I just found another program we can cut from the budget.

[Hacp]

John Cobb, 59, a former commercial fisherman..has been hoping to receive more government assistance, and in February, he did.

It came in the form of a free cellphone and free service.

Mr. Cobb became one of a small but rapidly growing number of low-income Americans benefiting from a new wrinkle to a decades-old federal law that provided them with subsidized landline telephone service.

It is a form of wireless welfare that puts a societal stamp on the central role played by the mobile device.

Since November, the number of customers receiving free or subsidized wireless service has doubled to 1.4 million, he said.

There are just snippets from this Times article. This is just outrageous. We're in debt up to the trillions and you're telling me we're giving free cell phones away? Cell phones aren't a necessity. Cell phone service is a privilege. Way back when cells didn't exist, they used land lines. I say we cut the pork and take back all of the phones.

 

[BoomerD]

free phone and 68 minutes per month? Where do I sign up? That's more minutes than I used when I was paying for cell service...

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
free phone and 68 minutes per month? Where do I sign up? That's more minutes than I used when I was paying for cell service...

Ugh, NO! Don't waste any more taxpayer money you freeloader@!!!

 

[dawp]

I'm gonna have to look into this. who can say no to FREE!!!

 

[Hacp]

Dammit, where did all these poor old geezers come from?

 

[Wheezer]

This should be in the hot deals forum.

Thanks OP!

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Wheezer
This should be in the Free Stuff forum.

Thanks OP!

fixed

 

[Sinsear]

Poor people need cell phones dammit. How can they reach all their baby's daddies without cell phones?

 

[Robor]

Did not read (article requires registration)

Anyway, common sense tells me you actually have to be 'poor' to qualify and I'm guessing they're intended to be used for emergency.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Robor
Did not read (article requires registration)

Anyway, common sense tells me you actually have to be 'poor' to qualify and I'm guessing they're intended to be used for emergency.

I'm sure my dad didn't "intend" for me to take his car out when i was 17 and see at what speed the electronic governor kicked in, but I did. You can bet your sweet ass people are abusing this.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Robor
Did not read (article requires registration)

Anyway, common sense tells me you actually have to be 'poor' to qualify and I'm guessing they're intended to be used for emergency.

I'm sure my dad didn't "intend" for me to take his car out when i was 17 and see at what speed the electronic governor kicked in, but I did. You can bet your sweet ass people are abusing this.

from the article:

To be eligible for the program, known as Lifeline, a person must meet federal low-income guidelines or qualify for one of a handful of social service programs, including food stamps or Medicaid.

awesome edit in the OP too, nice to just cut out the part about the person in question being disabled.

 

[TruePaige]

Nice Free Stuff/Hot Deal!

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Originally posted by: Robor
Did not read (article requires registration)

Anyway, common sense tells me you actually have to be 'poor' to qualify and I'm guessing they're intended to be used for emergency.

You don't need a service provider or minutes to call 911.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: loki8481
awesome edit in the OP too, nice to just cut out the part about the person in question being disabled.

What difference does that make? Why does a disabled person have a right to a free cell phone on my dime? I'm going to be disabled when my head explodes from reading about all of the creative ways the government has found to give away money that it doesn't even have.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Robor
Did not read (article requires registration)

Anyway, common sense tells me you actually have to be 'poor' to qualify and I'm guessing they're intended to be used for emergency.

I'm sure my dad didn't "intend" for me to take his car out when i was 17 and see at what speed the electronic governor kicked in, but I did. You can bet your sweet ass people are abusing this.

from the article:

To be eligible for the program, known as Lifeline, a person must meet federal low-income guidelines or qualify for one of a handful of social service programs, including food stamps or Medicaid.

awesome edit in the OP too, nice to just cut out the part about the person in question being disabled.

Like I said, you can bet people are abusing it, just as they do food stamps, etc. There will always be abusers for social programs. It's one thing with food, but nobody needs a cell phone anyway.

 

[retrospooty]

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: BoomerD
free phone and 68 minutes per month? Where do I sign up? That's more minutes than I used when I was paying for cell service...

Ugh, NO! Don't waste any more taxpayer money you freeloader@!!!

You have now caused even more of a problem by simply pointing out the problem... The freeloaders will now use your info to look up how to get this free service and the hard liners will hate you for causing more socialism.

LOL - welcome to public service.

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: loki8481
awesome edit in the OP too, nice to just cut out the part about the person in question being disabled.

