Re: your March 27 article, “County owes many; is your name on list?”

This effort by the county to reach people for whom they are holding money is laudable in some respects, but laughable in another. If you read through the entire list, you will find schools, such as Portola Elementary; large chain stores still operating at multiple locations, such as Costco or Target; and banks such as Wells Fargo and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust; and even the United States Post Office. In the case of individuals, it is understandable. People leave the area and do not know about these very small amounts, but how can these noted companies and agencies not be found?

While I have not seen the paperwork involved, I would not be surprised if that is part of the problem. If it is anything like trying to claim money from the state, it can be more trouble than it is worth, especially for amounts under $100.

Then one must wonder why someone at a company, school or agency that is contacted does not follow through in some way. According to a woman in the treasury office, many of the contacts are made with known owners, but for some reason, they never complete the process. Again, is it the government bureaucracy or the company chain of responsibility, the "it's not my problem" syndrome?

Whatever the reasons may be, it is a bit annoying to see evidence of money, no matter what the amount, being wasted or ignored by public institutions that are always underfunded. And it is even more irritating to me to see banks and large companies that regularly find ways to pinch more from their customers to let these things fall through cracks due to ignorance, unaccountability, or an I-don't-have-time attitude.

— Wes Fish, Ventura