I agree.

I don't know how the cell phone program works...this is actually the first I knew of it. But I do know what it's like working hard and still living pay check to pay check and it's no easy with a small child

Not in my house lady! We were to poor! Walked 5 miles to school in the snow as well! Never had a pair of shoes till I was in high school--just wore old hand made socks. Craped in a little house out back---it was tough but I made it-----Didn't eat real food till I got drafted!! So these people think they need a cell phone --Nawww!

It's very sad.

the poor does get health care...free clinics/medicaid
the poor does get paid ...welfare
the poor eats...food stamps
the poor have houses....check the local"low income housing authority"
the poor have opportunities to get jobs....state/local job services
the poor and their kids are takin care of....all of the above excluding job services and adding WIC
the poor like to continue having kids even though they can't afford the ones they have
some of the poor doesn't take advantage of the system the right way..just the wrong way
so now lets give the poor cell phones so taxpayers won't complain that "hey they are on welfare but can have their own cellphones,now they can say the government gave it to me."

as a taxpayer i don't mind my taxes going out to help someone rather it be they fell on hard times,disabled,medically unable to work,etc.

my problem is the people who live on welfare cause its a free ride so to speak

So, you don't need a phone now either then, right? You can get along completely fine with no phone at all?

reason i'm posting this cause i have been poor,grew up in a poor family....that made me strive harder to try and avoid it...i don't want to rely on our government...by the way when i was poor i still paid taxes and i wanna thank the taxpayers for the help

yep--

the next best thing to being there

Actually they aren't 25 cents anymore. They're harder to find now too.
I rarely see them.

they are 50 cents here and all over

..since the onslaught of cell phones ,pay phone are going by way of the dinosaur..but one thing i will say i've noticed is how quickly people put others down for getting some type of assistance from the government without knowing their INDIVIDUAL circumstance another generalization i suppose..but i will have to say that alot of them seem to be just as quick to tell someone to get a job..but not as quick to offer one..
..i suppose another way of writing off the next guy..but might i remind some to the fact that alot of "normal" families have fallen on hard times due to the latest real estate debaucle/ripoff..and one could have easily have been them ...
..but i will so much as say that as times get harder alot more people will find themselves in need of assistance..i just hope they are met with an open heart and more compassion than i have witnessed coming from alot of peoples comments..for

..if not for the grace of god there go i.....

Man, I hate these posts because the myths of welfare and stuff just make me crazy.

Okay here goes.

First off not everyone is eligible for free/medicaid, not saying they are not poor, they make too much money to be eligible which is not much money. Same goes for foodstamps, not all poor people are eligible. Housing is a whole nuther matter because there is not enough low income housing for even a fraction of the poor. With welfare reform people cannot just sit on welfare anymore so that myth is just not true anymore.

I agree with you that the neighbor on welfare yuo just described is someone that needs to be investigated for possible welfare fraud. And yuo know what? YOU are just as guilty as they are if yuo fail to either callt he local welfare office, or go down there, and fid out the hotline t call to report someone you think is defrauding the system. It is YOUR responsibility to report when you see issues like a single mother of five living in a home paid for by the state, who has no discernable disabilities, but refuses to work, yet she has a brand new vehicle in her driveway, always having parties, etc tec tec.

If you do not step forward and report these people that you see, so they can be investigated and droppe form welfare if found to be guilty, then it will never end.

And the person we have been talking about is a very low percentage of the actual number of people receiving assistance.


Disclaimer: I am not saying single mothers are the only ones that abuse, it's just the most common refreance point it seems.

That's a good question.

What did we do before cell phones became every day items int eh family household.

A. We applied for jobs and gave them either our phone number at home or a contact number to be reached at AND EMPLOYERS WOULD CALL THESE NUMBERS AND WAIT TO BE CALLED BACK

B. We mailed letters of reference and "check ups" in to employers to check on the status of our application AND EMPLOYERS MAILED US BACK IF NO UMBER WAS AVAILABLE.

C. We looked for employment in areas where we could keep in contact with the employer, and lo and behold EMPLOYERS HIRED US, EVEN THOSE OF US WITHOUT A CAR.

The main problem in society towards the issue of cell phones for the needy is that in the case of jobs, EMPLOYERS ARE BEING ALLOWED TO DISCRIMINATE, TURN DOWN AND EVEN REFUSE TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR ANY REASON AT ALL.

If employers would be willing to spend an extra five minutes or 24 hours to call a contact number and WAIT a reasonable time t be called back, then cell phones would not be so crucial. If employers would be willing to hire locally and not make outrageous requirements (like having a car when you live two blocks down the street; which happens to be illegal but they still do it), then cell phones would not be so crucial.

If SCHOOLS would do the right thing in an emergency; pull the child's records for emergency contacts and go down the list; if no one answers follow the permission forms if it is serious enough to require a hospital.

Today, schools will try and call ONCE if your child needs to go to the hospital or is sick and needs to go home. If you do not answer the phone, they get on the phone to Child Protective Services and file a complaint of neglect, on the basis that you can not be reached in an emergency. Never mind the fact that you have already signed the forms authorizing the school to take a child to the hospital in the event you can not be reached and a hospital is neccesary. And that's in the rare case anymore that the school does not already have the legal right to send your child to the hospital without your permission.

My point is, you need to look at WHY cell phones have become so needed, not sit back and say they aren't. I agree they SHOULDN'T be as needed as they are. But today's society implements more and more emphasis on speed, and efficiency over all else, than it does on reality, and reasonable behavior and requirements.

its not a myth people still sit on welfare until it runs out.

hiya D - great pic

Cell phones are not needed, they are used, they make life easier, communication easier, make people more reachable but are they needed no. There are and will always be other means of communication. But with technology everyone wants comfort and ease vs need.

As to your references, boy were to begin -
A-you want employers to call and wait to be called back that's funny, not only is the employer looking to employee but you'd rather he wait for a call back.

B- In today's world along with a resume, reference information, letters of recommendations are left when applying for a job (least here they are).

C- the only time I see having a vehicle as a criteria for employment is if the vehicle is needed for the duties/position being hired. Makes no sense to hire you as a taxi driver, living down the block, but you dont have a taxi (just an example)

Another of the ever popular it's not my doing it's being done to me mentality. It's the employers against me, the man is keeping me down

Another one who believes the myths of welfare in this country.


Do you know how much a single mom with one child gets in welfare? 280.00 a month to live and about 200.00 in foodstamps. That is if she doesn't receive any kind of income.

THAT IS LIVING WELL FOR DOING NOTHING? Crazy.

You can't survive off that amount if you rent and pay bills.

A mom with 3 kids gets 432.00 a month and about 300.00 in foodstamps.

Don't tell me how well they live off the system.

People believing the garbage just pisses me the **** off.

The working poor who have to pay daycare and are barely eligible for foodstamps or childcare help are even worse off. If they pay their basic bills each month they may not eat. And a phone for them is a luxury. I live years without a phone when my kids were little because I could not afford it.

People on foodstamps have to do unpaid work and job search to get the foodstamps. People on welfare have to be doing job search, unpaid work program and or short term school to get welfare.

They cannot get nothing if they don't do what is asked.

SO BASICALLY THEY CANNOT SIT AROUND AND DO NOTHING AND GET STUFF FROM THE GOVERNMENT.


Stop believing the ********. It just makes you look bad.