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The price of cell phone service has come down substantially in the past couple of years to a point the Federal Reserve is tracking it. The reduced cost of communication is money in your pocket.
Below is an article from 2012 about telephone subsidies - an FCC program originating during the Reagan administration.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/26/technology/mobile/tracfone-free-phones/index.html
"The subsidy for cell phones is from a government-created program called Lifeline, which is paid for by customer fees on most phone bills. The program is overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, and has its roots in a universal access initiative that began in 1985, during Ronald Reagan's administration.
Here's how it works: If you're eligible for other forms of government assistance like Medicaid or food stamps (the rules differ by state), then you qualify to receive a $9.25 per month phone subsidy. Participating wireless companies will typically offer a free phone (paid for by the company), with an allotment of Lifeline minutes each month. Lifeline subscribers can collect only one monthly subsidy, for either a landline or a wireless phone. Around 75% of them have chosen to go wireless.
Where does the money for Lifeline subsidy come from? You. Take a look at your phone bill and you'll see a charge -- typically a few dollars a month -- for payments to the "Universal Service Fund." That's the umbrella program covering various ventures, including Lifeline, that are designed to make telephone communications universally available to all Americans."
Better get that free cell phone while you can.
Keep America Great Trump 2020!
President Obama said that the free call phones were to help people get jobs 😀
What a great idea!
Posted : July 4, 2017 10:25 am
Topic starter
Posted : July 4, 2017 10:54 am
Don't you mean Reagan phones?
The "news" you cite is factually incorrect BTW.
Posted : July 4, 2017 11:43 am
Where does the money for Lifeline subsidy come from? You. Take a look at your phone bill and you'll see a charge -- typically a few dollars a month -- for payments to the "Universal Service Fund." That's the umbrella program covering various ventures, including Lifeline, that are designed to make telephone communications universally available to all Americans."
So the AT&T's of the world make lots of money and we get to subsidize the lower income people with a small donation on our monthly bill? We can also keep our doctors and our healthcare plan that we have always had, there will just be a few changes so everyone has the same opportunity for healthcare insurance.
But in the end we all know what happens.
If we all just pitch in we can all live on the same street and have the same things, there will just be varying levels on ambition.
People will get along great!
My question is "what happens when there aren't enough wage earners to subsidize the rest"?
Posted : July 4, 2017 1:48 pm
Topic starter
i know the "obama" phone was started by reagan, most people dont so people call it obama phone since most people call it that.
kind of like the ACA is called obamacare
https://www.vimovingcenter.com/talk/read.php?7,274588,page=13
show me 1 federal program NOT rife with fraud
Posted : July 4, 2017 2:40 pm
The Reagan phone program was expanded to include cell phones in 2006 by the Bush administration. Tracfone found a way to exploit this program by passing out free phones to poor people. Company representatives would drive through the alleys and byways in the Tampa Bay area passing them out.
Why did they do this? A monthly phone credit of $9.25 pays for a bit of tax and a small amount of minutes. Any usage over that, the person with the phone would have to buy additional service minutes. Tracfone made BILLIONS through this entrepreneurial effort.
Tracfone and other cell companies found that free phones equaled big money. Why would they have interest in determining if someone financially qualified or not?
The program was investigated and braked when D-Sen Claire McCaskill of Missouri received a solicitation in the mail to get her free phone.
So - do you blame poor people - or Obama - or bad legislation put in place during Republican administrations - or corporate exploitation?
A possible blow back effect, however, may be the reduction in cost of cell phone service for all of us.
Where does the money for Lifeline subsidy come from? You. Take a look at your phone bill and you'll see a charge -- typically a few dollars a month -- for payments to the "Universal Service Fund." That's the umbrella program covering various ventures, including Lifeline, that are designed to make telephone communications universally available to all Americans."
So the AT&T's of the world make lots of money and we get to subsidize the lower income people with a small donation on our monthly bill? We can also keep our doctors and our healthcare plan that we have always had, there will just be a few changes so everyone has the same opportunity for healthcare insurance.
But in the end we all know what happens.
If we all just pitch in we can all live on the same street and have the same things, there will just be varying levels on ambition.
People will get along great!My question is "what happens when there aren't enough wage earners to subsidize the rest"?
Posted : July 4, 2017 3:42 pm
As we observe Independence Day remember half the country is fighting for dependency.
Posted : July 4, 2017 6:17 pm
The Declaration of Independence never mentioned the word freedom.
As we observe Independence Day remember half the country is fighting for dependency.
Posted : July 4, 2017 7:20 pm
It does however mention the word liberty.
Definition of liberty
plural liberties
1: the quality or state of being free:
a : the power to do as one pleases
b : freedom from physical restraint
c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic (see despot 2) control
d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges
e : the power of choice
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberty
The Declaration of Independence never mentioned the word freedom.
As we observe Independence Day remember half the country is fighting for dependency.
Posted : July 4, 2017 8:53 pm
The Declaration of Independence never mentioned the word freedom.
Do you rejoice in pointing this out?
