Kokua Line: Will smaller airports close in Hawaii? | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Question: I saw on the news that TSA is saying small airports might shut down because of the funding lapse. Is Hawaii included in this? Would it affect the neighbor islands?

Answer: No, Hawaii is not included, according to the state Department of Transportation, which issued a statement Friday to reassure the public that all Hawaii airports “are being staffed and will remain open and operational.”

U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials have been quoted in national media as saying that the federal budget impasse over funding for parts of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA, has taken such a toll on airport security screeners, who aren’t being paid, that many are no longer showing up for work. As absences increase, lines at airport security checkpoints get longer. One proposed solution, at least on the mainland, is to close smaller airports and redeploy TSA screeners to larger, busier ones. But that’s not the case in Hawaii, according to DOT.

“All of our airports, including our smaller airports on the neighbor islands, are vital transportation links for our residents and visitors and they will remain open to serve the traveling public,” Hawaii DOT Director Ed Sniffen said in the news release. “HDOT is in close communication with our federal partners impacted by the partial shutdown and we want to thank them for keeping our airports staffed and ensuring they remain operational, while minimizing disruptions to travelers. We appreciate the commitment of our dedicated federal workers and their families, who are again facing uncertainty due to the partial shutdown. We will continue to support these individuals who we work closely with on a daily basis, so they can continue to provide critical service to air travelers.”

The TSA funding lapse began Feb. 14.

Q: Please make sure that people on SNAP know they might be able to get help replacing food they had to throw out because of the power outages during the first Kona low. They wouldn’t seek help from HECO, but from the state.

A: Yes, Hawaii’s Department of Human Services says replacement benefits are available for eligible participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program who lost food during the first Kona low storm, March 13-15, due to power outages. “SNAP replacement benefits allow eligible households to be reimbursed for food, purchased with SNAP benefits, that was destroyed. The replacement amount will be based on the value of food lost, not to exceed the total monthly SNAP benefit issued to the household,” DHS said in a news release.

For more information and to download an application, go to humanservices.hawaii.gov. Eligible SNAP households can apply by contacting any DHS Processing Center or by calling the Public Assistance Information Line at 1-855-643-1643, the news release said.

Hawaii residents ineligible for this aid may call 211 or go to auw211.org for information about other food resources.

Q: Why is our starred driver’s license not considered an enhanced ID?

A: Hawaii’s federally compliant driver’s license or state ID (starred), also known as a REAL ID, prove that the holder is lawfully in the United States, not that they are a U.S. citizen — although most applicants are and had submitted proof of that with their application, using a U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport, for example, to establish their legal name, legal presence and date of birth.

However, noncitizens lawfully in the U.S. also can obtain a REAL ID in Hawaii or another state; the starred credential alone is not proof of citizenship.

By contrast, enhanced driver’s licenses, issued by only five states, all of which border Canada, establish proof of identity and U.S. citizenship. “EDLs are a low-cost, convenient option for entering the United States from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean through a land or sea port of entry, in addition to serving as a permit to drive,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mahalo

Please express a mahalo for all the neighbors who are helping each other get through these storms. And the people who are working through it — everyone from the mail delivery people to the bus drivers to the heavy-equipment operators and of course the emergency responders. I have lived on Oahu all my long life and this is bad. — A reader

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.