SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE ADVERTISING Here we go again Remember when the “East Hawaii Social Security Office” (let’s call it what it is) granted westside taxpayers “an audience” if we were willing to make the minimum four-hour round-
SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE
Here we go again
Remember when the “East Hawaii Social Security Office” (let’s call it what it is) granted westside taxpayers “an audience” if we were willing to make the minimum four-hour round- trip drive to Hilo, and, hope to be seen because, it did not allow appointments — first come, first served?
Then, they started coming to Kona once a month, and westside taxpayers still had to hope to be seen since the hours were shortened (the poor federal bureaucrats had to make the same four-hour drive), the demand was so great, and, still, no appointments. And, we had to wait in the sun with no chairs. It took some Washington politico getting involved before chairs were provided in the shade, and said politico (and the eastside SSA boss) was fast to boast about that common sense solution.
It was still only one day a month, with shortened hours.
Then we heard the pitiful, sad story about why they couldn’t even keep up the one-day-a-month schedule. At that point, I called one of the eastside SSA honchos with a partial solution — allow appointments for westside taxpayers on certain days of the week. The honcho agreed it was a good idea. Well, we all know that policy was never implemented.
Now, another D.C. politico and the same eastside SSA boss are bragging about the new and improved situation. Twice a month, we now have a chance to speak to someone via some type of government Skype, or whatever. It’s still, no appointments and only four hours each time, so, basically, in total, back to one day a month. This is a pitiful attempt to rectify the problem.
I have two questions for the aMAI-zing Ms. Hirono: “Really?” and “Can you spell shibai”?
Although this is a federal matter, it affects all westside taxpayers who live on the Big Island. Mayor, are you really gonna wait until the president has to get involved? I’m sure that a face-to-face meeting with the eastside SSA folks over a couple bentos could solve this ridiculous, unfair situation.
You think, maybe, a whole bunch of phone calls, letters and emails to the mayor’s office would help convince him to act?
Wally Camp
Kailua-Kona
