Washington D.C. (Brad Tuttle-Time) – Last year, a federal program paid out $1.6 billion to cover free cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts. Because some idiot figured that free cell phones were a civil right. The program, overseen by the FCC and intended to help low-income Americans, is popular for obvious reasons, with participation rising steeply since 2008, when the government paid $772 million for phones and monthly bills. But observers complain that the program suffers from poor oversight, in which phones go to people who don’t qualify, and hundreds of thousands of those who do qualify have more than one phone. This is what ALWAYS happens when there’s a government program. There are ALWAYS people who figure out how to game on the system, just to see what they can get. How are phones just as necessary as food? Can someone explain that to me? More of that Hope and Change bullshit, right?
Last summer, a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story shed some light on a government program that relatively few Americans knew existed. And now that they do know about it, they come running with their hand out. What can I get for nothing? Losers… The Lifeline program provides low-income Americans with free cell phones (basic ones such as those made by Tracfone, not smartphones) and covers up to 250 free minutes each month. Hmmm, how much dope can a drug dealer push with 250 free minutes a month? As many as 5.5 million residents in Pennsylvania alone could qualify for the program, which is funded primarily by the Universal Service Fund fee added to the bills of land-line and wireless customers. 5.5 MILLION people in just ONE state? As of 2009, Pennsylvania had a population of 12,604,767 – that comes to 44% of the state population. Are you telling me that in just one state alone, we’re paying for almost HALF of the state population’s phone bills?
The program came to be after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was passed, and the FCC created the Universal Service Fund to help “to promote the availability of quality services at just, reasonable, and affordable rates,” among other things. Just, reasonable, and affordable rates? Who determines what a just or reasonable rate is? The GOVERNMENT???? All telecommunications carriers must pay into the fund, and many do so by tacking on a fee to each of their customers’ bills. And there you go, America. You’re responsible to pay for someone, who won’t get up of their ass’s cell phone. It’s probably added into your monthly wireless bill and your landline bill, if you still have one. Yeah great, so now you know why your bill went up; you’re stuck paying for your phone and some other lazy piece of crap’s phone too! Welcome to what socialism is really like, kids. You bust your ass and achieve just so that the lazy worthless asshole next door can have all the same stuff you had to work for.
Question for you, America; who was president during in 1996? Billy Boy – couldn’t keep it in his pants around a fat broad if he had to – Clinton. Next question; who was Speaker of the House? Why, none other than 2012 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NEWT GINGRICH! These are two of the clowns who made this happen.