Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Is it true that by the year 1999, the Social Security Administration will stop sending our checks by mail and we have to open a checking or savings account for direct deposit? Social Security makes
exceptions on depositsYes and no.
By January 1999, "we would like to give everyone payment by direct deposit or electronic fund transfer, but there will be exceptions to that," said Tim Walsh, spokesman for the local Social Security Administration office.
The U.S. Treasury Department wants to eliminate most paper checks by next year, including those to Social Security and Veterans Administration recipients.
In fact, people with bank accounts who started receiving federal checks as of July 26, 1996, had no choice but to receive them electronically.
The idea is to cut down on theft, delays and mailing costs.
However, the Treasury Department will publish exceptions to the new requirement, probably in August, Walsh said.
Physical difficulties that may prevent someone from accessing a bank account or geographic problems are expected to be among the reasons for granting exceptions.
"It will probably be a fairly open approach, without a lot of paperwork," Walsh said.
He noted that the majority of recipients already receive their payments by direct deposit.
For information or to sign up: Call 1-800-772-1213; or go to the Social Security Administration (Prince Kuhio Federal Building, Room 1123) or your bank.
On Wednesday, when I got to the H-3 freeway turnoff about 1 p.m. to head to Kaneohe, a sign indicated it was closed. People who were caught unawares would suddenly swerve to get out of the turnoff lane. Two drivers in front of me did that, almost causing serious accidents. When I got home, I checked the paper and saw nothing about this, neither did I hear anything on the radio. I called the state highway hot line and there was nothing. I called the state and they said Hawaiian Electric Co. closed the H-3. Why was there no notice? The Star-Bulletin received notice of a planned 10-11 a.m. closure of the H-3 about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Nothing was published yesterday because the project would have been completed by the time most people would read the paper. There was a notice published in the morning Advertiser.
The highway hot line -- 536-6566 -- notes roadwork being done by the state Department of Transportation, said spokeswoman Marilyn Kali. It will also list permit work, such as the one involving Heco, if it gets advance notice.
Heco spokesman Fred Kobashikawa said there was little time to give much notice.
On Sunday, Heco discovered a problem with a major transmission line. By the time crews figured out how to make repairs, it was Tuesday, Kobashikawa said.
The H-3 was closed only for about seven minutes, beginning at noon Wednesday, when a helicopter was used to pull the line across the freeway. But several "Men Working Ahead" signs were up until 3 p.m., Kobashikawa said. As far as he could determine, there was no "road closed" sign posted.
No lanes were closed except between noon and 12:07 p.m., so, "There was no reason to ask people to take an alternate route," Kobashikawa said. The signs were meant only to warn drivers to be careful, he said.
Re the item the other day about buildings in Windward Oahu not being clearly marked. It's a problem throughout Honolulu -- federal, county, state buildings, service stations, fast-food restaurants. You can't find an address when you're driving around. If the larger property owners were forced to comply with the law, it would make it a lot easier for the rest of us. -- J.N. Auwe
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com
