Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: I was at a popular convenience store, and someone used food stamps to purchase three large slushy drinks, a couple of bags of Cheetos and some pork hash. Why is that they're able to use EBT (electronic benefits transfer) food stamp cards for things like a slush and snack chips? Aren't there restrictions? Food stamps exclude
convenience foodsAnswer: In general, anything meant to be consumed immediately would not be allowed.
"If it's not meant for consumption at home, then it's really not allowed," explained Diana Callaway, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in San Francisco. The USDA oversees the food stamp program, which is meant to help low-income people buy eligible food in authorized retail food stores "to improve their diets."
Federal regulations say food stamps can be used "to buy any food or food product for human consumption, and seeds and plants for use in home gardens to produce food."
Food stamps cannot be used to buy alcoholic beverages, tobacco, vitamins, medicines, pet foods, nonfood items (except seeds and plants), lunch counter items or foods to be eaten in the store.
Cheetos, potato chips or any other snack food that can be taken home to eat may be purchased with food stamps, Callaway said. But slushy drinks made on the premises and made to be consumed immediately would not qualify; neither would plate lunches, hamburgers or other such foods purchased at fast-food outlets, she said.
However, regulations say restaurants in some areas can be authorized to accept food stamps from qualified homeless, elderly or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals.
Asked how the USDA monitors compliance, Callaway says it relies on tips from the public but also conducts management evaluations.
"We do go into stores and make sure they are in compliance with our regulations," she said. With the EBT system, there is also a "paper trail" that can be followed, and "we can monitor that as well. If there is something that doesn't look quite right, that would give us cause to go into a store and monitor it a little more frequently."
If you have concerns or suspect misuse, you can call 1-800-424-9121, which is the USDA inspector general's hot line to report fraud in USDA programs.
Have a traffic fine? Pay on the Web
The state Judiciary says motorists who get traffic tickets now have an alternative to mail-in payment: Payment by credit card is now accepted via the Internet or telephone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.For a fee ranging from $1.50 to $5.50 depending on the fine, credit card holders can make payments by calling 1-800-423-3841 or by going to the Hawaii State Judiciary's Web site at http://www.state.hi.us/jud. Click on "Fines."
Online and telephone payments can be made using Visa, MasterCard, JCB or American Express. Citation and vehicle license plate numbers must be provided.
Only current parking, moving and miscellaneous violations can be paid, such as parking violations no more than 30 days after the issuance date, or moving and equipment violations at least 24 hours before the court date. The system will not accept any payments for moving and equipment violations less than 24 hours before a court date. Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays are not considered part of the 24-hour period before a court date.
Payments for criminal violations, as well as those related to harbors, airports, plants and animals, are not being accepted online or by phone.
Mahalo
My family went to Kim Chee II in Kaimuki recently when, unknown to us, my wife's cell phone fell out of her bag. A big mahalo to the person who turned it in to Kim Chee II's management for us to retrieve. -- C&K
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Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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