One of my tenants asked if I had heard of this today. I had not and proceeded to check it out. Seems that the Feds are now supplying free phones and minutes for those who are enrolled into government programs. Is this part of the hope and change?
Sorry mate -- even though you want to blame all the worlds woes on Obama "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." and no not free but a helping hand "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." >>http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/cellphone.asp And edit -- I know you folks are desperate -- but this forum is called "in the news" not in the far right blogs
It must be a good service if it began before Obama then.
A friend has a Tracfon and 72 minutes per month free, you can add or carry the minutes over.
On a serious note, we've had to call emergency care dozens of times, sometimes at Lowe's home builders, groceries and of course at her home. Has a heart condition much like VP Cheney, strikes her at any time. Hart to believe folks can't afford a landline or cable tv but the choice is food or luxury. It will be a month next week and she has used two minutes.
"Traditionally, the Lifeline program was only available as a discount on a consumer’s landline telephone bill. SafeLink Wireless applies the Universal Service Fund subsidy to an allotment of free airtime minutes and TracFone provides the wireless handset at the company’s expense. "
For 911 service, a deactivated phone will still make calls to 911. So why the need for free minutes, caller ID and other goodies? Give em all tracfones or go phones without minutes and be done with it. If they want minutes, they can go buy them.
And as a FYI, it was just a question of if it was part of the hope and change. I don't care when it got started, it needs to cease other than maybe a no frills basic phone that will make 911 calls. They want the extras, let them pay for it.
First of all it is a "subsidy" and not enough to pay for even the cheapest wireless plan available from any wireless or wired phone company in the US.
So it is in no sense of the word a "free phone"
I used to work as a technician for a wireless company from down your way from 2001-2005 the "Lifleine assistance plan" existed then and was hardly new and even back it was available to wireless as well as wired phones is was a he77 of a scam that wireless companies loved mine got millions from the goverment due to these "subsides" 9.95 a month per line as I remember.
Why was it really a scam?
Because opnce a customer "qualified" for it due to be on any number of goverment benefits, food stamps LI-Heat etc. that customer got it "for life" they NEVER needed to re-apply so if for whatever reason you were on food stamps for a few months in 2001 you qualified and still qualify today even if you are making 100 grand doing whatever.
Why not check up on it every year or so?
Well the would take those dreaded "goverment buaerurecrats" and we all know how wants none of them!
