(Greta/Fox interview with Rep Griffin)
Fraud is going to be the death of the free government cell phone program unless we all take steps to stop it.
Rep. Tim Griffin of Arkansas says his constituents’ dead relatives have received the free phones. So he has introduced a bill that takes dead aim at the program.
“This program demands reform,” Griffin told Fox News. “There is a lot of waste in it and we need to be asking ourselves, ‘Where do we draw the line? Do we give everybody an iPad next? A computer? Is that the role the federal government should be playing?’”
Griffin wants to kill the program completely, but he’ll settle for scaling it back. If his bill were passed, the program would be amended so that it would offer only landline phones.
The cost of the program has tripled to $2.2 billion in 2012 from $819 million in 2008. While Griffin sees this as proof that the program is out of control, we see it as proof that millions of needy Americans desperately need it.
“This program is completely ridiculous and it speaks to the point that we are careless with taxpayer dollars,” Griffin said. Once again, we feel obligated to point out to Rep. Griffin that Lifeline Assistance, otherwise known as the free government cell phone program, is not funded with tax dollars.
Unfortunately, Rep. Griffin is correct about the fraud that plagues the program. He claims that too many people are abusing the system by applying for and getting multiple free government cell phones. He says some people have 30 or 40 phones and although we are unaware of such egregious fraud, we agree that everyone must work together to save the program for those who need it by eliminating the waste and fraud of those who don’t.
“I understand the FCC is trying to rein the abuse and my first question is, ‘What took you so long?'” he said. “I hear people saying we need this and we need that as a society but is it really fair for the government – i.e. the taxpayers – to provide people with cell phones? I don’t think so.”
Source: Fox News
Dennis Whittington says
I need the Obama Phone
Free Government Cell Phones says
You need to enroll in order to get it, Dennis.
HerseyK says
I think the program is a good thing. However..
IT is funded by fiat – TAXed upon all other land and cell phone users ! So it is funded by taxpayers! I wish you would stop with that obvious invalid statement.
When you have a completely “free” program it is almost impossible to stop abuse. (almost exactly like medicaid and other programs)
Since the folks who are eligible for the phones have programs that they are in which by themselves indicate that those folks do have “some” resources. There should be some cost for the phones. As it stands, the cell companies could care less who gets them. just that they get the $$$ from the govt !
Thanks for listening.
patrice moynihan says
I live in Hawaii, our biggest phone companies here, never heard of free cell phones. I filled out an application and sent in all required documentations weeks ago to qlinkwireless.com and I have not had any response from them. I have left 7 telephone messages and have 5 un-answered emails. There toll free # is a computer and after five weeks of trying to raise one live person, I gave up. What’s up with that?
I am now trying to convince Hawaiian Tel and Verizon to get on board. We need help here too.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Sorry, Patrice, but the free government cell phone program is not yet available in Hawaii. Keep checking back here as often as you can, because we’ll add the information as soon as it becomes available.
David says
I did not know congress was getting free cell phones.
Laurel Rudy says
This sounds much more like a huge slip up on the people that are suppose to be doing the qualification checks.
In the meantime, the Free Cell Phones have not quite made their way to California as yet, so I am sitting on pins and needles, anxiously waiting for that to happen.
I can vouch enthusiastically for the fact that I am very much alive, and I do need a dependable cell phone such as a “JITTERBUG PLUS ” that I can easily use in an emergency situation when I’m on the road.
Please do everything you can to expedite this program to California, or at least send an application to me so I can have that all filled in when the phones are available in this state.
Free Government Cell Phones says
We have good news for you, Laurel. Check our California page under “States” in the navigation bar at the top of our home page. You can already get a free government cell phone in California from ReachOut Wireless and we’re getting ready to break the news that Assurance Wireless is also doing business in the Golden State.
Kimbot says
How is this even possible? Everything with regard to welfare and assistance is so regulated (INCLUDING the Lifeline landline program), how in the world does any one person obtain more than one, much less 30-40 phones????? I’m not sure what regulations are being implemented, but they are obviously the problem, not the program itself. First and foremost, you should at the VERY LEAST have to prove you are actually alive…….give me a break! I have a friend who is currently homeless, and her government issued cell phone is the only link she has to communicating with potential job openings, her children’s school in the event of an emergency, etc. This program greatly benefits so many who are in dire need. The change needs to be made in regulating the program, not eliminating it.