THE WHAT THE HECK MOMENT OF THE DAY : CELL PHONES FOR THE POOR?

Ok, let me get this straight. Our economy has slowed down considerably, and states are bleeding red ink. People do NOT want to pay more of their income to the government....so let's come up with up a new program and wrap up it up real nice with a bow so people feel good when they pay the tax to fund it. That is what they are doing in Colorado...

According to the Denver Post:

Thousands of low-income Coloradans reliant on public assistance could get a free cellphone under a plan before the state Public Utilities Commission.

If approved, the plan by TracFone Wireless in Miami would make Colorado the 17th state it has settled into with free cell service for the indigent, a form of wireless welfare that proponents say taps into one of the last untapped markets for the telecom technology.

"Our hope is to have it up and running by September," said Jose Fuentes, TracFone's director of government relations. "Historically, it's a very underutilized service, and we'd like that to change."

The program is a twist on Lifeline, a long-standing federal subsidy that provides low-income families with a break on their land-line telephone bill in order to ensure emergency 911 service.

In Colorado, it's called LITAP — the Low Income Telephone Assistance Program — and is available to anyone receiving aid from any of six welfare funds: Colorado Works Assistance (TANF), Supplemental Security Income, LEAP, Aid to Needy Disabled, the Old Age Pension Fund and Aid to the Blind.

How does Colorado pay for it? The money comes from the Universal Service Fund, a tax on all telephone lines. Of that amount, Coloradans received nearly $3.2 million in low-income subsidies. Nationwide, more than $800 million in subsidies were paid last year for low-income phone service across the country

TracFone's subsidized program gives users at least 68 minutes of free cell service each month — in Colorado, it would be 83 minutes (What a DEAL) — and unlimited access to 911 service even if the minutes are used up. This is the only part of the story that even makes sense.

Users also get a free Motorola phone worth $50, according to the company's PUC filing. As long as subscribers are on the welfare rolls, they get the phone subsidy.

Wow, it baffles the mind, doesn't it? Why should I bother to pay my monthly $81 bill to U.S. Cellular? The government, at least in 17 states, has made it pretty apparent that that consider a cell phone a right, a necessity, and a indispensable part of daily life....even if you cannot afford it. But then I found this picture on the Internet and it lead me to wonder even more:



This was First Lady Michelle Obama visiting Miriam's Kitchen in early March, dishing out food, touting healthy eating, and volunteering at a city soup kitchen near the White House. She took time out to have her picture taken by one of the food recipients.
1 - If the man is indigent, needs free food and is homeless, how can he afford a cell phone WITH a camera?
2 - If he is homeless, where do they send the bill for the service?

Just remember, if you oppose the cell phones for the poor program, you will probably be considered a heartless, insensitive conservative. In the end, we will all feel better, won't we?