What difference does that make? Why does a disabled person have a right to a free cell phone on my dime? I'm going to be disabled when my head explodes from reading about all of the creative ways the government has found to give away money that it doesn't even have.

Seriously, it costs the government next to nothing for these phones, and people on disability have a fixed income which doesn't always allow them to have what they may consider frivolous spending.

If one of these phones can prevent one high cost emergency room runs they could probably pay for an entire states phone bills for at least a year.

Do you know how cheap a basic phone with 65 minutes is? I could get a tracfone for >10 with that kind of plan. Plus the government has massive buying power, and this looks like a good will act to the cell phone companies so there is more incentive to keep costs down.

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Robor
Did not read (article requires registration)

Anyway, common sense tells me you actually have to be 'poor' to qualify and I'm guessing they're intended to be used for emergency.

I'm sure my dad didn't "intend" for me to take his car out when i was 17 and see at what speed the electronic governor kicked in, but I did. You can bet your sweet ass people are abusing this.

from the article:

To be eligible for the program, known as Lifeline, a person must meet federal low-income guidelines or qualify for one of a handful of social service programs, including food stamps or Medicaid.

awesome edit in the OP too, nice to just cut out the part about the person in question being disabled.

Like I said, you can bet people are abusing it, just as they do food stamps, etc. There will always be abusers for social programs. It's one thing with food, but nobody needs a cell phone anyway.

Same with wheelchairs...they could just crawl along in the dirt, saving taxpayer $$$$.

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: feralkid
Same with wheelchairs...they could just crawl along in the dirt, saving taxpayer $$$$.

:Q LOL!

 

[Lanyap]

Originally posted by: loki8481

from the article:

To be eligible for the program, known as Lifeline, a person must meet federal low-income guidelines or qualify for one of a handful of social service programs, including food stamps or Medicaid.

More perks for Walmart employees.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: TruePaige
Seriously, it costs the government next to nothing for these phones, and people on disability have a fixed income which doesn't always allow them to have what they may consider frivolous spending.

If one of these phones can prevent one high cost emergency room runs they could probably pay for an entire states phone bills for at least a year.

Do you know how cheap a basic phone with 65 minutes is? I could get a tracfone for >10 with that kind of plan. Plus the government has massive buying power, and this looks like a good will act to the cell phone companies so there is more incentive to keep costs down.

If it's not high enough on their priority list that they will pay for this luxury themselves, why should I pay for it for them? I went through five years as a grad student on a fixed income without a cell phone because I couldn't afford it.

If it costs "next to nothing," then why doesn't the government just issue everyone a cell phone? I'm sick of this line of reasoning. The government does not have ANY money. Therefore, they should not be paying for things, even if these things cost "next to nothing."

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: TruePaige
Seriously, it costs the government next to nothing for these phones, and people on disability have a fixed income which doesn't always allow them to have what they may consider frivolous spending.

If one of these phones can prevent one high cost emergency room runs they could probably pay for an entire states phone bills for at least a year.

Do you know how cheap a basic phone with 65 minutes is? I could get a tracfone for >10 with that kind of plan. Plus the government has massive buying power, and this looks like a good will act to the cell phone companies so there is more incentive to keep costs down.

If it's not high enough on their priority list that they will pay for this luxury themselves, why should I pay for it for them? I went through five years as a grad student on a fixed income without a cell phone because I couldn't afford it.

If it costs "next to nothing," then why doesn't the government just issue everyone a cell phone? I'm sick of this line of reasoning. The government does not have ANY money. Therefore, they should not be paying for things, even if these things cost "next to nothing."

But just think of all the :gift:virtue :gift:you are earning :laugh:in Heaven from the Government spending your "dime" on deserving disabled.:heart:

 

[SammyJr]

cell phone $$$ < land line $$$

 

[Lemon law]

I pay for my tracfone, it really needed by my wife who is diabetic and can get stuck in snowdrifts in bad weather.

As it is, I regard it as an insurance policy, for a total of $100/yr., I get a little less than 68 minutes a month which amortizes out to $8.33/mo.

Given government buying power, I think we can afford that for a handful of needy senior citizens, and even save money if they call for help early rather than wait for some medical emergency to get far more expensive.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Yet Obama and the Democrat congress can't seem to find a single dime to cut other than from defense. There is no reason to have the deficit that we do, but our new socialist overlords refuse to cut the spending.