Free Obama Phones
By bobmnu
@bobmnu (8157)
United States
October 11, 2012 1:54pm CST
A program that was set up to make sure people had access to basic phone service by giving them a free land line phone has now turned into a free cell phone give away with no controls and no accountability. This program went from 1 million dollars a year to 24 million a year. The program is funded by the tax payers who own and use cell phones. Check your bill and you will see a Universal Service Fee listed with other government taxes and fees that are on your monthly bill. As the cost of the program goes up will the fee also go up so that, as the video shows, people can get them for free and collect more than one and sell them.
http://www.twincitiesnewstalk.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104707&article=10487719
If they think there are no budget cuts to make we should look at the Government programs and many of them could be cut or eliminated. If as Gov. Romney said if we have to borrow the money to fund the program it could be cut.
7 responses
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
11 Oct 12
I raised five kids on less than $20,000 a year and we had no cable and no phone. We survived.
What have we become in this country?
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
12 Oct 12
We have to make tough choices and yet the government seems to think that those who receive their support from the government don't have to make those choices. This election is about who is responsible for my welfare me or the government? Who knows what is best for me?
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
11 Oct 12
spoiled pampered brats that just want everything handed to them without having to work for it.
NO!? 
We CAN still agree I see. 
@Kalelreturns (19)
• United States
11 Oct 12
Thanks for sharing this. After all that I've heard and read about the government, it doesn't surprise me that they would do something stupid like this. I try to stay out of political stuff, but when the government is irresponsible of the tax money I pay them it really ticks me off.
@Kalelreturns (19)
• United States
12 Oct 12
Yeah. I just don't get it. Yeah a lot of people have cell phones now days and it has its advantages, but you don't need one to survive. You would think the government would have some common sense.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
11 Oct 12
I fully agree with Romney. We're digging our own graves when we borrow money to give away.
I can understand trying to help people who need it to have basic phone service. There are programs in place that do that. Giving away free cell phones without any controls or accountability is stupid. Nobody is so naive to believe that people will not take advantage of a program like that.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
12 Oct 12
I have given my old cell phones to women's shelters to provide them with a phone to use to call police for help. They are not phones for their general use. I have no problem with that and support it but it is my choice not the government taking from me and giving to others without concern for what the need is.
@artemeis (4194)
• China
14 Oct 12
I can see that your government is really doing everything on the book about "robbing Peter to pay Paul" and to the fullest extent too.
Look at the economy bailout money where every "blood" dollars and cents is being handed out to undeserving corporations and notorious financial institutions. Is the economy getting better? Do you think these corporations and finance institutions will be able to pay the US Treasury back?
Surely others like yourself could have understood and saw this, but I have to wonder the unusual silence. Do you think there is some suppression like gagging involved? It is a fact that there's no such thing as total freedom of the press in this world.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
11 Oct 12
Stuff like this ticks me off. None of us should be paying for cell phones for anyone else. If someone cant afford one than you don't get one. People feel an entitlement to things...you only are entitled to things if YOU CAN PAY FOR IT. It is not the rest of ours responsibility to take care of other people or pay for things for them.
Sorry but this is HUGE sore point with me.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
11 Oct 12
These phones are nicer than mine.
But I do understand the intent -- sorta. Wanting people to have emergency access is something I can get on board with. However, I don't think that was the driving force behind the phone issue. I believe it was more of the touchy-feely uberliberal sentiment that, since so many people have them, a cell phone is a basic right and part of human dignity.
And I'm most certainly not surprised that we're paying much more than was originally intended. And I--and you and everyone else, I suspect--fully intended for this program to be abused.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
12 Oct 12
One of the things that I saw in the video and other articles on how people are scamming the system. If these people would put the efforts into working rather than trying to cheat the system they could be successful.
I think these people are so fixated on what they can get from the government that they don't worry about getting an education, or job training they are only concerned with getting something from the government. I am reminded of student athletes in High School who excel and feel that they will be given a college education and make it into the pros that they only think about how they are doing and not the team, nothing else matters but how good they are in the sport. Then graduation from high school and they have nothing to show for four years except some trophies. Society has built an excellent safety net that people are planning on instead of trying to take responsibility for themselves.
@stealthy (8181)
• United States
11 Oct 12
I don't have a cell phone and have never had one. I see no reason why people should get free ones at my expense with a tax on my land line or elsewhere when I consider cell phones to be an unnecessary expense for me. It sounds like there is a lot of opportunity for fraud in the program and waste of tax payer money.
