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Special-duty sheriffs
guard credit union

Question: Why are state sheriffs being used as security for the Hawaii State Federal Credit Union on Halekauwila Street? I understand the credit union is a separate entity and not a state office, but they have two uniformed sheriffs with side arms at the entrance to the parking area and credit union building. Why are my tax dollars being used for security for this credit union?

Answer: Your tax dollars aren't being spent on the security, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety.

The sheriffs you see are "special duty" officers hired by the credit union, said Michael Gaede.

He compared it to police officers being hired to do special-duty work at construction sites or parades.

The sheriffs are off duty from their state jobs and are paid by the credit union, he said. They are allowed to wear their sheriff's uniforms and gear because the Public Safety Department has sanctioned the off-duty jobs, he said.

According to its Web site, the Hawaii State Federal Credit Union "is a nonprofit financial cooperative owned and operated by its members who are state employees, on the island of Oahu and their immediate families."

Bus stop trash

In the Jan. 11 "Kokua Line," a reader asked why there were no trash containers at bus stops at Queen and Cooke streets. After looking into the situation, the city Department of Transportation Services has installed containers at both stops.

One determining factor is whether there is enough space at a stop to meet requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act, noted Glenn Moir, a transportation planner with the department.

Shipping charges

Sunday's "Kokua Line" responded to a complaint about Intuit charging "extra" to ship products to Hawaii. Intuit responded that it chooses to use FedEx and DHL over the U.S. Postal Service in shipping its products to Hawaii, resulting in priority shipping costs plus an extra $7.50 charged by the carriers.

Because of the complaint, an Intuit spokeswoman said the company would consider using the Postal Service "to offer standard (postal) service to Hawaii for our noncheck products."

That item also brought these responses:

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