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The U.S. government spent about $2.2 billion last year to provide phones to low-income Americans, but a Wall Street Journal review of the program shows that a large number of those who received the phones haven't proved they are eligible to receive them.
The Lifeline program—begun in 1984 to ensure that poor people aren't cut off from jobs, families and emergency services—is funded by charges that appear on the monthly bills of every landline and wireless-phone customer. Payouts under the program have shot up from $819 million in 2008, as more wireless carriers have persuaded regulators to let them offer the service.
Suspecting that many of the new subscribers were ineligible, the Federal Communications Commission tightened the rules last year and required carriers to verify that existing subscribers were eligible. The agency estimated 15% of users would be weeded out, but far more were dropped.
A review of five top recipients of Lifeline support conducted by the FCC for the Journal showed that 41% of their more than six million subscribers either couldn't demonstrate their eligibility or didn't respond to requests for certification.
As with most gov't programs the fraud is encouraged by the middle men who make money of it. In this case it's the cell phone companies that advertise "free gov't phones" and aren't rigorous over who signs up and if they qualify. Over the past 4 years free medicaid wheelchair applications increased by over 500%. The Scooter Store was one of biggest fraudsters, were investigated numerous times, and are now out of business.
"The inspector general concluded that 61 percent, $95 million worth of all power wheelchair claims reviewed in the first six months of 2007 were faulty. In 9 percent of the cases the wheelchairs were not medically necessary and in 52 percent because the medical necessity had not been documented, the report said."
Why no posts about this? If it's poor blacks getting 'Obamaphones' it's a big deal but if it's granny getting an Obama-scooter it's not a problem.
Why no posts about this? If it's poor blacks getting 'Obamaphones' it's a big deal but if it's granny getting an Obama-scooter it's not a problem.
Have you seen the commercials for the postivac?
As far as the scooters go it's very big problem if Granny doesn't need it. My understanding is they send the chair and the approval may take weeks or months, once approved they get paid for the chair and rent for all that time which can be as much as the chair.
LOL, the free phones were being given out Since before Clinton. What you guys don't realize is that the "Patriot Act" was started by Bush, and put on Steroids by Obama.
Both the conservatives and Liberals have been lied to by both parties, you should be totally pissed!
Right on. But they will just focus on that it's "not an Obama phone!"
The whole point of this post is that the news was leaked to a British newspaper because our press would have ignored it to start with. It "Was" a secret program called "Prism" (google it) where it is coming to light that the government is gathering data on all American's cell phone call's locations and who was called.
That is basically illegal under the Constitution, but claimed it was part of the "Patriot Act". The claim it was to stop Terrorism is pure Bull***t, it is about control. If they were truly interested in preventing terror attacks, then they need to start calling a terror attack, a terror attack.
Doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or Republican, the politicians can use your own data (cell or internet) against you if they so desire. Under due process, if the police figure you did a crime, then you should have the police get a warrant to see your phone records, this is an indictment of all 300+ million Americans. Then we have the IRS issue where the party in power can use them against you as a weapon as well.
Everyone should be really Pi$$ed off mad! Your losing your rights one step at a time! Write/call your Congressman and tell them to pull all these laws out into the open and make pull them apart!
The whole point of this post is that the news was leaked to a British newspaper because our press would have ignored it to start with. It "Was" a secret program called "Prism" (google it) where it is coming to light that the government is gathering data on all American's cell phone call's locations and who was called.
That is basically illegal under the Constitution, but claimed it was part of the "Patriot Act". The claim it was to stop Terrorism is pure Bull***t, it is about control. If they were truly interested in preventing terror attacks, then they need to start calling a terror attack, a terror attack.
Doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or Republican, the politicians can use your own data (cell or internet) against you if they so desire. Under due process, if the police figure you did a crime, then you should have the police get a warrant to see your phone records, this is an indictment of all 300+ million Americans. Then we have the IRS issue where the party in power can use them against you as a weapon as well.
Everyone should be really Pi$$ed off mad! Your losing your rights one step at a time! Write/call your Congressman and tell them to pull all these laws out into the open and make pull them apart!
And the highlighted is exactly why crap like this will go on without any major resistance. Libs will just tell people who make any accusations of ill motives to buy more tin foil. It's a two party system, and a competitive sport. My team against your team. So long as your team is winning, while committing a few dirty plays during the course of the game, all is well. Seriously, the criminals even have memorabilia around election time.
Just wait for it though. Some Obamabot is bound to come along with that stupid picture of the tin foil man. Sad to say, many Americans deserve exactly what they get from this mafia like administration. It's what they voted for. It's unfortunate that the rest of us have to suffer the same abuse, while being made to appear as the looney fringe.
And the highlighted is exactly why crap like this will go on without any major resistance. Libs will just tell people who make any accusations of ill motives to buy more tin foil. It's a two party system, and a competitive sport. My team against your team. So long as your team is winning, while committing a few dirty plays during the course of the game, all is well. Seriously, the criminals even have memorabilia around election time.
Just wait for it though. Some Obamabot is bound to come along with that stupid picture of the tin foil man. Sad to say, many Americans deserve exactly what they get from this mafia like administration. It's what they voted for. It's unfortunate that the rest of us have to suffer the same abuse, while being made to appear as the looney fringe.
Both parties have done such a great job of keeping America divided, nobody is paying attention to the details of corruption.
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