Cell Phones for the Poor

chanel

Silver Member
Jun 8, 2009
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People's Republic of NJ
It's a question that has engaged both ends of the political spectrum since 2004, when the conservative Heritage Foundation published a controversial paper saying the poor enjoy "high living standards" and cited as proof that many have cell phones, among other things.

In rebuttal, advocates for the poor have argued that cell phones are not luxuries but necessities, as basic to modern life as electricity.

Among U.S. adults living in poverty, about 73 percent have cell phones, according to a study released last month by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 90 percent of all Americans own cell phones, various studies show.

Money for that subsidy comes from all phone customers, who pay a charge of up to $2 per monthly bill. "This is theft masquerading as charity," he said. "If companies want to help the poor, they should take the money out of their own hides, not their customers'."

Advocates say poor need available free cell phones | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/14/2010

We had this discussion before, but I didn't realize how expensive it was. We have 4 cell phones; and three land lines. At two bucks per month... I'm going to have to check our bill.

Do we get to claim that "charity" on our income tax? Or does the phone company?

The fleecing of America....
 
Why would anyone have to pay 2.00 to the cell phone company?

Any cell phone that no longer is turned on with phone service still can dial 911, is that not enough? What did they do before cell phones?

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Try and find a pay phone anywhere anymore. A functional one anyway.


Of course, when I was growing up we luxuriated in a single phone line, lots of folks were still on party lines.

Yesterday's luxury is today's vital necessity. Indoor toilets as a regular feature of life are more recent than telephones.
 
okay i never had a cell phone till i started working the census...then with my mom...i have to have the steady contact...in case of this or that...she runs outta cocoa...etc....so i forward my home phone to my cell phone...but right now...i have to have one...as much as i hate it...and if you ever need a phone booth you will understand why people have cells.
 
I dumped our two cell phones long ago from one of the money hungry majors in the industry. At about $60/mo EACH including dropouts and missed calls I switched to a very popular pay-as-you-go phone company that goes under two names, very well advertized and they cost me $15/mo each, ie: $30/mo and we have minutes I can never use but keep rolling them over. Then again we used them to actually MAKE PHONE CALLS, I know, it's hard to believe, but that's what we use our Cell Phones for! :cuckoo: Go figure!

No texting, no games, no videos , no scrolling sports scores and news updates, I hardly have enough time as it is without having someone texting or other stuff all day/night long, like the grandkids. Their hands are non-stop going into their pockets, retrieving the blackberry, fingers moving eyeballs doing circles, my god, I would need an exercise program just to complete one day of their Cell activities.

I may even toss the land line service out in favor of that $20/yr with another internet based phone company as a few I know have already done! :lol:
 

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