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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Re-registration not needed to remain on don't-call list
Question: I had put my name on the national Do Not Call Registry, but I read somewhere that the list expired after five years and now I'm getting marketing calls again. How do I get back on that list again? It seemed to work.
Answer: For now your number remains on the list.
In October the Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the registry, said it would not drop any numbers pending a congressional or agency decision on whether to make registration permanent.
Nothing has changed since then.
When the Do Not Call Registry took effect in 2003, the plan was to require re-registration after five years. More than 145 million phone numbers have since been registered.
The idea was to get rid of disconnected or reassigned numbers with the requirement for re-registration, balancing the need to maintain accuracy with the imposition of re-registration on consumers.
However, according to the FTC, several changes have occurred since the registry was established, including the increased use of cell phones and telephone number portability and a monthly "scrubbing program" that removes disconnected or reassigned numbers.
For more information, check www.donotcall.gov. You can also continue to register phone numbers at that site or by calling, toll-free, (888) 382-1222.
Q: I have called the Board of Water Supply twice about contacting someone in charge of the parking lot fronting the post office at Richards and Merchant streets. Every afternoon, the sprinklers go on, and about 90 percent of water ends up running down the drain. Talk about water waste. It seems that the BWS hot line does not really take these matters seriously.
A: Based on your complaint to "Kokua Line," the BWS contacted the city's Division of Road Maintenance.
"They will check the sprinkler system and follow up with the appropriate repairs and/or adjustments," said BWS spokeswoman Wanda Yamane.
She said calls to the Water Waste Hotline are "followed up promptly" with whatever agency, business or property owner might be involved.
"We also encourage complainants to contact the organization or individual directly, which can often result in a faster response," Yamane said.
Asked if anyone had received your complaint before we stepped in, Yamane said the BWS did not have a written record of receiving any call regarding the parking lot. She said staff sometimes will keep personal logs of calls they might be working on, but no one had such a record.
There are several published BWS telephone numbers that the public may use. Yamane said people should make sure to call 748-5041 for water-waste complaints.
The more specific and detailed information provided by callers about the location or address, times and kind of waste, "the quicker the BWS can respond to the problem," she said.
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers