Why Even Bother Working Anymore?

[Hammerhead]

Now that we have a right to healhcare, a Chevy, & now a cell phone...

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/Home.aspx

[jkhonea]

I heard about that when it was first getting started. Makes me went to throw up.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Well, I just read the website. The phone's aren't paid for by taxes, neither is the airtime. Lower priced phone service has been available to low income families since the Reagan administration.. This just takes what would be spent on subsidies, converts that $ amount into minutes, and is divided into 12 and they get that many minutes a month.

[Back Marker]

nothing wrong with that. if you ever volunteered in lunch lines or meals on wheels, you'll understand alot more about our not so fortunate class of citizens. they aren't all crack heads and ex-cons.

-a|ex

[impalanar]

nothing wrong with that. if you ever volunteered in lunch lines or meals on wheels, you'll understand alot more about our not so fortunate class of citizens. they aren't all crack heads and ex-cons.

-a|ex

Some have other reasons, but unless you are disabled in some fashion being "fortunate" doesn't really play into it.

[DecepticonDon]

Damn, being unemployed I probably qualify for a free cell phone.

[Karl Hungus]

Some have other reasons, but unless you are disabled in some fashion being "fortunate" doesn't really play into it.

Most of the luck you receive in life happens on the day you're born, in the form of good parents or crappy ones. You can overcome crappy ones, but good ones are a huge advantage.

[impalanar]

Most of the luck you receive in life happens on the day you're born, in the form of good parents or crappy ones. You can overcome crappy ones, but good ones are a huge advantage.

As you just said, being fortunate does not really play into it.

[Jector]

But DaaAAaave; it's not faaaAAiir!

/stamps foot and pouts

[MrBlah]

really dumb that taxes go to something like this

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

really dumb that taxes go to something like this


THEY DON'T. I spent 5 minutes reading the website, I'd expect you to, as well. Especially since you're so quick to jump other peoples' shit for being factually incorrect.

This has been around for decades, they just switched from cheap landlines to free cellphones. We're not paying anything extra for this. The service is provided by Telecom companies, as required by the Federal Gov't, the phones are also paid for by the companies.


Lifeline is a federal program created by the Reagan era Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1984. The program was enhanced under Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was supported on a broadly bipartisan basis in Congress. The FCC’s Low Income Program of the Universal Service Fund, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), is designed to ensure that quality telecommunications services are available to low-income customers at just, reasonable, and affordable rates. Lifeline support reduces eligible low-income consumers' monthly charges for basic telephone service.


Who pays for the phones:

SafeLink phones are not paid for by taxpayers or the federal government. TracFone Wireless pays for the phones and also the cost of promoting its SafeLink program to make sure that eligible consumers know about the program.



Eligibility:

Only certain Americans are eligible for SafeLink. Eligibility guidelines vary by state but in general individuals qualify if they participate in a public assistance program such as Food Stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), National Free School Lunch, Federal Housing/Section 8 Assistance, or if they do not receive any of these public assistance programs, they may also qualify based on total household gross monthly income

[MrBlah]

it's paid for by taxes, the fcc collects the tax from the phone companies and redistributes the wealth

[winmutt]

it's paid for by taxes, the fcc collects the tax from the phone companies and redistributes the wealth

url?



q: Has the obama administration started a program to use "taxpayer money" to give free cell phones to welfare recipients?

A: No. Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.

[Back Marker]

Some have other reasons, but unless you are disabled in some fashion being "fortunate" doesn't really play into it.

being disabled, both physically and mentally, are both unfortunate... fortune doesn't necessarily mean being born into wealth. not everyone are created equally.

-a|ex

[MrBlah]

it's a FCC fee that's a tax same thing

[Gmoney]

trust me - we are paying for this program - no matter how much they hide it or refuse to say it we are.

[jkhonea]

it's a FCC fee that's a tax same thing


trust me - we are paying for this program - no matter how much they hide it or refuse to say it we are.

Exactly. That's covered with the statement about the FCC using part of the money they receive in TAXES to pay for it.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

I guess I see how you're thinking. FCC taxes telecom companies, so telecom companies charge us more... so it comes out to us paying for it. Even so, as someone who usually agrees with all of you people who are railing against this, this is one program I don't have a particular problem with.

[Gmoney]

I guess I see how you're thinking. FCC taxes telecom companies, so telecom companies charge us more... so it comes out to us paying for it. Even so, as someone who usually agrees with all of you people who are railing against this, this is one program I don't have a particular problem with.

you need to come to chicago and listen to the commercials for it on the rap stations.....

[jkhonea]

I guess I see how you're thinking. FCC taxes telecom companies, so telecom companies charge us more... so it comes out to us paying for it. Even so, as someone who usually agrees with all of you people who are railing against this, this is one program I don't have a particular problem with.

If I am paying in any way, form or manner for someone else's cellphone, or phone service, for that matter, I have a problem with this. Even when it is slid through under the taxes I pay on my bills. I work my ass off for my money and get VERY pissed off when my money is slipped out from under me to pay for someone else getting shit for free. That simply is wrong. Period. It is NOT a God given right to have a phone, especially a damn cellphone.

[Jector]

.
It is NOT a God given right to have a phone, especially a damn cellphone.

Agreed.

I could maybe see some use for it for a land line so people could look for jobs. But as abused as welfare and unemployment are, I don't see how they could set it up to help the legitimately unlucky without getting tenfold that number in the legitimately useless.

[jkhonea]

Agreed.

I could maybe see some use for it for a land line so people could look for jobs. But as abused as welfare and unemployment are, I don't see how they could set it up to help the legitimately unlucky without getting tenfold that number in the legitimately useless.

Exactly.

[impalanar]

I keep waiting for the "What do you guys have against helping people?"

[jkhonea]

I keep waiting for the "What do you guys have against helping people?"

No one has been offering to help me while the money I make is pulled out left and right in taxes. I hate freeloading with a passion.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Yeah, I thought about it some more while I was out eating, and just because it's a program that's older than I am doesn't mean it's not still my money paying for it, so I guess I'm as pissed as you guys are haha. Though, I'm currently unemployed, I bet I could go get one of these. Thanks for the cellphone, guys! :lol: :lol:

[jkhonea]

Yeah, I thought about it some more while I was out eating, and just because it's a program that's older than I am doesn't mean it's not still my money paying for it, so I guess I'm as pissed as you guys are haha. Though, I'm currently unemployed, I bet I could go get one of these. Thanks for the cellphone, guys! :lol: :lol:

If I found out you ever got one under that program, I would personally find you and beat you to death with your own phone. Well, technically, my phone. :D

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

If I found out you ever got one under that program, I would personally find you and beat you to death with your own phone. Well, technically, my phone. :D



OUR phone.

[jkhonea]

OUR phone.

I'll have to find you one time before you leave so I can smack the hell out of you. :crackup:

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

I'll have to find you one time before you leave so I can smack the hell out of you. :crackup:


Good luck, I'm in Macon, headed to Naples tomorrow. :lol:

[jkhonea]

Good luck, I'm in Macon, headed to Naples tomorrow. :lol:

You son of a bitch! No wonder you're so brave on here tonight! ;)

[Spicoli]

You're all paying for this most likely in the Federal Universal Service Charge you see on all of your cell phone bills.