Gallup Daily

FREE CELLPHONES!!!!!!

I must preface this with saying I am fully aware of the need for social welfare programs in this country. I grew up on government subsidised "Free School Lunch", and would have no doubt needed more government assistance if it were not the church we attended helping us out in times of need. That being said....
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So I'm watching tv on Monday, during the day, (it was a holiday so this is ok for me) and I see a commercial for free cellphones. The add states that everyone needs a cellphone, so the government has made them available. A free phone, with free monthly minutes. The ad states that if you currently recieve foodstamps or other assistance then you most likely qualify. Call to get yours today! So a few minutes later, after my wife revives me from the cardiac arrest this commercial placed me in, and after I brush my teeth (because this ad obviously causes someone like me to vomit), I decide I need to look further into this. This is what I found at www.safelinkwireless.com

Lifeline Benefits

Lifeline Assistance is part of a program that was created by the government to provide discounted or free telephone service to income-eligible consumers. To help bring you this important benefit, SafeLink Wireless is proud to offer Lifeline Service. Through our Lifeline Service you will receive FREE cellular service, a FREE cell phone, and FREE Minutes every month! SafeLink Wireless Service does not cost anything – there are no contracts, no recurring fees and no monthly charges.

Any Minutes you do not use will roll-over. Features such as caller ID, call waiting and voicemail are all also included with your service. If you need additional Minutes, you can buy TracFone Airtime Cards at any TracFone retailer Walmart, Walgreens, Family Dollar, etc). SafeLink Airtime Cards will be available soon.

Your exact benefits, including the number of free Minutes you will receive, depend on the state you live in. Please enter your ZIP code to get the details for your state.

Benefits in Massachusetts

Through SafeLink Wireless’ Lifeline Service you can receive:

• A FREE SafeLink Wireless phone
• A FREE cellular plan that gives you 80 Minutes every month
  

Qualifying in Massachusetts

You qualify for Lifeline Service in your area if...

1. You already participate in one of the following assistance programs:

   • Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children
   • Social Security Income
   • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
   • Food Stamps
   • MassHealth
   • Transitional Aid To Families with Dependent Children
   • Fuel Assistance

Now I know I am a mean evil Conservative that doesn't understand the nuances of helping the nation's needy, but give me a F'n break...PLEASE!!! How do people cry about any underfunded social program that might actually help someone, you know, like insurance for kids, when we are now giving people free freakin cellphones. And people wonder why I'm conservative, well this is it folks!!!!

--------------------------------------UPDATE!!!!
It has been pointed out to me that this is not taxpayer funded. I found this hard to believe so I looked deeper. As far as I can tell, some companies claim they are offering this service for free. I assume it so they can sell more prepaid minutes. Don't think for a minute that you do not pay for this! Check your cell phone bill. Look for the "Federal Universal Service Fund" , that is were the federal subsidy comes from. A tax by any other name is still a tax!

Before the Bitching Starts.......

-----So Exxon Mobil made 40 something billion in profits huh. You may instinctively be outraged. You may look back at last summer, paying 4 and change a gallon, and become sick to your stomach to think "these guys" made 45 b-b-b-billion dollars. I say slow down, lets look deeper.
-----First of all, Exxon is a publicly traded company, which means any Tom, Dick, or Harry can buy in. How many people out there have a 401k or IRA or annuity? Oh, you got one, well lets hope whoever is managing it had some Exxon then. Profit is not a bad thing. If you think they made all that money by jacking up the price, be aware, they don't really set the price of gasoline any more than Dominos sets the price of pizza. It stands to reason that if you refine and sell gas for cost plus a markup of say 10%, then if it all of a sudden costs twice as much to make, and you still mark it up 10%, then your profits double. I admit I'm no economist, but it seems reasonable to me.
-----Now keep this in mind, Exxon Mobil made a "profit" of 45.22 Billion dollars. Do you know what their tax rate is? Almost 50%! Put it this way, With out "Big Oil" you could not afford "Big Government". For more check out this article from CNN.

Lipstick Anyone?

-----------It took me a long time to decide to buy a PS3. I thought about it for over a year, seriously debated it in my own head for about 6 months, and then spent weeks figuring out how I could pay for it. I find it incredible that the government has spent a fraction of that time figuring out how to spend 819 billion dollars. While I am disheartened that this new welfare package passed in the house this evening, I am delighted that every single republican, along with 10 democrats, voted against it. They are on the right side history my friends.
-----------Thomas Jefferson said "if we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy". You may find Jefferson a bore, or outdated, or dismiss him as a slave owner, to which I would reply you are an ideological zealot at best, a pinko commie at worst. I feel there is infinite wisdom to be found in the words and deeds of the great founders of this nation, the greatest nation ever. Bad things will come from from this massive overspending, it always does. We are being bought for a $500 check that our children will be paying back until they die (This too seemed absurd to Jefferson, check out this letter to James Madison )
President Obama says "This recovery plan will save or create more than three million new jobs over the next few years". That is one of the most unprovable and assanine statements our new leader could make. So if Americans lose 5 million jobs are we to believe that without this "stimulus", we wold have lost 8 million? I believe it was President Obama who while running for the office said "you can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig". Well keep piling on the Revlon sir, because this pig of yours is uglying up the place in a hurry!

------------- Check out the complete stroke job here