disorderlyvision
02-09-2010, 04:52 PM
from the advocates newsletter:
by James W. Harris
A New "Right": Welfare Cell Phones
What's the fastest-growing welfare program in America today?
Free cell-phones for low-income Americans -- complete with a limited number of minutes per month.
This "cell-fare" is available right now in about 20 states -- with more to follow.
In those states, heads of households who already qualify for state or federal welfare programs (like Medicaid, food stamps, low income housing, or free school meals) and/or have an income at or below 135 percent of the poverty level generally qualify for the free phones and minutes.
Oh, and it's not simply welfare -- it's a matter of fundamental human rights, says the leading company supplying governments with cell-fare service.
"Cell phone ownership is a right," declares TracFone Wireless. "Everyone should have a cell phone without the need for a contract or a high credit rating."
If you're a non-welfare phone user, the federal government forces you to pay for this program via the Universal Service Fund, a tax most phone users pay with their home and cell phone bills.
According to FOXNews.com, demand for the phones has risen 20 percent over last year. Growth is boosted by television ads from TracFone Wireless urging those eligible to get the phones.
In some states, the growth is truly explosive. FOX reports demand is "up 600 percent in New Hampshire and up 900 percent in New Jersey in just two months, according to government figures."
The cost for the wireless welfare programs will pass $1 billion this year. That's small potatoes, considering the total welfare budget, points out Robert Rector of the conservative Heritage Foundation.
"We spend over $800 billion a year providing various types of assistance to the poor," Rector notes. "That's one dollar in every 20 in this economy. It's huge and we really can't afford it."
However, as the program explodes in popularity, costs will rise, too. And critics are also concerned that fraud will be rampant. No government agency is checking to see if those who receive the phones remain eligible for them.
Yes, that's right. The program is administered on the honor system. As FOX explains: "The program is supposed to be 'self-verifying' -- that is, as long as a person claims they qualify for the subsidy, no government agency is auditing or enforcing the subscriber rolls."
by James W. Harris
A New "Right": Welfare Cell Phones
What's the fastest-growing welfare program in America today?
Free cell-phones for low-income Americans -- complete with a limited number of minutes per month.
This "cell-fare" is available right now in about 20 states -- with more to follow.
In those states, heads of households who already qualify for state or federal welfare programs (like Medicaid, food stamps, low income housing, or free school meals) and/or have an income at or below 135 percent of the poverty level generally qualify for the free phones and minutes.
Oh, and it's not simply welfare -- it's a matter of fundamental human rights, says the leading company supplying governments with cell-fare service.
"Cell phone ownership is a right," declares TracFone Wireless. "Everyone should have a cell phone without the need for a contract or a high credit rating."
If you're a non-welfare phone user, the federal government forces you to pay for this program via the Universal Service Fund, a tax most phone users pay with their home and cell phone bills.
According to FOXNews.com, demand for the phones has risen 20 percent over last year. Growth is boosted by television ads from TracFone Wireless urging those eligible to get the phones.
In some states, the growth is truly explosive. FOX reports demand is "up 600 percent in New Hampshire and up 900 percent in New Jersey in just two months, according to government figures."
The cost for the wireless welfare programs will pass $1 billion this year. That's small potatoes, considering the total welfare budget, points out Robert Rector of the conservative Heritage Foundation.
"We spend over $800 billion a year providing various types of assistance to the poor," Rector notes. "That's one dollar in every 20 in this economy. It's huge and we really can't afford it."
However, as the program explodes in popularity, costs will rise, too. And critics are also concerned that fraud will be rampant. No government agency is checking to see if those who receive the phones remain eligible for them.
Yes, that's right. The program is administered on the honor system. As FOX explains: "The program is supposed to be 'self-verifying' -- that is, as long as a person claims they qualify for the subsidy, no government agency is auditing or enforcing the subscriber rolls."