Myth Blaster: Free Cell Phones for Welfare Recipients
Obama Government Giveaway: Cell phones for welfare recipients?
Email sent by Joan Bartelson:
Trillion dollar+ budget deficits for the fiscal year 2009 and the money keep flowing! Must be ultra income redistribution! I couldn’t believe this, so I went to the web site and learned that about half of the states offer these Obama phones. I had a former employee call me earlier today inquiring about a job, and at the end of the conversation he gave me his phone number. I asked the former employee if this was a new cell phone number and he told me yes this was his “Obama phone.” I asked him what an “Obama phone” was and he went on to say that welfare recipients are now eligible to receive (1) a FREE new phone and (2) approx 70 minutes of FREE minutes every month. I was a little skeptical so I Google’d it and low and behold he was telling the truth. TAX PAYER MONEY IS BEING REDISTRIBUTED TO WELFARE RECIPIENTS FOR FREE CELL PHONES. This program was started earlier this year. Enough is enough. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window. You can click on the link below to read more about the “Obama phone”…just have a barf bag ready.
IF YOU ARE NOT TICKED OFF YET, WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO MAKE YOU FURIOUS?
Myth Blaster Verdict:
TRUE. This chain email provided a link to back up the claim.
At SafeLink Wireless it explains who qualifies for a cell phone:
The process to qualify for Lifeline Service depends on the State you live in. In general, you may qualify if …
1. You already participate in other State or Federal assistance programs such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid.
OR
2. Your total household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by your State and/or the Federal Government.
AND
3. No one in your household currently receives Lifeline Service through another phone carrier.
4. You have a valid United States postal address. In order for us to ship you your free phone you must live at a residence that can receive mail from the U.S> Post Office. Sorry, but P.O. Boxes cannot be accepted.
In addition to meeting the guidelines above you will also be required to provide proof of your participation in an assistance program, or proof of your income level.
The web page then provides a box to put your zip code in to see if your area offers the free cell phone. According to the site services are offered in parts of the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin with plans to begin offering service soon in the States listed below.
Lifeline Assistance is part of a program that was created by the government to provide discounted or free telephone service to income-eligible consumers. To help bring you this important benefit, SafeLink Wireless is proud to offer Lifeline Service. Through our Lifeline Service you will receive FREE cellular service, a FREE cell phone, and FREE Minutes every month! SafeLink Wireless Service does not cost anything – there are no contracts, no recurring fees and no monthly charges. Any Minutes you do not use will roll-over. Features such as caller ID, call waiting and voicemail are all also included with your service. If you need additional Minutes, you can buy TracFone Airtime Cards at any TracFone retailer Walmart, Walgreens, Family Dollar, etc). SafeLink Airtime Cards will be available soon. Any Minutes you do not use will roll-over. Features such as caller ID, call waiting and voicemail are all also included with your service. If you need additional Minutes, you can buy TracFone Airtime Cards at any TracFone retailer Walmart, Walgreens, Family Dollar, etc). SafeLink Airtime Cards will be available soon.
Personal Notes: It is good that our government can interact and provide programs that help Americans get back on their feet when times are bad. I have no argument against that – but sociocrats take it too far and the gist of their actions are more for developing Big Government, where the elite within that circle of leadership decide what should only concern individuals. When Americans continually accept expanding Nanny State programs, they are fueling the power behind the program – and the government, those that run it, do not give away anything without a price tag on it; whether it be freedom and liberties or confiscating funds from a group of Americans for the use of others, or just flatly redistributing wealth from those who earned it. The end result is a government so largely expanded that the People end up with few or no rights to say how the government should operate and because a Nanny State costs so much, the government ends up creating a larger part of society that depends upon government to live. Is this the life we want?
Congress needs to be cleaned out and the FCC needs to quit being so charitable with taxpayer funds.
We’ve created a self-centered society in which people actually believe that the government and those who are productive in society must provide for them.
Before the government can be reformed, society must reform itself. Before the traditional political parties and election procedures change, voters must change how and why they vote.
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Keith A. Lehman
Limited government By/For People, Constitutional Legislators, Constructionist/Objective Judiciary, Limited Foreign Aid, Benefits for US Citizens only, Fair tax system with flat rate based on consumption, and more BBQs and fishing time.
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Aw, c’mon, This half-hearted attempt at “myth blastering” is really weak and disappointing.
Yes, you confirmed the existence of the program, but did it occur to you that all the rest of “Obama phone” vitriol might be BS? Well, please check this link (http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/cellphone.asp) for the real story, which is,
A. Obama had nothing to do with this program. It started during the Bush administration. So where were all the complaints about this program, “developing Big Government/the new America” then, hmmm?
