Is it true that the Obama administration has launched a government program granting a free cell phone and wireless service to every welfare recipient in the U.S.?
No, though that is the central claim of a new forwarded email currently fanning the flames of anti-government sentiment in this country.
"Enough is enough," says the anonymous tirade, "the ship is sinking and it's sinking fast. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age-old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window and are being replaced with 'Hope and Change' and 'Change we can believe in.'"
Which is a curious reaction, considering that the program — which does, in fact, exist — was created over a decade ago by an act of Congress.
Comments
Maybe this isn’t Countrywide but in Rensesslaer County, NY one is given to every Welfare child with 70 minutes of time, after that you buy your own time. I find this totally obnoxious and a slap in the face of the taxpapers supporting this program. They should all be given a job to do instead of a phone. ALL OF THEM!
Oh! now you begrudge children having phones. OMG! A child is locked in a bathroom calling 911 because some sico boy, teacher, neighbor, preacher, or patent has went bulistic for what ever reason & wants to do God only knows what to them. Where were cells when I was being beat, molested, & God only knows what.
massachusetts does give cell phones to those on public assistance. and minutes every month
So to be clear, you are against giving phones to welfare children but you are for child labor? Sounds like you’ve really thought this through.
The wireless program is a new program that started earlier this year. It is a continuation of a 1984 program known as Lifeline. In April 2009 it was expanded to cell service. See http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS180932+04-Aug-2009+BW20090804
I certainly hope that everyone that posts, understands that this is not just for welfare recipients. It is also for people who have dedicated years of service to their jobs and receive Social Security. I hope that all these people, that have so much to say, never end up in position where a cellphone is a luxury. But it is for me. May God bless you!
Thanks Networker!!!! Where do these people come from? Trust and believe you are going to get your share of the cheese line. Everyone does that talks that way. probably mad cause she don’t qualify!!! LOL!
YOU CAN GET FREE CELLPHONES AND FREE MIN’S FROM THE SITE CALLED safelink.com I GOT MINE BECAUSE IAM DISABILED. MIDNIGHT SOME PEOPLE NEED THE CELLPHONES BECAUSE THAY CAN NOT WORK BECAUSE THAY ARE DISABILED OR A OLDER PERSON! THE ONES THAT SHOULD NOT GET THEM IS THE DRUNKS & CRACK HEADS THAT ARE ON WELFARE & DISABLITTY. SSI &SSA AND WELFARE SHOULD SCREEN THEASE PEOPLE SO THAY DON’T GET SSI,SSA AND WEFARE. AND THAT GOES FOR THE ILLEGAL’S TOO!
Why is Obama suddenly responsible for all the problems caused by the excess spending of decades of congress and past administrations that want bigger budgets and benefits to feel they have accomplished something. Well they did, they made a mess, and now Obama is trying to fix it, and he is blamed because he didn’t fix it yesterday. Give the man a break.
<i." …. Why is Obama suddenly responsible for all the problems caused by the excess spending of decades of congress and past administrations that want bigger budgets and benefits to feel they have accomplished something. …. "
Because these people are ditto heads and these things were never brought to their limited attention before a Black Hawaiian guy won the election. They just sat in front of their TVs or radios every afternoon nodding their heads in agreement and thinking that they had made something of their lives.Now they are being told about some things and like automatons they are ready to march in lockstep against whatever person the talking box tells them is the cause of their failures.
Actually, I not only knew about this progrram, I actively worked against it. It was a stupid idea, at the time, and still is.
There is NO reason to provide a cell phone to anyone, using taxpayer dollars, let alone children.
Anyone that supports this has to be a non-taxpayer.
Between you, me and the wall here’s my plan. I’m going to walk away from my frustrating life, slide down to Mexico, illegally cross the border into California, slide up to Berkley, and pull benefits for all my needs including my preexisting health conditions.
Be sure to keep this quiet. If too many people knew millions of people would do it then the jig would be up.
Despite what you have stated, while working for the Salvation Army this week, registering families for Christmas assistance, about half of those folks had cel phones that they do not have to pay for… and all but one of them called them “Obama Phones”.
The free cell phone article makes it sound like tax payers should not be upset over, yet another entitlement. The “Spread the wealth” crew, in power now, are claiming an original idea and have broadcast the availability, further burdening those who pay taxes.
The article sounds very slanted and I am surprised considering the meaning behind your entire website.
I have been wondering where this TV commercial for some strange version of TracFone came from. Thanks for clearing up my mind.
I know this is true because my step mom’s half-sister, works with this guy whose best friend’s ex-babysitter works for the welfare office.
smog writes:
“The free cell phone article makes it sound like tax payers should not be upset over, yet another entitlement.”
No, feel free to be upset over anything you want. The point of the article is that the email misrepresents the facts. Hopefully in addition to being upset you also care about the truth.
I just love it, but David, the truth? C’mon now, nobody cares for the truth, just ask all the media outlets “it doesn’t sell newspapers” or TV/radio airtime. Nah, give us all myths and urban legends to discuss and get upset about.
JAX is right – we all know someone who’s related to someone who knows someone else who heard it from so-and-so who was actually there, hand to God, for sure to be sure, who worked at the hospital when Richard Gere was admitted… purrrrlease!
