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    Americans Aren't Entitled to Have Free Cellphones

    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
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    COMMENTARY | According to Time, a federal program paid $1.6 billion last year to provide free cellphones and pay monthly phone bills for low-income Americans. The money to fund the program -- which has seen a dramatic rise in its participants since 2008 -- mostly comes from the Universal Service Fund, which is a fee land-line and wireless customers pay.

    The Federal Communications Commission audited the program, called Lifeline, last year and discovered it was being abused by people who were receiving phones and getting their service paid for though they made more than the 135 percent of federal poverty level threshold and weren't qualified to participate. Others were receiving phones and service from two or more carriers. 270,000 duplicate subscriptions to the program were discovered. And the FCC says that discovery resulted in a "savings" of $33 million.

    While I can see how a phone might be useful to a person who is down on their luck and looking for a job, it seems this program (like many federal welfare programs) was approached wrongly from the start. Aside from the lack of a database that would have eliminated the problem of duplicate subscriptions, I think "giving away" phones and service is a poor way to encourage anything other than a membership in the program that just keeps growing and growing.

    If there really is a need for this program, and perhaps there is, it would have been more responsible to place a time limit on how long service would be paid for. Or require that those obtaining the service show that the phone has been used for a verifiable job search. Something should have been required as a condition of free phones and service. Something should be required of members now if this program is to continue.

    Otherwise, it's just another entitlement in a country that is already broken by its entitlements.

     
    • A Yahoo! User  •  3 mths ago
      Go to any Social Security office and see the young, able bodied women with their fathjerless kids asking for benefits, WIC, foodstamps as they play on their $500Iphone and wear the latest $400 Air Jordans! NOT KIDDING!
      • Tara 3 mths ago
        Young people do not get Social Security, those at or near retirement do.
        Everyone else goes to Social Services, which is a totally different thing. And, as I said with a previous poster, I would need to verify your sources as to the accuracy of your statement. There is nothing like that where I am, so I'm thinking what you said is circumstantial, not factual.
      • None Of Your Business 3 mths ago
        Tara, did your mother have any children who lived? I suggest you start researching before you open your mouth and spew your idiocy. SSI, which is obtained at the SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE is predominately received by, you guessed it, YOUNG PEOPLE. SSI accounts for a LARGE portion of fraudulent benefits handed out to the lazy and entitled in America. Perhaps if you removed your head from your goddess Maddow's posterior and attempted to formulate an independent thought you would know this. However seeing as how you seem to be quite comfortable bleating with the rest of your fellow flock members, I won't hold my breath.
      • A Yahoo! User 3 mths ago
        Tara, It is easy to prove. I suggest that you personally go down to any S.S. office or any Social Welfare office and just have a seat and watch who comes and goes. You can see the drug dealers and buyers call each other, and you can hear all the ring tones and game app. which cost extra, that they all seem to be able to afford. You will also witness the number of illegal's there to get a check. If more people would just take the time to go in to these offices (it is free, lol) You would not be babbling about something you do not know anything about.
    • Turtles R Us  •  3 mths ago
      True that. Internet, cable, and phones are privileges. Can't afford it? Too bad.
      • sunshinette 3 mths ago
        and most of us on Social Security can't afford it, gas when 4 times, prices of everything has doubled, including food, and we didn't get a cost of living increase.
        Our cars are grounded.
      • eric 3 mths ago
        Buses taxis, friends, charities
    • Warrior-Woman  •  New York, New York  •  3 mths ago
      Thank you. I say this every time I see those commercials, where women with gold jewelry and fake nails whine about how they would be unable to contact their families if they didn't have a cell phone paid for by taxpayer dollars. Why can't their families put them on a multi-line account?!? This is just another scam "benefit" for people who do not deserve it. (Sort of like people who have kids but can't afford to feed them so then schools have to give them free breakfasts and lunches. Hot flash for you - if you can't afford to buy food for your children, don't have them.)
      • Ron Williams 3 mths ago
        Such a common sense, rational and intelligent approach as you have will make entitlement monkeys and those that support them break out in a severe allergic rash. Too bad it can't be fatal.
      • 5yankee 3 mths ago
        if they hae enough cash for the nails and jewelry then they have enought for a phone.
      • Kyle 3 mths ago
        The more babies they have the bigger the check they get.
    • gunny  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  3 mths ago
      this has become a welfare country. the have's pay everything for the lazy have and want nots. people can sit on there #$%$ and get free, housing, food, medical, cell phones, internet . my question is WHY. if you want these things get off your #$%$ and go to work, a disabled USMC combat vet
      • Obama's Stash 3 mths ago
        Thank you for risking your life for my freedom, but it’s time for you to stop being so greedy. Get back to work so you can pay more taxes so I can have more free stuff.

        Yours,
        Obama’s base
    • H.S  •  Bakersfield, California  •  3 mths ago
      Another case where the government is robbing us and there is nothing we can do about it!
      • MS 3 mths ago
        We can use the greatest power we have: Vote for Conservatives
      • H.S 3 mths ago
        @MS- Amen brother!
    • John Dough  •  3 mths ago
      Way too many freebies in this country. To live you need food, clothing and shelter, you do not need a free phone.
    • Jim  •  Seattle, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      We should not be paying for this at all. What are they thinking in Washington? If someone is down on their"luck" then change it. If you coddle them and give them free stuff they will never get off of it and give it back.
    • Pat E  •  3 mths ago
      why is it we have to provide phones for anybody? end the whole program
    • David M  •  3 mths ago
      Excuse me!?!? I work 60 hours a week and cannot afford a cell phone but yet my tax dollars should be paying for someone who does not work? WRONG......And 1 more reason this country is going to tank if we don't get real. The abuses of any of these stupid government handouts are widespread and need to stop immediately. And a cell phone is NOT a necessity in life. AIR, WATER, FOOD then SHELTER...in that order. Get real.
    • tag  •  3 mths ago
      If you can't pay for your own phone you don't get one...Who the hell creates these give away programs and who is keeping them on going? Talk about Greece...
    • Johnny Vegas  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  3 mths ago
      This is another shining example of how lobbyists and liberals funnel tax money to business and give free stuff to people at the expense of the shrinking base of taxpayers.
    • Thomas  •  3 mths ago
      I still remember life BEFORE cell phones. It was a simpler life, traffic moved better, movies were quieter, restaurants were more peaceful, ..... but to the 18yo kids today, we were in the dark ages.
    • over here in this line  •  Chalfont, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      today is show everyone how your tax money is wizzed away on unnecessary programs.
    • ̀̀♀  •  3 mths ago
      I am among the ones that are earning way below poverty level, but I agree. I don't think the phones should be free. No, I did NOT participate in the program. I have no cell phone...just a simple land line.
    • nothing is perfect  •  Vincennes, Indiana  •  3 mths ago
      I just love that I have to pay a fee on my phone service so others can get it for free! Hey, why not make us pay a special fee on Big Mac's also, that way they can eat free Big Mac's while they talk on their free phones?
    • Walt  •  Birmingham, Alabama  •  3 mths ago
      Call me cold-hearted....But I don't care if you don't have a call phone. I don't care if you have enough to eat. When I'm in line at the grocery store with my pack of raman noodles & I see you with with your cart full of steak, chips & soda that I am paying for all it really does is makes me hate you.
    • fh  •  3 mths ago
      Yet the fed can't seem to find money to pay back the money filched from social security ? I want my free Buffalo.
    • DAVID  •  Reno, Nevada  •  3 mths ago
      You can't run around in an Escalade with 20 inch crome wheels without a cell phone...geez get real.
    • Phil  •  3 mths ago
      We have so many give away programs in this country that we need a enterprise scale database just to track the list of programs. We need to shut every one of them down other than a bare minimum, survival level safety net (probably just unemployment, food stamps and homeless shelters).
    • Jerome  •  Denver, Colorado  •  3 mths ago
      I'm entitled to eventually collect on the Social Security I have paid into for over 30 years...oh yeah, bummer for me.
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