By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q: Half of the safety inspection sticker on my car with the month on it has almost completely peeled off. Where would I go to get a replacement, as I don't think gluing or taping it back on would be a long-term solution? Do the safety inspection stations keep stickers with months other than the current month?

A: The state Department of Transportation rules regarding safety inspections covers only "replacement of lost, stolen or destroyed stickers," not ones that may still be on the car, according to DMV administrator Dennis Kamimura. He recommends that you return to the same inspection station, with the inspection forms you should have left in your vehicle. If the sticker cannot be saved, the inspection station should replace it with the same month and year of expiration and issue new certificates of inspection indicating new emblem serial numbers. A fee of not more than $5 may be charged, Kamimura said.

Q: I moved to O'ahu three years ago. I still don't know the structure of the government here. I know Linda Lingle is governor and Jeremy Harris is mayor of Honolulu. Are there any charts available that outline the government system? How can I find out who my local representatives are?

A: One of the most useful tools for anyone trying to navigate the bureaucracy in Hawai'i is the "Directory of State, County and Federal

Officials." It lists the names, telephone numbers and district jurisdictions for all Hawai'i's elected officials, including your congressional members, state Senate and House members and city or county representatives. It also gives a pretty good listing of state and county agencies and how to contact them.

The book is compiled each year by the state Legislative Reference Bureau and comes out in the late winter or early spring. It costs $4 and can be purchased at the LRB library in the basement of the State Capitol, diamondhead side of the building. An online version is available at www.state .hi.us/lrb/dir/dir.pdf.

To get a primer on how government in Hawai'i works, check out "The Guide to Government in Hawai'i," also put together by the Legislative Reference Bureau and available at its library for $5. It is online at www.state.hi.us /lrb/gd/gdgovhi.pdf.

Hard copies of both publications should also be available in the reference areas of public libraries.

Do you ever get frustrated or confused trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:

• E-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.

Be sure to give us your name and daytime telephone number.