Your right to have a cell phone

[PLC1]

Did you even know you had such a right? Well, now you do. It is good to know what your rights are, don't you think?


Read about this important right here:

SAFELINK WIRELESS® service is U.S. government supported program for Income eligible households provided by TracFone Wireless, Inc. In order to participate in the SAFELINK WIRELESS® service, persons must meet certain eligibility requirements set by each State where the service is to be provided. These requirements are based on a person’s participation in a state or Federal support programs or by meeting the Income Poverty Guidelines as defined by the U.S. Government.

TracFone Wireless believes that cell phone ownership is a right and an important tool for individual success in today's world.

Of course, this right is not paid for out of federal tax dollars, or is it?

The Lifeline program is not funded from federal taxpayer dollars, but rather from contributions to the USF by telecommunications carriers collected in part from the Universal Service Charge billed to cell phone users. Instead of a discount on the user's monthly bill, SafeLink applies the USF subsidy to free wireless minutes.

Contributions? Is that what they're calling taxes now?

How is this different from charging me extra for my cell phone so that someone else can have one for free?

A right to have a cell phone? I had no idea. I wonder if we have a right to a big screen, an ipod, or a Wii? How about internet access, and an email account?

All this time I thought that the electronic goodies we have enjoyed for the past decade or so were luxuries, to be had by the old fashioned method of paying for them. Now, I realize that they are rights, to be paid for by "contributions".

 

[chestnut]

Ridiculous. Plain ridiculous

 

[Andy]

Catch this...

AT&T Announces New Universal Service Charges and IP Telephony and Wireless Data Services

AT&T filed a tariff revision with the Federal Communications Commission on May 26 in which it stated its intent to assess a fee on its customers equal to 5% of the amount billed for interstate long distance telephone calls. The fees collected will be used to recover the estimated $1.6 Billion that AT&T will be required by the FCC to contribute to various universal service programs.

It appears that the universal service charge, or universal phone tax, was instituted way back in 1996. What is confusing is, I can't see exactly what this was done. At first glance, it seemed the theory was that the income from the charge, would be used to support universal governmental services, such as 911 and emergency support, like *68 (or whatever the number is) directly connects you to state troopers.

In any case, the charge has collected much more than the operating budget of such universal services, and now they are going all socialized with it. This is how most well intended government programs, end up. Now instead of just providing a small benefit to everyone, it's just a universal tax and wealth redistribution, that jacks up the price of cell phones.

 

[Little-Acorn]

TracFone says cell phone ownership is a "right". So it must be true. Would they lie?

Does this mean that TracFone will pay for them? Where do I sign up for mine?

 

[PLC1]

TracFone says cell phone ownership is a "right". So it must be true. Would they lie?

Does this mean that TracFone will pay for them? Where do I sign up for mine?

You have to meet "certain eligibility requirements", meaning that you have to be on the public dole. If you earn your way in life, then you don't qualify.

 

[Pandora]

Does working for the government qualify for public dole?

I want my Iphone paid for

where do I find the paperwork