I can relate to the article "Bank of Jim Crow" by Sarah Fenske [August 16]. The lease for my beauty salon (established for 19 years) was not renewed, and I needed a loan for a building. I had a 30 percent down payment for the building, had paid off loans on a car and aluminum siding, and had bought a home with a loan. I thought it would be easy to get a loan. Only one bank offered a loan, but with a 15-year repayment, it made the payments too high. So, I had the exact experience that the author describes: The broker fee was separate, and I encountered a higher interest rate. I had to be grateful that the Money Store gave me a loan at all, since my own bank (Ameritrust), where I've done business for years, wouldn't even give me an appointment.
However, with the help of loyal customers and advertisers, I am still in business and haven't missed my subprime payments. To me, it is just another example of highly educated American businesspeople who lack the principles of doing the best they can for their customers. They make as much as they can before they're caught.
Bonnie Fencl
Lakewood
Beware the con man around the corner:
Tom Francis's article "Con Man of the Year" [August 9] was most enjoyable. Believe it or not, I gravitate toward stories about people getting snookered by the con men and women living among us. Surely I do not take pleasure in the malady of the innocent victim. However, stories like these continually remind us how fragile the human condition is and how talent can be most nefarious.
Thank you for this entertaining, humorous, and very sad story of the lawless and the contemptible. Your excellent work once again demonstrates how the scofflaw can effortlessly detach the innocent from their fortunes and mental health.
Dennis McCabe
Akron
Louis Pumphrey thanks his adversary. Kind of:
Just a brief note from this corner to express my gratitude to Rick Vodicka for his charitable comments about me ["Raving Over a Tired Rant," August 2] and my pro-life letter ["Hypocrites Is More Like It," July 5].
Although we agree to disagree about the abortion issue, I greatly admire Mr. Vodicka's restraint in focusing only on the abortion issue and not indulging in personal insults. I especially appreciated his comment about me being a "Bible-thumping, conservative fool." Very nice. Thank you. Also, Mr. Vodicka's insightful observation about "pro-life halfwits . . . kissing Jesus's ass" was particularly gracious, thoughtful, and tasteful. Never let it be said that Mr. Vodicka lacks class.
Louis Pumphrey
Shaker Heights
Mayoral hopes fuel Komarjanski:
In reply to the letter to the editor "Straying Off-Base" from August 9 [about the article "The Mistake in Eastlake," July 12]: Randy Corturillo's comment sounds a little biased to me. Obviously, Mr. Corturillo didn't get all the information from Komarjanski while talking about the stadium. Or when Eastlake's council decided on an architect and Komarjanski voted right along with the rest of the council. Or when Komarjanski was at the various meetings during the first part of 2000: At every committee presentation, he had the chance to question the members and evidently decided not to.
Let's not forget the unions. Komarjanski is trying to take work from the very unions he had asked for endorsements. All of labor in the surrounding area of Eastlake is supporting this enterprise.
Here's another piece I bet Komarjanski didn't tell Corturillo: Komarjanski didn't start to vote against the stadium until he decided to run for mayor. A survey was completed in 2000, before any stadium move was made, and anyone who had a question or comment had the opportunity to voice it. Not many came from Komarjanski.
Ron Plumb
Eastlake
