Talk radio and Fox News were recently introduced to the LifeLine program and the meeting didn’t go well.
We’re out there talking about the LifeLine free government cell phone program every day, but something -– we’re not sure what -– suddenly caused the program to go viral in mid-August.
Suddenly radio and television hosts who had never heard of the program decided it was a huge taxpayer rip-off of the next day. Almost overnight it became impossible to turn on a local or national talk show –- radio or television — without hearing about LifeLine.
We’ve become known as the nation’s leading experts on the LifeLine phone program and as a result we were sought out by dozens of talk radio stations around the country. We were happy to go on the air and correct some of the misconceptions about the LifeLine program.
As you can see in the video below, even Fox News got in on the act.
Host Shannon Bream got things started off on the wrong foot by calling LifeLine “a controversial call” and asserting that Americans were now demanding free cell phones as a “civil right.” You may think that’s a harsh accusation, but the conversation went downhill from there.
Guest David Selig then called Lifeline a “shakedown” and said people who participate in the program “don’t deserve something free on the taxpayer’s nickel.” (Selig is obviously a man who’s never been down on his luck and needed a little help to get back up.)
Bream and her guests got into a heated discussion — that’s putting it mildly — regarding the Universal Service Fund and who pays for the LifeLine service. Accusations and inaccuracies flew back and forth and ended with one guest telling another that he was “deliberately misleading your viewing audience or he has the business acumen of a wood tick.” (As opposed to Selig, who appears to have the compassion of a wood tick.)
Please allow us to clear one common misconception regarding the LifeLine service. Most people who are familiar with the program know that telephone companies are required to contribute to the Universal Service Fund, but far fewer are aware that it has never been mandated that those fees be passed on to their customers.
Yes, you read that correctly. Each telephone service provider makes the determination if it will pass those costs on to the customer.
Here’s the bottom line: If a Universal Service Fund fee appears on your monthly phone bill it’s because your telephone company decided that it would pass those costs on instead of absorbing them. It’s not required by law.
We’ve made our position clear countless times: We think LifeLine is an outstanding program that helps millions of Americans who need a helping hand. Human nature assures that some people will attempt to cheat the system and take unfair advantage of the generosity of others. We are strongly opposed to any fraud that takes place in the LifeLife program.
We will continue to champion this outstanding program. We will continue promoting it on radio and television and in print. We will continue to fight lies that are told about the program.
Why? Because LifeLine is the perfect name for a program that really does provide millions of Americans with a life line they so desperately need.
Jack says
Wow here we go again!!! It’s Bushes FAULT !!! LOL
M says
Was George Bush paying 2.1 billion of taxpayers money a year to Lifeline in 2000-2008?
James Longs says
So you guys truely believe President OBama is behind the free cell phone movement? You clearly have no idea about the program to make such foolish statements. Get your research together before pointing the blame at the President of The United States. Lifeline has been around since the Reagan Admin, where were the complaints then, still were around under George W Bush. Where were the complaints, now we have a African American president and out come the horns!!
Heather says
It is not my responsibility to pay a fee or a tax to help pay for anyone’s telephone or cell phone. My daughter is disabled. I pay for her cell phone. I would never dream of asking anyone else to chip in and pay for her phone, nor does the government have the right to ask anyone to do that! And the writer of this article says that ‘just because the government taxes phone companies to fund the Lifeline phone program doesn’t mean they’re required to pass along that charge to their customers.’ Really?? You think the phone companies don’t have stockholders that they have to answer to? The companies are just going to say “ok! You’re going to charge us thousands and thousands of dollars in a new tax? We’ll just have to pass that along to our customers (or not hire new employees!). So just remember the next time you hear Obama say they’re going to add a fee or a tax on another bank, etc., eventually, all the federal taxpayers in this country — which only comes to about 50% of those living in this country– will end up paying for it, so the other 50% that don’t pay federal income tax can have subsidized housing, food stamps, free phones, free health care, free breakfast, lunch and dinner in public schools, free rebates when they buy a house or a car…. I’M SOOOO SICK OF THIS CRAP!!! Vote well in Nov. 2012!! Next Obama will be saying: “FREE COMPUTERS AND BROADBAND INTERNET FOR EVERYONE!!!
Free Government Cell Phones says
FCC finally approves “Lifeline” internet for America’s needy
x_ile says
This might explain the overwhelming number of comments on this site by the marginally-literate. To the FNC audience, “LOL, poors are stupid” is the funniest joke ever. This site has been/is being trolled. Compare the comments here even with websites that are known for moronic commentary, like YouTube or Yahoo Answers.
Admin should prune some of the comments here. There are many nearly-identical unpunctuated all-lower-case comments posted under different names–probably all from the same IP address.
Philip Scalzo says
I work for a living and get no assistance. I struggle every month to pay my bills and mortgage and keep a roof over my head and no one is giving me a free cell phone. I do not owe one because the cost isn’t worth it. I am disgusted that my tax dollars goes to this program and most that will receive the service are drug users and pushers that are on free handouts now and i have to pay for their free cell phone. I am sick of it and tired of these free handouts. If it is a civil right the government should supply every person in the united states with one for free.and pay the bill.
boo hiss says
You have many false assumptions in your statement.
Jack says
Phillip- agree not sure where boo hiss gets the false assuption that this whole program is good as administered.