OBAMA PHONE

The Free Shit Army marches on. I always wondered how the people in West Philly could all afford cell phones. Now I know. They can’t. You and I are paying $1.8 billion per year because they deserve the latest iPhone 5. Check out your monthly phone bill and notice the charge called FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND. That’s your “contribution” to the Obama phone fund. A family of four making $31,000 per year qualifies for an Obama phone. Hat tip to DaveL for this story. 

Screaming Apparent Obama Supporter Explains Why We Need to Re-Elect President: ‘He Gave Us a Phone, He Gonna Do More!’

Posted on September 27, 2012 at 10:09am by Mike Opelka

Yesterday, both President Obama and Mitt Romney were in the swing state of Ohio campaigning. At one Romney event near Cleveland, a group of Obama supporters gathered to voice their dislike for Romney.

One apparent Obama supporter was caught on video seemingly giving a very clear explanation of why she is voting for the president and why she does not like Mitt Romney.

The passionate explanation for the former involves Obama giving free phones:

 In case you did not hear that clearly, we will transcribe it as best we can.

“Everybody in Cleveland, low minorities, got Obama phone. Keep Obama in president, you know. He gave us a phone, he gonna do more.”

The person shooting the video asks, How did he give you a phone? To which the woman replies: “You sign up! If you on food stamps, you on social security, you got low income, you disability…”

The video includes a cut at that point and picks up with the filmer asking “What’s wrong with Romney?” Without blinking, the passionate Obama supporter says:

“Romney, he sucks! Bad.”

If this kind of thinking sounds familiar, we have heard similar comments from Obama supports as far back as 2009.

TheBlaze has also reached out to the person who posted the video, requesting the entire, unedited clip.

For the record, government sponsored cell phones started long before President Obama took office. However, the size of the program (and its cost) have grown considerably since 2008.

This story has been updated.

(H/T: Matt Patrick – KTRH Radio in Houston)

Reports Of Fraud, Abuse Surround Federal Free Phone Program

July 19, 2012 11:10 PM

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A federal program is giving away thousands of free cell phones and minutes in Minnesota, and you’re paying for it.

Helping low-income people connect to services they need, the program gives free phones with hundreds of free minutes each month to people in need to land jobs, make appointments and stay in touch with family.

But the program has come under fire for its $1 billion price tag and reports of fraud.

A company called Life Wireless teamed up with The Center for Changing Lives in Minneapolis to issue free phones to those who qualify, such as Michelle Adams.

Adams is looking for a job and signed up for a free phone.

“I’m really happy that they have this kind of service for people,” Adams said.

But it didn’t take long to find one man who admits he didn’t use the system the way it’s intended.

Odell Hilson sold his phone for $20 because he needed the money. He didn’t remember which company gave it to him, but he didn’t seem to care that taxpayers picked up the tab.

“They would be upset, because they figure they were paying for it and if that’s the case, then that’s not my problem,” Hilson said.

Lifeline began by paying for landlines for those in need. The rules called for customers to have an income 135 percent below poverty guidelines.

But in 2008, Lifeline added wireless providers and problems have been reported across the country ever since — people are getting dozens of free phones and not having the proof they need to be on the program at all.

Life Wireless is one of 104 companies in Minnesota approved to enroll customers in the program.

In all, those companies have distributed more than 55,000 phones at hundreds of events throughout the state.

Life Wireless says it has strict training for employees and they know what questions to ask.

“Nobody does more than Life Wireless to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, and the best way to do that is to see the customer face-to-face in a live enrollment,” Jim Carpenter of Life Wireless said.

Still, Arkansas Congressman Tim Griffin doesn’t think the safeguards go far enough.

He believes most phones aren’t being used to help find jobs, and they’re costing the country far too much.  The republican has introduced a bill in Washington to get rid of the cell phones and only cover landline costs.

“The federal government doesn’t need to be providing people with cell phones,” Griffin said.

A spokesperson from the FCC said it has started to reform the program after getting complaints. By next year, it says there will be a national database to make it impossible for a household to get more than one free phone.