Free cell phones a civil right????

[Boyd]

Quote:
1. Yeah, because that's what all of our problems are, people sitting on their butts and collecting free paychecks, housing, food and cell phones.

2. I'm glad you've appointed yourself the expert on who is and is not worthy.

3. I'm glad that the rest of the country is evolving and the Tea Party/BYC Party will soon be extinct.

hm..

so byc is pro- tea party?

 

[arabianequine]

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hm..

so byc is pro- tea party?

kinda of disturbing comment, how will byc party be extinct?.....cause I like our party everyday

 

[redhen]

Did i hear someone say we were having a BYC party!!??

I'll bring the chips...

 

[Boyd]

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I'll bring the............... pop?

 

[Dunkopf]

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You do not pay for a cellphone for anyone - "TracFone provides the wireless handset at the company’s expense". It is a no-frills Motorola.

The minutes provided by the Safelink service are equal to the discount provided since 1984 to low-income people for landline service - about 150 minutes a month.

Only one Safelink phone is issued per residence.

I've noticed that those that support the worse thing to ever happen to this country as proven by recent events are skipping right over the factual data like you just presented. The ability to look past actual facts is the reason those people that are the worst thing to happen to this country got elected in the first place. Lets hope medicine is right. If not we will all be peasants while the people disseminating all the false info laugh all the way to the bank. Technology has allowed evil people to take advantage of the major flaw in our system of government.

I for one am happy that I am not bad off enough to qualify for free services of any kind. Meanwhile I'm not going to whine because a few billion dollars are lost on poor people that could work if they wanted to. I know that the majority actually need the help they are given. I'm much more concerned with the gluttony of the wealthy and their refusal to pay their fair share. I'm even more concerned about the people that drink their tea flavored kool aid.

JMO

 

[bakerjw]

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And of course we all know that mediamatters has no political bias.

 

[Dunkopf]

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And of course we all know that mediamatters has no political bias.

They all have political bias. We all need to get off the red team vs blue team wagon. It seems that every thing the right or left puts out for consumption is just gobbled up by their respective followers. There are many flaws on both sides. So everything needs to be looked at and analyzed. I've listened to a lot of right wing talk as well as left wing and I understand where people get their views. They're very good at pounding their ideas into your head. Murdoch and his shows and publications just have a lot wider spread than the others. Of course it doesn't look like Murdoch will be in charge much longer. So you may see some changes. May not.

It's just like this topic. If it wasn't churches running the food banks the title would have read "Eating is a basic civil right?". Yet the food banks get help from many sources including state and federal funds. Landlines were argued about back in 84 for poor people. All the usual arguments. "Why should they have a landline? I saw them eating a snickers the other day." Fact is the social services people need to be able to reach these people for their kids welfare. The cell phones are the same thing in 2010 technology.

 

[bt03]

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I'll bring the............... pop?

My birthday is coming up can I bring cake?!

 

[country lady]

IMHO, welfare should be basic and temporary--more lenient, though, in our jobless society. We are speaking of career welfare recipients, aren't we? There is a difference and i would guess we all know of someone who is "bone-brittle" (love that word) and a society "taker." I didn't know the government was even furnishing land phone lines, much less cell phones until a few years ago, when I went to the local health dept. to get a flu shot. What I saw shocked me (single mom's with tattoos and cell phones). I don't own a cell phone.

I think there is little incentive for a "bone-brittle" to get off welfare these days. (Is there really a time limit?) I've had two extended family members who wouldn't work at any job. (Retirement is great at any age!) Anyone who disagrees with shoveling out taxpayer money to career welfare recipients is labeled cold and uncaring when actually the enabler is perpetuating the generational cycle of welfare and bad behavior. Tough love is needed, IMHO.

This subject has been discussed before on this board; I doubt that anyone has changed a set mind. Personal responsibility appears to be dying.

 

[Ferrret]

A civil right? No. Something worthwhile to have and almost necessary in today's world? Yes.

I don't mind poor people having access to cell phones and free minutes. They aren't getting new iPhones and 5000 minutes a month. Sure there will be a few who abuse it, there are always people who abuse the hand-outs available, but that doesn't mean the program is worthless.
I don't care for career welfare recipients who simply refuse to work. In most, if not all, cases welfare should have a time limit and stricter policies. Michigan at one time required welfare recipients to join Job training programs or attend a Vocational school, so they could get a decent job and not need welfare. That has, to my knowledge, been gotten rid of. There were people that found their way around those measures as well, fewer, but they still did it.

People shouldn't have to need hand-outs, and plenty of people put off asking for assistance until their only other choice is dying.
I have a friend that recently broke down and got on a WIC program. She was in-between jobs and spent a few months eating nothing but cheap, old, coffee and the cheapest veggies she could get, so she could buy her toddler daughter decent food. Her health took a major hit and her abusive ex-BF and father of their child only made matters much worse. She broke down when she felt she couldn't care for her daughter, got into a WIC program and is doing better. She has a full-time job now, but it doesn't cover all the bills so she is still on the WIC program, for her daughter's sake. When she doesn't need it, she'll leave the program, like many decent people do.

I also grew up knowing system scammers. The dad worked for 6 months, then they stayed on welfare until it ran out and when it did, he found a job and worked for 6 months. They also moved a lot, but it wasn't until I was in my teens that I realized why. They would get a mortgage, move into a house, then stop making payments and lived there until the bank foreclosed and forced them out. Then they picked a different bank and did it all over again.

Scammers will always find a way to gain from the system. They leech off welfare, unemployment and any handout they can get, government or privately funded. Well meaning people should not be punished for the few scammers that muck up the system.
There are plenty of people out there looking for whatever jobs they can get, and a cell phone with basic functions would be a benefit to them. They may not have access to land lines in their own home or that of a friend or family member. They may be traveling daily to find work and not have any other means of being contacted. They don't need expensive phones, there are plenty basic phones that have the necessary functions and coverage that are inexpensive. Again, I don't think these free phone programs are handing out iPhones with 5000 minutes and $100 worth of apps. If they were, I could understand being outraged at the program.