Luckily it is blatantly wrong... but I wonder at your motivation.
Posted : July 5, 2017 12:42 am
4 legs good, 2 legs better
Posted : July 5, 2017 2:35 am
No it is true. Go read the Declaration of Independence. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The French revolutionaries chanted liberty, equality and brotherhood.
The word "freedom" as a broad concept isn't mentioned in a major American document until Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
You have freedom of speech et. al. in the Constitution but that is very specific usage.
Liberty and freedom are not absolutely synonymous - reference the above definition of liberty already shared. This may not be the same usage as written by Thomas Jefferson though - word meanings change over time and Jefferson owned slaves after all.
Word evolution and history are just so interesting - as is history in general.
The Declaration of Independence never mentioned the word freedom.
Do you rejoice in pointing this out?
Luckily it is blatantly wrong... but I wonder at your motivation.
Posted : July 5, 2017 10:02 am
Topic starter
the only motivation i see is this persons desire to insult and be right no matter what , similar to alana
The Declaration of Independence never mentioned the word freedom.
Do you rejoice in pointing this out?
Luckily it is blatantly wrong... but I wonder at your motivation.
Posted : July 5, 2017 10:57 am
This may not be the same usage as written by Thomas Jefferson though - word meanings change over time and Jefferson owned slaves after all.
Everyone through out history owned salves, we stopped it.
Why isn't that what's remembered and focused on?
Thomas Jefferson wasn't the sole signatory of the Declaration of Independance, and Liberty apparently did mean freedom to some of them
William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence, freed his slave believing that he could not both fight for liberty and own a slave.
I don't think your push for semantics on this particular point is helpful to your position (since semantically, they are equatable.... freedom and liberty).
Posted : July 5, 2017 11:57 am
Thank you.
I am a proud descendant of some of the earliest English colonists in Virginia and Maryland. They were adventurers, wealth seekers, land grant holders, farmers, men/women of letters, politicians and colonial officials - and some also were slave owners and traders (the Quaker ones in particular). My Colonial family was in America 5 generations before the first shot was fired in the Revolutionary War and advanced the American cause because it was in their best interest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment
the only motivation i see is this persons desire to insult and be right no matter what , similar to alana
The Declaration of Independence never mentioned the word freedom.
Do you rejoice in pointing this out?
Luckily it is blatantly wrong... but I wonder at your motivation.
Posted : July 5, 2017 12:28 pm
Posted : July 5, 2017 4:30 pm
The anti-liberty lobby
Those who claim the right to others’ labor would fit in with slaveholders
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/3/anti-liberty-lobby-must-be-stopped/
Posted : July 5, 2017 6:29 pm
Topic starter
the democratic part in other words
Posted : July 5, 2017 6:42 pm
Why is Obamacare so controversial?
It was a totally partisan piece of legislation that was steam-rolled over the Republicans during a two year period when the Democrats controlled the presidency and congress. It did not get a single Republican vote in either the Senate or the House. Obama thought that he could get away with this because he had a mandate. Did he?
From the Pew Research Center.
"Aside from specific views on the ACA, Americans are also divided on the overarching issue of how far the government should go in providing health care, according to our 2014 survey on polarization in the public. Overall, about half (47%) said the government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, while 50% said this is not the responsibility of the federal government."
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/06/25/from-the-very-start-sharp-partisan-divisions-over-obamacare/
Doesn't look like a mandate to me. Repeal It! Healthcare is a personal responsibility. Let those who wish form a healthcare cooperative and let the rest opt out. It should not be mandatory.
Posted : July 5, 2017 7:00 pm
What happened when NPR tweeted the Declaration of Independence ......
Posted : July 5, 2017 9:48 pm
White House Ethics Chief Resigns And Suggests Trump Places Personal Gain Above Constitution
Posted : July 6, 2017 7:29 pm
White House Ethics Chief Resigns And Suggests Trump Places Personal Gain Above Constitution
Funny. the constitution sort of protects and encourages personal gain...
For example:
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness
Personal gain damn sure makes me happy... Isn't the "american dream" based in personal gain?
Why are we entertaining these socialistic ideas like "personal gain" is evil in some way?
And why notice it now? I mean how many elected representatives have to become millionaires during their terms for us to catch onto this?
Posted : July 7, 2017 12:38 am
The Clintons were broke when THEY left office. 😛
Posted : July 7, 2017 12:51 am
The Clintons were broke when THEY left office. 😛
Posted : July 7, 2017 12:56 am
Topic starter
serious broke.
without the rich people, where would the rest be considering they contribute about 75% of federal taxes collected.
where would all those welfare programs be without them. instead of vilifying them you should be praising them for contributing so much to our country and lets not forget the amount of money they donate yearly to various programs that again support the poor.
and we cant forget the millions of jobs all those evil rich people create now can we. by gosh, lets do away with all the people who are the top 1%.
and lets go after bernie who only paid 13% of his income in taxes. how dare he follow the law and pay so little.
Posted : July 7, 2017 1:24 pm
