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Free cell phones are now a civil right

The mindset of whatever people need is a right shows itself again. Let everyone else pay for what I need.

Sounds great.
 
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Caine said:
.... and so on being.
"Set up meetings with our crack dealers" or for many who are gaming the system "set up meetings with our crack clients"
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Ah well: see - I was never and still am not a crack dealer or a drug addict. Even back in my days of having a pager.

Oh snap

Lets hope you don't wake up one day with *nothing* due to circumstances out of your control and then have to swallow your pride and head to the Health Department to sign up for foodstamps. For me - it was unbelievably humiliating as it is for many.
 
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Aunt Spiker said:
Ah well: see - I was never and still am not a crack dealer or a drug addict. Even back in my days of having a pager.

Oh snap

Lets hope you don't wake up one day with *nothing* due to circumstances out of your control and then have to swallow your pride and head to the Health Department to sign up for foodstamps. For me - it was unbelievably humiliating as it is for many.
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Since we are doing personal stories of hardship, Boo hoo time, I was kicked out of my home when I got my girlfriend pregnant at 18 had to find myself into a place to live, get to paying for school, all while taking care of my new family. Looky I made it and I didn't have to use food stamps. Do I rule or what?
 
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Henrin said:
Since we are doing personal stories of hardship, Boo hoo time, I was kicked out of my home when I got my girlfriend pregnant was 18 had to find myself into a place to live, get to paying for school, all while taking care of my new family. Looky I made it and I didn't have to use food stamps. Do I rule or what?
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Good for you. . . so because you managed to make it then everyone else must be able to do exactly the same?

You were poor for a whlie - no doubt - does that mean you were a drug addict or just a loser? *shrug*

You're judging people who have found theirselves in your exact situation - whether they're even going to the government for aid or not.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Good for you. . . so because you managed to make it then everyone else must be able to do exactly the same?

You were poor for a whlie - no doubt - does that mean you were a drug addict or just a loser? *shrug*

You're judging people who have found theirselves in your exact situation - whether they're even going to the government for aid or not.
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Please spare me the I can't make it speech. I have no interest in endless excuses that you will undoubtedly condor up for these people. You will say they have nothing, but I had nothing but the clothes on my back. You will say they have no skills and pretend that is an excuse for failure, its not. Then you will go into endless amounts of other crap that I have no interest in and isn't even an excuse. Its always something, always. If they fail, its because its hard, if they succeed its always because they had some sort of advantage. I just despise this crap. All for what, to tell me I have to pay for services for these people? Please, they can get the damn **** on their own. Learn some skills, get out there, work your ****ing ass to the bone, now get to work. I have nothing else to say. If you are unwilling that is your problem. Whatever the case don't come to me.
 
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Aunt Spiker said:
Not a 'right' - but a useful tool which will enable people to find a job, care for their children and get to work.

If someone's going ot be living on welfare for a while they BETTER be going to school or getting a job. They BETTER take their kids to the dr's and dentist routinely - they BETTER strive ot improve things for theirselves. That is the purpose of support.
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Because the government owes you all of that.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Ah well: see - I was never and still am not a crack dealer or a drug addict. Even back in my days of having a pager.

Oh snap

Lets hope you don't wake up one day with *nothing* due to circumstances out of your control and then have to swallow your pride and head to the Health Department to sign up for foodstamps. For me - it was unbelievably humiliating as it is for many.
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I recieved food stamps at one point. I don't have a problem with helping people out. The problem is after this the politician has to come up with another right to get the campaign cash from another source or additional promises to keep the votes for those he is giving things away to.

A free phone will only get you a vote for so long. As I pointed out earlier, many places now only take applications online. What if you don't have a computer or internet access? Do we upgrade the tracphone to an iphone? At what point does it get to where the government is simply giving you enough that you decide you are satified with that?
 
MistressNomad said:
Ok, this is a bit silly.

While I think the article is using slightly histrionic language, the guts of this are still baffling to me.

I believe having access to communications like the internet and phone service are a right, in the sense that the government should not have the ability to take them away. But that doesn't mean people are entitled to personally own them.

While it is true having a phone makes things easier, it is not a necessity for having a job. My dad doesn't have a cell phone, by choice. He uses Skype as his "landline," so to speak (which is WAY cheaper than either a cell phone or a standard land line, and can be used from any computer, or even a Skype phone). He has no trouble getting or holding a job.