I do love that so many people don’t have jobs but they all have cell phones, are covered in tattoos and tend to have a drink or drug habit. You know who pays when they skip town without paying their bills, the tax-payers and retail shoppers… well, someone has to pay.
You have to laugh at it all and just be happy with the fact that you’re doing the right thing, if in fact, you are!!
As the great philosopher-I’m not sure if it was Socrates;Christ;Buddha or Ace Ventura:Pet Detective-once said:”There Are None So Blind As Those Who Will Not See.”.
Yes,as in nearly every government program there are those who take advantage of it,but for the most part
those who qualify for it legimitately need it.
But then again,as long as folks’ll listen to the rants of Bill O’Reilly;Sean Hannity;Glenn Beck and of course Her Majesty Sarah”Nailin’”Palin and take it as the Gospel Truth;Cletus The Slack Jawed Yokel and the rest of the
“Ah’m Inbred and Eye Voat!!”crowd’ll eat it up even though it’s supposed to help them out!!
Funny thing,the Talk Radio Crowd raised nine kinds of hell and stuck a chunk under it over Project ACORN yet they never said a word about Bush and Cheney and their cronies at Haliburton and Blackwater USA and their no bid contracts for supplying our troops overseas with shoddy equipment!!!
But then again,as long as the”Eye’m Inbred and Eye Voat!!”crowd beleive it when Grim Blecch and Nailin’Palin
tell them that”Black Stealth Choppers are Tracking You Through Your TV Convertor Boxes!!”and”Theyr’e Gonna Use The 2010 Census To Round Us Up and Throw Us In Concentration Camps!!”and”The Governemt’s Gonna Set Up Death Panels Under Obama’s Health Care!!”and of course Bull O’Really’s”War On Christmas!!”;What Can You Expect???!!!
“Experts Are Smart People and Smart People Write Books!!”-Earl Hickey.
This is true! I and several friends have gotten these phones. We live in Columbus, Ohio.
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) Ruthimaus1 says:
Why is Obama suddenly responsible for all the problems caused by the excess spending of decades of congress and past administrations that want bigger budgets and benefits to feel they have accomplished something. Well they did, they made a mess, and now Obama is trying to fix it, and he is blamed because he didn’t fix it yesterday. Give the man a break.
Your Iq must be 20 or you work for the goverment or a union or you are on welfare and to lazy to work.
Your congress and president has spent more money in the last 8 months than the last 200 years of this great country. Do the math stupid. your president has spent enought money in the last 8 months to give every man,women and child in this country 385,000 dollars a piece. Ever since the Pelosi and Reed crew took over this country has gone down hill. I looke in the bill to see if Pelosi put in another grant to get herself a face lift, she is sagging a little.
I would like to reiterate the point of this article; Obama has had absolutely nothing to do with this free phone. The president has no direct impact on the program, and one could hardly call these devices “Obama Phones.” This specific program, SafeLink, started under President George Bush, with grants from an independent company created under President Bill Clinton, which was a legacy of an act passed under President Franklin Roosevelt, which was influenced by an agreement reached between telecommunications companies and the administration of President Woodrow Wilson.
If you would take the time to read the Sullivan Report you would see that statistically a person without a job has a much higher chance of finding work if he has a telephone than if he didn’t. It also shows that blue collar workers can gain a larger percentage increase in monthly earnings by having a cell phone than white collar workers.
In lay terms for those of you that are simple minded, by giving the poor people a cell phone they have the ability to find jobs and therefore not be a burden on society any more. I think this is a very good idea and more fitting with conservative thinking than democrat!
Please. A little common sense. Let’s think about what thei sis before condemning it.
Is this really a bad thing?
Not really. This is really actually a very good example of a public-private initiative.
The money has been collected by 25+ years and was applied to landlines. Under the Bush Administration, the program began to include cheapo, low-end cell phones (the ones that sell for under $10 at gas stations and discount stores).
TracFone provides the phones and minutes, and the recipients can buy more as needed.
I could see being upset if they gave away cars, iPhones or cable TV, but Tracfones are hardly luxury items and it’s not worth getting worked up about, truly.
People, the phone should not be called the “Obama phone” because it has nothing to do with him. The phone was created by tracfone program and was around before Obama stepped into office. These phones are just out there to help people in need and are being ridiculed for something they arn’t.
This is a travesty and it doesn’t matter who started it, the govt shouldn’t be giving away our money to “poor” people!
I’m also concerned about the program expanding! I hear that Virgin Mobile will be starting up their own version of this, using taxpayer dollars. WTF???
I didn’t have a problem with the so-called “Obama Phone.”
It seemed reasonable to give poor people a cheap phone and a few minutes a month.
Go find a job. Go to the doctor. Get the car fixed. Whatever.
But now, Virgin Mobile has a new program that gives poor people 200 minutes a month.
FREE!
It’s too much!
What’s next? Iphones? Blackberries?
Virgin is using taxpayer money extravagantly.
Am I wrong?
The thing that bothers me is that I have a Virgin phone, use it and pay for it myself.
Why do poor people get something free that I pay for?
In Alabama the offer a cell phone with call waiting, caller id, longdistance and 500 min…for anyone on foodstamps.