The Development Bank of American Samoa’s interest freeze program, the Medicaid Program, the Territorial Administration of Aging Office’s Hot Meal Program, cops leaving DPS, and Hawaiian Air fares were issues brought up during a final town hall meeting of the Faoa Sanitoa gubernatorial team in Leone last Friday afternoon.
One participant brought up the Loan interest freeze program at DBAS saying they have been informed of the bank’s special treatment of certain people.
The man said some senior citizens have taken out loans of about $20,000 form DBAS and are still paying them.
They are asking if the bank could forgive their loans or at least freeze the interests on their loan payment like the bank is doing with certain people.
Another elderly citizen said he cannot believe that the current administration allowed the hot meal program and said this is a disrespectful act against the senior citizens of Tutuila and Manu’a.
He said a lot of senior citizens don’t eat the hot meals anymore because by the time they pick up their plates, the food has spoiled
He begged Faoa and Sanitoa to resume the food voucher program.
TAOA has repeatedly explained that American Samoa was the last jurisdiction which had not converted from the food voucher program to hot meals and the federal grantor had warned that if TAOA doesn’t comply, it would lose funding for the meal program all together.
On Hawaiian Air’s high fares, Faoa told the gathering Governor Lolo and the administration have tried their best to negotiate with the airline.
He joked perhaps if elected they will perform an ifoga or ceremony of reconciliation to Hawaiian Air.