This is a waste of taxpayer money. A cell phone is not necessary.

You can get unlimited Skype minutes in the US and a Skype phone number for people to call, for $9 per month. Less if you go with a long-term plan. With the tiniest bit of tech savvy, you can get a wifi-enabled phone from a charity like OV mentions and run Skype on it. It's not tough.
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That's good to know! But again, contact your state rep./Congressman/Senator and tell them about the alternatives and abuses. And maybe, you can help change this particular law for the better. Don't just complain; tell the right people, i.e., Virgin Mobile, about what you see as problems with this.
 
1Perry said:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the vast majority have a friend with a phone. What if they have no car to get to the interview? No computer to put in an online application? (many places only take online apps now)
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There are systems in place (buses and libraries) to take care of that. The difference is that the public phone infrastructure is quickly going the way of the streetcar.

I'm not sure what I think about the cell phones to be completely honest. I dislike the knee-jerk conservatism that starts talking about "waste" in welfare programs because people are getting things that aren't technically necessary. Electricity and indoor plumbing aren't technically necessary. Should Section 8 housing have no electricity and an outhouse? Technically, you could survive if you only ate every other day. Etc.

There's real waste in the Pentagon that makes this look like nothing. You don't hear Conservatives mouthing off about that very much.
 
1Perry said:
I recieved food stamps at one point. I don't have a problem with helping people out. The problem is after this the politician has to come up with another right to get the campaign cash from another source or additional promises to keep the votes for those he is giving things away to.

A free phone will only get you a vote for so long. As I pointed out earlier, many places now only take applications online. What if you don't have a computer or internet access? Do we upgrade the tracphone to an iphone? At what point does it get to where the government is simply giving you enough that you decide you are satified with that?
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The majority of poor people don't even vote - Obama's election was unusual and not the norm and most certainly they aren't gathering to vote for local elections.
 
rocket88 said:
In some cases, cell phone service is actually cheaper than a landline. So depending on costs in Pennsylvania, the State may actually be saving taxpayer money by providing cell phones instead of a landline.

It's a great headline to get people's dander up, but in reality it may be a good thing. Unless you're suddenly against the government saving money, which I doubt.
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The gov't can save money by not providing any phone service. There is no right to phone service of any type. Nor to any type of privately offered service for that matter.

1Perry said:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the vast majority have a friend with a phone. What if they have no car to get to the interview? No computer to put in an online application? (many places only take online apps now)
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And many of those places offer computer kiosks in their stores for you to fill them out at. Basically instead of seeing the manager for an application you fill it out right then and there on the computer they provide.
 
rocket88 said:
There are systems in place (buses and libraries) to take care of that. The difference is that the public phone infrastructure is quickly going the way of the streetcar.
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That in no way addresses the point that the vast majority will have a friend with a phone. They are reliant on someone else to get a ride or internet access but for some reason it's wrong to say they should be for phone service also?

I'm not sure what I think about the cell phones to be completely honest. I dislike the knee-jerk conservatism that starts talking about "waste" in welfare programs because people are getting things that aren't technically necessary. Electricity and indoor plumbing aren't technically necessary. Should Section 8 housing have no electricity and an outhouse? Technically, you could survive if you only ate every other day. Etc.
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So, while you aren't sure that this is a good idea, you are going to argue for it because you dislike those argueing against it?

There's real waste in the Pentagon that makes this look like nothing. You don't hear Conservatives mouthing off about that very much.
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We should make large cuts in the Pentagon's budget. IMO we could make big cuts and not lose any actual program or service.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
The majority of poor people don't even vote - Obama's election was unusual and not the norm and most certainly they aren't gathering to vote for local elections.
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Of course politicians are looking for the vote here.
 
1Perry said:
Because the government owes you all of that.
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Not the government. The taxpayers.

Really...since they are seeking employment would it REALLY be that hard to give them the number of thier social services case manager?
 
VanceMack said:
Not the government. The taxpayers.

Really...since they are seeking employment would it REALLY be that hard to give them the number of thier social services case manager?
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Who said we shouldn't give them their number?
 
1Perry said:
Of course politicians are looking for the vote here.
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I would really choose who I vote for based on issues of this nature - it's not that big of a deal.

