Necessary Evil or Waste of Money?
If you're up on government programs, then you probably have an opinion on the Obama Phone. I have an expert personal opinion because I've been on both sides of the fence, having worked major Government Telecom Programs and also as an end-user or straggler as we'll call it in this article. The phones are for the lower class that are on welfare. My highly conservative Big Brother thinks it's a waste of tax payer dollars and mocks the idea, but the Independent Sister thinks it's a fantastic idea if the program is administered and used properly.
To get the Obama Phone, you must be receiving Government Benefits, aka Welfare and be part of the Universal Lifeline Service. I am a big supporter of this program which used to just be a discount on your Telecom bill, but has simply grown along with the Mobile Technologies Industry. They are just cheap little "burn phones" like the one Kevin Spacey uses in "House of Cards" to do his dirty work. Just use it and throw it away. Good citizens like to use them to make healthcare appointments, stay in touch with family members, be notified in emergencies, be able to contact authorities and maybe even use them for drug deals, etc. Struggling moms probably use them to keep in touch with their babies' caregivers, but the BEST citizens use them to get out of the welfare system and back on their feet. So, as long as the Obama Phone Program is connected to the Welfare to Work Program - I support it, but it needs improvement.
I have no insight into the Program Cost, so I can't say whether or not it's a total waste, but I can say that I've been in dyer need of a phone and saw the requirement. When you look at Homelessness, Poverty and other problems facing the low class, you realize you have to offer the right tools to navigate back to the middle class. Some have never been there, but we have a social responsibility to make sure we have what we need to succeed. We are the land of opportunity, but only if we have the tools to be successful and although some may disagree, it falls on the responsibility of the government. In the digital age, it's impossible to find work without a phone, so it would be nearly impossible to see America rise without giving citizens the chance. Perhaps a total packaged solution to take a citizen from low class to middle class might be better than these little one off programs, but it's a start.
I can't seem to get one for the life of me because every time I try, I'm denied because of my address or location or lack of evidence - I don't know. I've given up. But, I hear you can get a free phone and 200-500 free minutes depending upon the provider and God only knows how many providers have their hands in this pot. Either way - the program has failed me personally. I just hope that it's properly managed, otherwise it's a flat out waste of money. But, again, it's a Government Program, so you can bet your sweet ass that it's mismanaged.
I'm one of those citizens that believes she'll only be down temporarily and I'll find my way back to the top or at least the middle and I strive to do the best until I got sick and couldn't work. I started to look at the system as a whole and I found so many disconnects and discrepancies and for awhile it made me sicker. Then I just said screw it - House of Cards is one of my favorite shows, so I might as well be a journalist (or broke ass blogger) and write about these problems, praying for my sexy Mister Politician to pay attention and take action. If I'm lucky, he'll throw me into the subway and finally put me out of my misery, but probably not. He cares as much as I do.
So, why even bother writing about the Obama Phone? Because I think I've stumbled onto a good purpose of two or three programs merging together for the greater good of our nation. Hopefully you're not sleeping in a cardboard box, but if you are, then get to the nearest shelter and stabilize. Once you've establish residency and get to the local Welfare Office for food stamps right away.
Get the Obama Phone as soon as you get your card and if you're not being blacklisted by the CIA, then you have a good chance of getting the phone. If not, then contact the local Communications Office to sort it out. Obviously the right hand needs to merge with the left or it's going to be a total disaster. Meaning, if the Welfare Office and the Communications Office are not in good coordination, then it's another wasted program.
Now I'm not suggesting I'm a genius or anything, but here's a grand idea. Get ONE CARD that provides access to the WELFARE TO WORK. For those that are not aware of that program - those items are Food, Shelter, Cash & Telecom Assistance, Clothing, and Work Programs. This program is designed for SHORT TERM use and is necessary to eliminate the low class.
I tried to just write about the Obama Phone, but it breaks my heart to see so many programs for the low class but such lack of coordination. The hater in me wants to just kill them all, but that would include suicide. We have a social responsibility to take care of our less fortunate but we're doing such a poor job it's become a waste.
PHONE TRACKING. I saw a perfect opportunity to regulate this Obama Phone program and to ensure it is being used for the right purpose. If we had a social status on our cards, then we would know the current state of America's citizens and we'd be better equipped to raise the nation out of this mess. Clearly we're not going to just wipe them off the map - or we would've done that by now, and since we love Government Programs so much, it's time to give it some heart.
Let's merge the CENS program with all phones and add another element to it - Social Status Tracking. Flag all Obama Phones and run a short study on usage. Law Enforcement just might be able to catch some good drug deals and we might begin to make full use of our Global Position System to truly position our nation to become the most elite group of citizens known to man. The sky is the limit. Do you have a mind intelligent enough to see the possibilities of these programs?
Homelessness and Joblessness are a part of National Security and should be handled as such in order to improve our efforts in recovering from the recession and position us to move forward into financial freedom.
If this is just a statewide program - then I highly recommend our Feds get moving on it and take over. I'll write more about how we can use CENS to as an element necessary to fight the war on Poverty after I get over my anguish of knowing the Government is asking me to Register a Phone Provided by the Government? Hopefully we can get a leader in charge that just requires it once the program has been refined.
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