B. Some phones are free, yes, most are discounted.
C. They are not just for “welfare recipients.”
You do have to be low-income, but welfare has nothing to do with it. Not all states even participate, so it’s not even a nationwide program.
Please, people, get your facts straight before attacking any person or program, especially in these days where both the far-left loons and far-right idiots keep firing BS at us with both barrels.
Mr. T:
Point is that taxpayer funding is being used for charity – government is not in the business of charity. The FCC has overstepped its bounds for several administrations.
If you want your income and wealth forcibly redistributed, among other methods of socialism – move to Venezuela or Russia or China or you can foot the bill.
Obama and associates promised CHANGE – the same Big Government programs are in place and increasing.
I don’t care who started it and I don’t care why they started it! This is simply another Government program to throw money out the window. I am fed up with the Government and its spending and will only vote to “de-select” anybody who is in office regardless of party. The Game is Up the crap stop now and we get backtothe basics or we all go broke. This is rediculous. If Obama is so much for change let him start by putting an end to the iddiotinc spending in the American Government. Spending as he is is no change at all and certainly not something we should have to count on.
Amen Tom …
The person who pointed out that it started in the Bush administration obviously doesn’t read much, at least here at LPJ – I never voted for Bush in the primary elections – but was forced to because of who ended up running against him.
It’s time that the voters get more than the best of the worst – political parties be damned.
America’s interest is what counts – people’s freedom is what counts and limited government, nullification of income tax system and redistribution of taxpayer income without our permission – and most importantly remove the sociocracy from the government.
Obama’s change is NO change.
Looking into the matter and comparing serviced areas against the 2008 Presidential election, the demographics look like this:
15 States and 1 District voted Democrat – 4 States voted Republican
They are:
* Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia & Wisconsin,
* Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee & West Virginia.
Nothing truly telling there, but I will note before proceeding, I saw Puerto Rico is on the ’soon to get’ service list.
Then I went looking for information and things started looking a lot more interesting. The free time received per month is 68 minutes. In anyone’s books, this is not considered to be a large amount. With that limited amount the user can’t be talking to their friends or wanting to spend a lot of time on hold before talking to a case worker. Additional air time may be purchased at the rate of $0.20 per minute which leads me to TracPhone a phone service provider. This broadened the scope so I looked there also. I was unable to determine if federal tax dollars are funding this program, but what I was able to determine came from here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS117963+01-Apr-2009+BW20090401
Which in part stated this:
> The Funding of Lifeline
>
> Lifeline is part of the Low Income Program of the Universal Service Fund (USF), which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and
> is designed to ensure that quality telecommunications services are available to low-income customers at just, reasonable, and affordable rates. 1700 carriers
> are eligible to provide the program but TracFone is the first pre-paid company to have elevated the program to modern day communications.
>
> The Lifeline program is not funded from federal taxpayer dollars, but rather from contributions to the USF by telecommunications carriers collected in part
> from the Universal Service Charge billed to cell phone users. Instead of a discount on the user’s monthly bill, SafeLink applies the USF subsidy to free
> wireless minutes. Although a common misconception, TracFone provides the free wireless cell phone to the SafeLink program at the company`s expense, in order
> to make the program viable and attractive.
To me this reads, it’s not our direct tax dollars paying for this, but money collected as a form of tax on cell phone usage. So this free service is paid for through a hidden tax paid by cell phone users.
Now the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is headquartered at “2000 L Street, N.W., Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20036″ where these companies are also located: Ashcraft & Gerel Law Officesý, AWHONNý*, Bally Total Fitnessý, Committee For Economic Devý, CVS/pharmacyý, Electric Power Research Instituteý, Environics Communications, EPRI**ý, Integrity Research Instituteý, Ketchum Public Relationsý, League-United Ltin Amern Citzný, Lulac Educationalý, Lupus Foundation of America, Russ Reid Coý, Save the Childrený, The PBN Companyý, USAC Universal Services Adm Coý, Wachovia Banký, Washington Performing Artsý
* Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
** Electric Power Research Institute
I have no tangible understanding of the USAC beyond (emphasis mine) (the following is quoted directly from this page of the USAC Web site):
> The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation designated as the administrator of the federal Universal Service Fund by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). USAC administers Universal Service Fund (USF) programs for high cost companies serving rural areas, low-income consumers, rural health care providers, and schools and libraries. The Universal Service Fund helps provide communities across the country with affordable telecommunications services.
>
> The Universal Service Fund is one fund with four programs. The four programs are:
>
> * High Cost – This support ensures that consumers in all regions of the nation have access to and pay rates for telecommunications services that are reasonably comparable to those in urban areas.
> * Low Income – This support, commonly known as Lifeline and Link Up, provides discounts that make basic, local telephone service affordable for more than 7 million low-income consumers.
