Got Food Stamps? Here's Your Free Cell Phone!

[Sonsie]

Now with your gubmint cheese, you'll get your gubmint minutes.

_______________________

SafeLink Wireless offers qualifying customers FREE cellular service. This service is currently available in Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Soon, SafeLink Wireless service will be offered in the following states:

Alabama - Connecticut - D. of Columbia - Delaware
New Hampshire - North Carolina​

Can Maryland be far behind?

On Edit: Oops there was a thread a little while back about this. Well the link I posted above shows the commercial they've started running to publicize the "free" program.

 

[hvp05]

I say give them the phones... but program the phones to only be able to dial 911. They'd probably never be touched.

Nice how they show two well-groomed women in decent homes, instead of the bebe mommas with 9 kids who will no doubt be the real subscribers.

 

[4Father]

This program is not paid for by the government

...but by a charge on your phone bill. From Cell Phone Digest February 5, 2009:

"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."

 

[bcp]

Im pretty sure that a cell phone is not a right covered in the constitution.

 

[hvp05]

...but by a charge on your phone bill. From Cell Phone Digest February 5, 2009:

So even though the commercial says it is "a government supported program"...

... and the SafeLink website says "SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers" in big letters on the front page...

... you are contending that it is not paid for, at least in part, with government money? Their commercial and site are wrong?

 

[bcp]

So even though the commercial says it is "a government supported program"...

... and the SafeLink website says "SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers" in big letters on the front page...

... you are contending that it is not paid for, at least in part, with government money? Their commercial and site are wrong?

unless it is a government mandated charge that is to be used only for this program.

 

[4Father]

The article says that it is a part of a government program created in 1984, but that it is funded by a surcharge on cell phone bills.

 

[Sonsie]

...but by a charge on your phone bill. From Cell Phone Digest February 5, 2009:

"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."

So the Universal Service Charge we all pay (a tax/fee) is what is funding this? So the rest of us are paying for this then, just through a special tax on our cell phone bills and not with Federal income taxes. Either way it sucks. Poor people don't need cellphones. They need work.

This is from my providers web site:

Effective January 1, 2009 the Universal Connectivity Charge will change from 11.4% to 9.5% of your state-to-state and international long distance charges as well as any service charges. If you have AT&T for local service, (click here to see if AT&T Local is available in your area), the UCC also applies to your Subscriber Line Charge(s) (which in California, is called the Network Access for Interstate Calling Charge) and Number Portability Charge(s). You should be aware that AT&T will periodically change the UCC to reflect changes in the amount the FCC requires AT&T to pay into the Universal Service Fund. AT&T will not provide advance notice of changes to the Universal Connectivity Charge except as required by law.

 

[2ndAmendment]

One more reason to disconnect.

 

[4Father]

It's a hidden tax, which is worse than a regular tax because there is no credit against income for paying it like there would be for regular taxes unless the cell phone is paid for by an employer or business where it would count as an expense. In the end it has the worst impact the individual paying for his or her own cell phone who are subsiding this program with no write-off.

 

[jetmonkey]

Look at me, I'm Queefer!