Mike Welch's reference to the Los Angeles Area Cooperative Advertising Program in his March 19th column ("Surveys, Bankruptcy, Affiliation, Ads, forum, and More") compels me to applaud his support of the initiative, and to give a large credit union's perspective on the need for such a program at precisely this time. Mike mentioned that it was unfortunate that this campaign would launch at the same time the bankers' attacks heated up. Our view? The timing couldn't be better. Although not planned, we think it is fortuitous that this campaign's launch coincides with the latest heat from the banks' lobby. Our only question, "Why did it take so long?" As a large credit union in this area, we think it's high time the credit union story became mainstream in greater Los Angeles. What fueled this campaign was the compelling research that more consumers would take advantage of the services credit unions offer if they only knew they could. The campaign is all about educating the consumer and creating top-of-mind awareness in this marketplace. This particular campaign took 18 months to get off the ground, raising just over $1 million, from 50 participating credit unions. And what great value all Los Angeles area credit unions are receiving from the improved awareness and image enhancement! In addition, there are now a couple of successful efforts in other jurisdictions in this state. Kinecta spearheaded this cooperative initiative to benefit small and large credit unions alike from the start. We are proud to be a part of this initiative and hope that over time, more credit unions will see the benefit of pooling their funds to sustain a campaign that creates top-of-mind consideration for their business regardless of specific field of membership. Paul James Chairman Kinecta Federal Credit Union Manhattan Beach, Calif.