> * Rural Health Care – This support provides reduced rates to rural health care providers for telecommunications and Internet services so they pay no more than their urban counterparts for the same or similar telecommunications services.
> * Schools & Libraries – This support, commonly referred to as E-rate support, provides affordable telecommunications and Internet access services to connect schools and libraries to the Internet. This support goes to service providers that provide discounts on eligible services to eligible schools, school districts, libraries, and consortia of these entities.
>
> High Cost and Low Income support is managed by the High Cost and Low Income Division (HCLID). Rural Health Care support is managed by the Rural Health Care Division (RHCD). Schools and Libraries support is managed by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD). USAC has a diverse 19-member Board of Directors comprised of representatives of universal service stakeholders.
At face value, I see no reason to be critical of the USAC and the SAFELINK WIRELESS Program. I will point out I don’t have a dog in this hunt as I am not a purchaser of a monthly cell subscription. I don’t pay this hidden tax. If you look about the public areas traveled daily, one thing you will not see are telephone booths. Some are there, but they are a swiftly dieing remanent of our past. If you were to pick up the receiver of one you would hesitate and consider the contaminant factor of placing such an object next to ones ear and mouth. When making a call, you would in amazement discover it is no longer a quarter, but the call carries a toll of more than a dollar. An outrageous price to pay in this age of low cost communications. Additionally to this is the simple truth that where ever we are we are at risk. Should we befall circumstance putting us in danger and preventing us from moving to a safe location, it comforts me to know all one need do is gather the strength to open a cell phone and call 911.
A girls several years back got into trouble leaving the DFW airport area and had an accident. No one saw it happen and her truck rolled down an embankment. She remained there pinned in her truck until discovered by workers passing by the following Monday? Back then, she was at risk of dieing. Now, emergency services are but a call away and what was once a life threatening weekend ordeal, would not have been a note worthy event.
So, do I like the idea of giving welfare recipients cell phones, no, not really. But I like it more than reading of how a person in an urban area died because they could not reach out to the services we all have at our disposal. In the end, all that matters is life. All else is moot.
Several points are already in the article, Hue – keep the comments shorter.
And, so what is your point here? Moot to who – you?
Hue – the people pay for these programs through taxation.
Let’s do a little a little math on this just for fun..let’s just use the Alabama stats. I know it won’t be perfect but let’s just see what round about number we come up with…
560,000 recipients x Approx $60.00 per month = $33,600,000 per month for the state of Alabama
Now let’s multiply that by 12 months to get the yearly cost.
$33,600,000 x 12 months = $403,200,000 per year for the state of Alabama.
Now let’s use those figures to estimate the annual cost for all 50 states annually.
$403,200,000 x 50 states = $20,160,000,000
Can we really afford to spend another 20 billion dollars on cell phones??
That’s completely insane..
I don’t see anything in our constitution where it says “The right to bear cell phones.”
Right, FN – the “poor” need food, shelter and clothing – not cell phones, computers, et cetera.
Thanks for your input.
Can any of you read? it’s not funded by tax dollars at all. i just applied and qualify because of disability. the phone companies are paying for the phone and the service and offering 6o minutes,addition minutes are for sale.
get a life.
Yes, db, we can read … but apparently you can’t …
Look at your bill (if you get one) under surtax or whatever your company calls it. It pays for other people’s phones. Of course, that is what the legislation said it was for – who knows where the money is actually going; after all, the treasury department cannot account for $170 million out of the multi-billion dollar ’stimulus’ package, so who can tell?
Sorry about your disability … quit telling us to get a life – we have one and we don’t want socialist government intruding on it from cradle to grave.
We the People are overtaxed. Government, those operating it, never ask to use taxpayer funding for charity, and if they did it is unconstitutional – they believe in income distribution, like Marx, Lenin, Stalin and Mao.
Those like you who don’t mind paying it can foot the bill.
There are business entities, like in the drug industry who have private programs that help folks get medications who cannot afford it – without skimming off the government. It’s a tax write off. If the cell company is footing the whole bill, then why the surcharge?
Helping folks in need to get themselves on their feet is a good thing, but providing cell phones instead of important things like food, clothing, shelter and a means to work is the meaning behind the welfare clause of the constitution – not ensuring that the “poor” get cell phones, air conditioning, computers or whatever. Generally speaking, the American “poor” don’t have a clue – when comparing to the destitute in other nations I have seen first hand.
I don’t care what administration started it – it’s wrong and each administration continues bad practices from the other and each add their own. Obama has pushed socialism on a roller coaster ride, not that the three presidents (and Congressional help, let’s not leave the legislators out of the picture) before him didn’t do their part. His accumulative debts are tripled that of Bush administration – and he is been in office less than a year and he has three more years to perform his dirty work.
Time to put a stop to all of it.