Better yet, why are the taxpayers footing the bill for this?

Regardless who started the program, spending on it has gotten totally out of hand. It's turned into a party building and vote buying scheme IMO.

 

Agreed. Fraud is prevalent and easy to do. If the telecom companies are running the show and the government is cutting them checks you then have fraud enabling more fraud enabling more fraud. Three levels of fraud is what I see.

Better yet, why are the taxpayers footing the bill for this?

 

Everything I am seeing is saying the telecom companies are paying for it. At the same time the people end up paying for it directly or indirectly.

But it was approved for cellphones in 2005? Why does when the government contract bid was awarded matter?

 

How Clyde phrased it gave a false narrative. The first cell phone handed out from the government was in 2008.

 

If you want to say in 2005 a procedural move was made to make cell phones a possibility in the future that's fine.

 

Now I think people on both sides of the aisle speak on this topic poorly. It's not like Reagan Bush Clinton or Obama make rules in the FCC they can affect appointees to the group and control funding for specific programs because it falls under their branch.

 

So yes the program started in 1984 but who were the FCC leaders who actually created the program ? The two biggest increases in spending on the program came in 1996 under Clinton and first 18 months under Obama.

 

To Obama's credit he has scaled back the spending in this area since the criticism started.

 

Again this really isn't a big issue . It was late and I was cranky after watching a 3 hour debate. I just didn't like how Clyde phrased the first post.

Everything I am seeing is saying the telecom companies are paying for it. At the same time the people end up paying for it directly or indirectly.

 

That's why I think the landlines were much easier to control cost and fraud.

First you are correct the Lifeline program started in 1984 under Reagan as an obscure program with a very narrow reach.

 

What you left out was the massive funding and expansion started in 1996 under Clinton.

 

Also your 2005 date on cell phones is incorrect the first government contract with a cell phone provider was with Trac phone in 2008.

 

Now where the dispute comes in , who was responsible . Obviously the left wants to say Bush and the right wants to say Obama. In reality it's a little of both.

 

Now to heart of the matter and why I said your premise wasn't completely true is because the reason the Obama phone term stuck is because of the massive expansion of the program that saw over a 200% increase in spending in his first 18 months.

 

 

So again you conviently left out Clinton's part and had the wrong date for the first cell phone provider contractor.

 

IF there's any insinuation that I intentionally left out any role the Clinton administration and Congress played because of politics you OBVIOUSLY do not know my feelings towards the Clintons.

 

Secondly:

https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline

 

In 2005, Lifeline discounts were made available to qualifying low-income consumers on pre-paid wireless service plans in addition to traditional landline service.

Everything I am seeing is saying the telecom companies are paying for it. At the same time the people end up paying for it directly or indirectly.

 

I've always thought all phone users are paying for it via one of those federal charges we get on all our phone bills.

IF there's any insinuation that I intentionally left out any role the Clinton administration and Congress played because of politics you OBVIOUSLY do not know my feelings towards the Clintons.

 

Secondly:

https://www.fcc.gov/lifeline

 

In 2005, Lifeline discounts were made available to qualifying low-income consumers on pre-paid wireless service plans in addition to traditional landline service.

 

Again the Trac phone contract wasn't signed in 2008 and the government didn't had out an actual phone until then.

 

There could of been a reimbursement program after the procedural move in 2005. But the program as it was known and became popular , the handing out of a phone didn't start taking place until 2008.

 

 

Again like I said I was cranky after a 3 hour debate with 11 people and then for some reason I stayed up and watched all the post show.

 

So it was a little over reaction but I also don't think you painted a clear picture on the history of the program.

I've always thought all phone users are paying for it via one of those federal charges we get on all our phone bills.

 

It's paid for out of a fee we pay on our bill. UCC ?

Again the Trac phone contract wasn't signed in 2008 and the government didn't had out an actual phone until then.

 

There could of been a reimbursement program after the procedural move in 2005. But the program as it was known and became popular , the handing out of a phone didn't start taking place until 2008.

 

 

Again like I said I was cranky after a 3 hour debate with 11 people and then for some reason I stayed up and watched all the post show.

 

So it was a little over reaction but I also don't think you painted a clear picture on the history of the program.

 

I don't think he knew a clear picture on the history of the program. If so the thread would have a whole different tone.

Again the Trac phone contract wasn't signed in 2008 and the government didn't had out an actual phone until then.

 

.

 

Since my original point was that it is a myth (which I believed until last night) that President Obama "created" this service the fact that the cell phone was authorized to be used in 2005 and actually implemented in 2008 doesn't change the point.

Since my original point was that it is a myth (which I believed until last night) that President Obama "created" this service the fact that the cell phone was authorized to be used in 2005 and actually implemented in 2008 doesn't change the point.

 

Obviously the program was deeper than Obama. But the American public always blames the sitting president .

 

How many people today blame the 2008 housing and banking crisis solely on George Bush ? When multiple politicians and presidents share in the blame because of laws passed.

It's paid for out of a fee we pay on our bill. UCC ?

 

I'm not sure, phone bills confuse the heck out of me. I'll stick to simpler things like the 75,000 page tax code.

Obviously the program was deeper than Obama. But the American public always blames the sitting president .

 

How many people today blame the 2008 housing and banking crisis solely on George Bush ? When multiple politicians and presidents share in the blame because of laws passed.

 

The big question is what role , if any, does any POTUS have in this particular program?

The big question is what role , if any, does any POTUS have in this particular program?

 

The program was more than likely created and expanded under each president without any real knowledge because it's such a small program. The one area they can impact is funding.