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THIS YEAR.
GOVERNMENT PROVIDED CELLPHONES--
THEY'RE A LIFE LINE FOR MANY...
ANOTHER WAY OF RACKING UP
CHARGES THAT TAXPAYERS ARE
FORCED TO PAY OFF.
LIFELINE STARTED AS A WAY TO
OFF FROM COMMUNICATING WITH
OTHERS. BUT DOES EVERYONE USING
IT PLAY BY THE RULES? AND IF
THEY DON'T, ARE YOU THE ONE LEFT
FOOTING THE BILL? NEWS 4'S EMILY
GUGGENMOS INVESTIGATED THE
IS SURPRISING.
SINCE THE 80'S THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN OFFERING UP
FREE PHONES FOR THE NEEDY..
THROUGH A SUBSIDY.
MEDICAID, FOOD STAMPS, AND HEAP
AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY. IN
ALLOWING
CELL PHONES TO BE ADDED TO THE
MIX. THEN IN 2008 THE FIRST
PREPAID CELL PHONE, ENTERED THE
SUBSCRIBERS TO THE PROGRAM BEGAN
TO SOAR.
IN MARCH OF 2005 THERE WERE 7.2
MILLION ENROLLED.. FAST FORWARD
TO MARCH OF THIS YEAR.. 17.1
((I UNDERSTAND THIS PROGRAM
STARTED UNDER RONALD REAGAN BUT
AT THE TIME THE ECONOMY WAS
TOUGH ABOUT TIGHTENING OUR BELT
))
((THE CUPBOARDS ARE BARE WE'RE
SPENDING BEYOND OUR MEANS AND
AS GOVERNMENT TO TAKE CARE OF
THAT NEED ASSISTANCE THERE IS A
LINE AND LET'S FACE IT WE DIDN'T
USE TO HAVE CELL PHONES AND SO
THAT BEGS THE QUESTION WHY
NECESSITY ))
SAYS IT IS A NECESSITY.. AND FOR
ABOUT SAFETY AND EMERGENCIES.
((I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH VERTIGO
ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO AND I HAVE
A TENDENCY TO BE VERY TIPSY ))
IN FACT SHE'S FALLEN QUITE A FEW
THE CELL PHONE GIVES HER
EVERYWHERE SHE GOES.. JUST IN
CASE.
((I HAVE FALLEN IN THE YARD AND
REACH MY GRANDSON AND HE'S COME
FOR ME)) FOR MANY SENIOR
NAME SAYS IT ALL---IT IS A
WHY FOR FRANK AND SENIOR RICHARD
CLARK.. IT CAN BE FRUSTURATING
KNOWING THERE ARE SO MANY
((NOW THE PROGRAM IS GOING NOT
TO THE NEEDY BUT THE GREEDY))
CELL PHONE.. BUT MULTIPLE
CAN GET THEM BY GOING TO
DIFFERENT CELL PHONE COMPANIES..
MORE THAN ONE.
MULTIPLE CELL PHONES LIKE AN OLD
ACQUAINTANCE I'D RUN INTO AND
MY PHONE NUMBERS IF THIS ONE
RUNS OUT OF MINUTES CALL THIS
ONE :23 IF THAT ONE DOESN'T HAVE
ANY MINUTES CALL ME ON THAT
NUMBER :26 YOU'LL SEE 3,4,5 CELL
ONE TIME :29))
HAVE TO DO IS USE A FAMILY
MEMBER'S NAME AND YOU COULD
USE YOUR OWN NAME AND USE
SOMEONE ELSES ADDRESS BUT AGAIN
DOUBLE DIPPING ))
CELL PHONE BILL.. YOU'LL
PROBABLY FIND THE UNIVERSAL
THE LIFELINE
OFFERS LONG DISTANCE MUST PAY
INTO THE FUND.. MOST RECLAIM
THAT MONEY FROM SUBSCRIBERS.))
LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS FROM
RECEIVING MORE THAN ONE LIFELINE
DISCOUNT PER HOUSEHOLD... IT CAN
BUT NOT BOTH. THE PROBLEM..
ABUSE. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FCC
TELLS NEWS 4.. THE PROPER
CONTROLS HAVEN'T BEEN IN PLACE
IN THE PAST.. IN JANUARY.. THE
FCC OVERHAULED AND REFORMED THE
PROGRAM..
SINCE THE BEGININING OF THE
YEAR.. 43 MILLION DOLLARS HAS
BEEN SAVED BY GETTING RID OF
DUPLICATE SUBSCRIBERS AND
UNNECESSARY SUBSIDIES. THE FCC
DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT 3 YEARS..
STILL PEOPLE ON THE STREET SAY
IT MAY NOT STOP THE PROBLEM.
OFF OF PEOPLE ON THE STREET THAT
PHONE AND NEED THE MONEY THEY
BUY CHEAP 20 DOLLARS AND THEY
HAVE 250 MINUTES A MONTH FOR AS
LONG AS THEY WANT)) THE F-C-C IS
CREATING A DATABASE THAT WILL
HELP PREVENT REPEAT SUBSCRIBERS.
STILL LOCAL LAWMAKERS WOULD LIKE
TO SEE ALL THE ABUSE END.. IN
A LETTER TO THE FCC CONGRESSMAN
"I UNDERSTAND THE GOALS OF THE
USF PROGRAM TO PROVIDE LOW
INCOME FAMILIES WITH A JUMPSTART
SERVICE. HOWEVER IT IS UNFAIR TO
ASK WORKING FAMILIES OF WESTERN
PHONES AND MINUTES FOR THEIR
NEIGHBORS."
(( WHAT THE PUBLIC MAY NOT
REALIZE IS IF YOU HAVE A CELL
YOU'RE NOT ON A PLAN YOU CAN
EMILY GUGGENMOS NEWS 4
THE DATABASE IS EXPECTED TO
LAUNCH NEXT YEAR. LIFELINE