Re: Another Government give away

[JoeRaisin <joeraisin2001@xxxxxxxxx>]

Robert L Bass wrote:
> "JoeRaisin" wrote:
>>
>> Some folks work hard in order to afford luxuries such as a cellular
>> phone.
>>
>> But now, if you are lazy and prefer to live on the government dole
>> (perhaps for a span of multiple generations) that's no reason you
>> can't get in on modern technology.
>>
>> Now (as of September this year) if you are on Medicaid, live in public
>> housing of get food stamps, you can get a free phone (provided by
>> TracPhon - which is not a new program) and the government will be
>> happy to pay for over an hour of talk time every month (which IS new).
>
> This one's been floating around the right-wing blogs for a while,
> usually blamed on Obama (of course).  Glad you mentioned it's nothing
> new.  Here's the way the story is being told (cf: www.snopes.com):
>
> "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 Googled 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 ship is sinking and it's
> sinking fast. 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 and are being replaced with 'Hope and Change' and
> 'Change we can believe in.'"
>
> Origins:   As noted on the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) web
> page about Universal Service Support Mechanisms:
>
> The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress recognize that
> telephone service provides a vital link to emergency services,
> government services, and surrounding communities. Telephone service is
> considered a necessity for daily modern life. Yet the cost of starting
> and maintaining such service may be too high for some consumers. Under
> Congressional mandate, the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) supports
> the Lifeline Assistance and Link-Up America programs. These programs
> provide discounts on basic monthly service and initial installation or
> activation fees for telephone service at the primary residence to
> income-eligible consumers. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
> with the help of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC),
> administers the USF.
>
> The USF subsidizes telephone/telecommunications services to low-income
> residents and other entities through a number or programs, one of which
> is the Lifeline/Link-Up program, which "provides discounts on monthly
> service and initial telephone installation or activation fees for
> primary residences to income-eligible consumers":
>
> Lifeline Assistance provides discounts on basic monthly service at the
> primary residence for qualified telephone subscribers. These discounts
> can be up to $10.00 per month, depending on your state.
>
> Link-Up America helps income-eligible consumers initiate telephone
> service. This program pays one-half (up to a maximum of $30) of the
> initial installation fee for a traditional, wireline telephone or
> activation fee for a wireless telephone for a primary residence. It also
> allows participants to pay the remaining amount they owe on a deferred
> schedule, interest-free. (In some cases cellular service is cheaper than
> landlines, and the latter is not a viable option for persons without
> fixed residential addresses.)
>
> The intent of these programs is to help ensure that everyone, regardless
> of income, has access to basic telephone services in order to be able to
> keep in touch with family members, make medical appointments, contact
> emergency services, be reachable by telephone themselves, etc. Contrary
> to what is suggested by the example cited above, Lifeline/Link-Up
> discounts are not available only to "welfare recipients" - these
> programs are implemented at both the state and federal levels, so
> qualification criteria can vary from state to state, but in general
> participants must have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal
> Poverty Guidelines, or take part in at least one of the following
> federal assistance programs:
>
>    * Medicaid
>    * Food Stamps
>    * Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
>    * Federal Public Housing Assistance
>    * Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
>    * Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
>    * The National School Lunch Program's Free Lunch Program
>

No problem whatsoever with that program.

> TracFone (through its SafeLink Wireless outlet) is one company that
> provides subsidized telephone service to qualifying participants through
> the Lifeline program, in the form of free cellphones and (limited) free
> cellular service. (Although SafeLink provides free service, not all
> carriers certified to participate in Lifeline do - others provide
> discounted, rather than free, wireless service.) SafeLink Wireless
> service is currently available only in 19 states, primarily in the
> eastern United States.
>

TracFone has been doing this for a while, which is fine - it is only
recently the Government has begun picking up the monthly tab.

> Also contrary to what is suggested in the example quoted above, the
> LifeLine program is not an "Obama program" (i.e., one that was initiated
> by or during the Obama administration). LifeLine was implemented by
> Congress well before the advent of the Obama administration, and the
> SafeLink Wireless service was launched by TracFone in Tennessee in
> August 2008 and in Florida in September 2008, months before the election
> that put Barack Obama in the White House.
>

I said nothing whatsoever about Obama - don't divert.

> Additional information:
>
> Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers  Universal Service
> Support for Low-Income Consumers
> Last updated:   27 October 2009
>
>
> The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/cellphone.asp
>
> The concern is that without a phone people in a medical emergency may be
> unable to summon help.  Also, it is commonly understood that a phone is
> more than a luxury.  The telephone is a necessity of modern life.  Like
> most people who use cell phones, my family periodically upgrades to new
> models.  When we do we give our old phones to a local women's shelter.
> As I understand it, they are given to the women free and services are
> provided at a discount.  Part of the discount comes from subsidies like
> LifeLine.  The rest is provided by the company in the form of a discount
> off their regular rates.  I think it's a good idea.  It's not charity --
> just common decency.
>

No issues with cell phones for women who are in danger and may need to
call 911 from anywhere.  Around here that's all those phones do.

I always considered charity and common decency to be synonymous.