You know - whose vote is being fished for when they approved the request for Blackberries at my husband's work? Is that a democrat benefit or a republican steal?
 
MrVicchio said:
If you're responsible, you're obviously living too well.
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Well I am paying for my cell phone, I demand a free cell because my civil rights are apparently being violated.
 
apdst said:
The government shouldn't be paying for someone's phone service, period.
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Do you know all these cell phones are going to people on welfare, and not workers for the government that need phone such as police station, 911 operators, and fire depts?
 
1Perry said:
Who said we shouldn't give them their number?
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There is a current disturbing trend with posts in response to posts that make the poster of the first wonder of the poster of the second 'Que?'
 
1Perry said:
So, while you aren't sure that this is a good idea, you are going to argue for it because you dislike those argueing against it?
.
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Yes, because it's reactionary BS. Either someone went trolling around looking for something to get outraged about, or they read about it on Con blog, or heard Rush talking about it. I'm calling out the reactionary crap.
 
rocket88 said:
Yes, because it's reactionary BS. Either someone went trolling around looking for something to get outraged about, or they read about it on Con blog, or heard Rush talking about it. I'm calling out the reactionary crap.
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The Pittsburg Tribune??? Reactionary? Facts and current events arereactionary? Well...OK...

"SafeLink, which has been available to Pennsylvanians for three years, is in 39 states. Spokesman Jose Fuentes could not provide an exact number of users in Pennsylvania, but said there are more than 2 million nationwide.

"The program is about peace of mind," Carter said. "It's one less bill that someone has to pay, so they can pay their rent or for day care. ... It is a right to have peace of mind."

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Free cell phones for the needy drawing both cheers and jeers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Rights. People keep using this word. I do not think it means what they think it means...
 
apdst said:
If the ****ing government would get the **** outta the way with all that ****ing hope-n-change, things would improve.

I reckon that's not going to happen, since this economic downfall is by design of that same government.
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Good Lord, apdst.

You're in complete denial to think that all our nation's problems started with this one president or the Democrat party. As I've said before, take off the partisan :cool: and see the truth of the matter. The damage was done over an 11-year stretch by both sides.
 
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I'm sorry, but that is utter BS. I understand giving these people money so that they can stay on welfare long enough to get the education or preparation they need for a job. That's it- maybe 4 years on welfare max. But giving them free cell phones..you might as well give them a Wii so they can get recreation, an iPod so they can listen to music, and some candy so they can have sugar. I just don't see where the line is. The government needs the people to decide what the government can and can't do, and right now the government is ignoring all the signs from the people and just plunging along with it's own plans. I agree it will be interesting to learn what politicians got this through, but I care much more about the extra dollars leaving my bank account. I make enough to live the lifestyle I desire, and not much more. If the poor keep getting things that raise my taxes, pretty soon I'm going to have to sacrifice the life style I've spent decades building up to so some slob can watch Netflix and eat popcorn, all of which I bought for him. Breaking news: it isn't Christmas, and the middle and upper-middle class aren't Santa Claus.
 
Belgarath said:
I'm sorry, but that is utter BS. I understand giving these people money so that they can stay on welfare long enough to get the education or preparation they need for a job. That's it- maybe 4 years on welfare max. But giving them free cell phones..you might as well give them a Wii so they can get recreation, an iPod so they can listen to music, and some candy so they can have sugar. I just don't see where the line is. The government needs the people to decide what the government can and can't do, and right now the government is ignoring all the signs from the people and just plunging along with it's own plans. I agree it will be interesting to learn what politicians got this through, but I care much more about the extra dollars leaving my bank account. I make enough to live the lifestyle I desire, and not much more. If the poor keep getting things that raise my taxes, pretty soon I'm going to have to sacrifice the life style I've spent decades building up to so some slob can watch Netflix and eat popcorn, all of which I bought for him. Breaking news: it isn't Christmas, and the middle and upper-middle class aren't Santa Claus.[/QUOTE]

You sir are a classist. and probably a racist. And Im guessing a homophobe. And you are probably left handed too. ;)
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rocket88 said:
Yes, because it's reactionary BS. Either someone went trolling around looking for something to get outraged about, or they read about it on Con blog, or heard Rush talking about it. I'm calling out the reactionary crap.
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So I guess between now and the intial post I replied to, you have made up your mind about what you think about this program?
 
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