their way of living. For each student that Peer Ed touches directly, there are countless others whom it affects indirectly through its students and activities.

Instead of spending more money for programs that affect people after the problem, why don't they fund programs like Peer Ed, which helps prevent problems?

Adam Tamayoshi
'Aiea High School Peer Education program

Veteran teachers lost out in contract

Auw« to the teacher contract that resulted from the second strike of top, experienced veteran teachers. These veteran teachers' raise will be so minuscule that they lost, not only in 1974 but also in 2001.

Their minute raise (actually a loss, considering the strikes) effectively told them, "Get out ... we don't want you anymore." What a way to show our appreciation for their years of dedication and loyalty to the children of Hawai'i.

For all those who will benefit from the settlement, remember that it was the "old-timers" who gave of themselves to make your future a brighter one.

Joan Victoria
'Aiea