Sen. Vitter discovers the "Obamaphone" ...

Our Senator Vitter felt the need to email his constituents Tuesday, March 26, 2013 11:21 AM to let us know his valiant stand against "Free Cell Phones for Welfare Recipients." 

This program began under President Reagan, continued through the administrations of Presidents Bush the Elder, Clinton, and Bush "Dubya", and has been recently modified by President Obama.  The "Lifeline Assistance" program created in 1984 provided landlines (and thus a connection of last resort to emergency services, job prospects and family members) in even the poorest homes.

As cellphone use spread and landline use dropped, the program was modified in 2008 under President Bush (before Obama took office).  The requirement was that recipients had to be on Medicaid, food stamps or another state or federal welfare program.  Unfortunately, the program never required proof from the cell carriers that their millions of Lifeline users were truly needy. 

When Obama's FCC in 2012 required the carriers verify Lifeline users actually needed aid, the program was found to be riddled with fraud.  About 41% of Lifeline cell subscribers turned out not to be eligible.  So, the FCC will be cutting the Lifeline rolls thereby the cost of the program. 

Apparently, Senator Vitter feels that is not enough so he wants to remove cellphones from people on Medicaid, food stamps or another state or federal welfare program.  He wants to make it harder for them to find jobs, connect with potential employers, check with the children’s teachers, make medical appointments, and maybe even calling 911. 

The Lifeline program is a valid use of federal funds (our dollars collected through the Universal Service Fund fee on our monthly phone bill) to help those at the bottom of our economy. 

Also, the program includes 250 minutes of use per month – not unlimited minutes.

 

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Letter: Tenure no free ticket | Opinion | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

My Comment (after I took out the 'damn'): 

Being_Stupid wrote:  "... a Government Monopolized School System does not work and will never work." 

ONE:  Where is the "Monopolized" part if we have private, parochial, and homeschooling available? 

TWO:  In the late 1700s, Thomas Paine was one of the earliest in favor of universal, free public education -- a radical idea at the time -- the first U.S. liberal, I guess.  Prior to that time, only those who could pay could be educated.  It was in the U.S. that education was introduced as free (universal education) during the late 1800s.  It  had spread across the country by the 1920s.  So, Universal Education has been around less than 100 years and it has been in operation the longest in the U.S.  Curse those liberals ... everyone knows, in the age of computers, we need lots of ditchdiggers, hod carriers and plow boys for the economy to thrive.

Letter: Tenure no free ticket | Opinion | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA