Hell why stop at a phone these people also need transportation, free cars for everyone who meets income guidelines! aka do not work. People need a car like a phone to take their kids to school, doctor, grocery store all of which are paid for by the government. Maybe we can throw in 10 gallons of gas and insurance also.

Just Another giveaway someone else's money program

Oh please--I lost my good paying job w/ benefits when GM left. I have only found part-time just over minimum wage no benefit job. I bring home 800/month. As I am single and older and in not the best of health, this is not enough to pay rent, utilities, gas, food, etc. I dont have cable or a LAN line. I use prepaid and would appreciate help.

Some of the comments are so outrageous and self absorbing. Some people cannot get the fact that some people really need help and are working hard. It is not the politicians, although they dont know what is going on; it is the greed of companies that are the biggest problem--part-time, no benefits and low wage.

The biggest abuser of government subsidies is the Federal government themselves. Great offices with rich furniture, free healthcare for life, pension after just serving one term, etc, etc, etc. And you belittle someone for getting a measly $10 credit? I see a lot of homeless people riding broken down bicycles trying to get to a job interview or just a place to sleep for the night. You have to have the jobs out there to begin with before you can work. You all thing it is sooooo easy to just find a job. Get real.

To my bashers earlier,I can see a home phone line it's reasonable if added to their cable HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/Playboy ect.Then the package deal would only be 129.00 ><>

What's next a gas card ??

How can I get free data, that costs 30 bucks a month. Sign me up. This administration is only making people more needy. Great job.

as politics go, we can all argue our "side" as to what government funds should be spent on. and in the end we probably agree more often than most will admit. The one thing we can all agree on is the problem. And that problem is waste. either by design or abuse.

One can understand the need for government provided food stamps, to avoid starvation. What neccessity requires one to have a cell phone or internet connection? Although the federal government does provide $7500, to upper middle class yuppies to buy electric cars, with little notice or inidignation by the general public. Both are a unjustified waste of tax money.

Another abused program... Im glad i/we can pay for all this stuff for people so they dont have to work hard for it.

Collectivists do not understand taking care of oneself.

Yes woodsman, you're so much better than the rest of us for just working your little fingers to the bone and never taking "free" what you're actually paying for. Because I'm sure you never filled up your gas tank with any of that gov't subsidized gas, or drove on a public road or went to public school (maybe not judging by your mastery of grammar) or ate a school lunch (federally subsidized for all), etc.
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And if you think a $10 makes a phone free, you need to call Ma Bell to set up some service and find out what the cost really is. Get off your high horse and stop judging. And before you tell me you pay taxes to pay for all that, realize that the working poor pay taxes too.

Whatever happened to responsibility for taking care of oneself?

Fedup - HAHAHAHA!! LMBO! Never thought of that!

red58 - don't forget the gold jewelry that would make Mr. T jealous.

'which was a program probably directly lobbied and paid for by corporations involved with such services'

BEAUTIFUL

red58, I'm with you but you know what is sad s that a few like you describe creates a stereotype for those truly in need. I fight myself not to stereotype people but a past neighbor I had gave me a very negative attitude. He had every toy and gadget as someone that works a decent full time job and somehow he finagled everything for free or next to nothing. He was a master at the handout schemes. The day I could never stomach looking at him again was on a beautiful summer morning when I was getting in my car to leave for work. He was in his normal mode of drinking mountain dew and smoking cigarettes in a lawn chair in his driveway. He laughed at me because I had to go to work. For those that that support the handouts, have empathy for those that have had to live in the presence of abusers. Obviously not all that receive subsidies are abusers of but for the few that cheat the system, the abuse makes it bad for the ones that really need it.

I really like my "net talk Dou" think was 60 bucks wich includes the first year of phone service then 29 bucks a year after that with free nation wide long distance , You need to have a high speed cable or dsl service to use one . that combined with a trac phone with triple minutes ($20= 3 hrs plus bonus coupon for another hr) saves me a lot of money . Theirs ways to get around the high price of phone service if people just looked !

I wonder how many people "puking" and throwing a fit over a 10 dollar credit, which was a program probably directly lobbied and paid for by corporations involved with such services, you know, the "job creators", are upset that they have health benefits from their employer paid for by gov't subsidies or any of the other thousands of things that benefit every day people that the gov't foots some of the bill for?
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The subsidies that keep your food cheap, your roads built, innovation in tech and health care. I guess if YOU are benefiting from the subsidy it's not such a big deal. I say if 10 credits are such an awesome deal, switch places with the people that are eligible to use that credit. I wouldn't be surprised to find out some of those complaining the loudest are actually people that take adavantage of this program or something similiar.

No wonder people don't work anymore. There is no incentive. Why work when you can get everything for free? People used to work, so you they could have "things", but now they just give them out for free. What a sad joke.

Free phone,free food,free rent,free child care,free school lunches,free medical,free state money,free schooling,i probably am missing more FREE,but i do wonder,how many use this free phones to make drug calls??
But i think it's funny,not",that people that don't have a pot to ---- in,have phones and talk all the time,they even have F.B. on there phones!
I am lucky i guess to of never got any FREE in my life,i have always worked for what i have,or done without,seems these people get free,and still think they are owed more,what a world we live in!

Here's what does bother me--being in line behind someone at the grocery store who has enough money for cigarettes, a manicure, multiple tatoos, and a smart phone, paying for groceries with taxpayer money on govt subsidies.

Also Mike, you can get a pay-per-use tracfone for $15 and make a lot of calls for $30 a month.

I just looked up the cost on a basic cell phone plan at Cricket, AT&T, Verizon, and US Cellular. They all run about $35-40 per month. A "normal" land line runs about the same, but it requires you to have a permanent physical location to have it installed. If you are moving every 12 months or so, that is an additional hook up charge every time you move. With a cell phone, there is the initial charge and maybe another charge if you replace your phone. Seems to me a cell phone is actually a better choice for a low income person to have than a landline.
As to if they even need a phone to begin with, well that is a way for their child's school to contact them. A potential employer to call for an interview. To call a doctor to make appointment for themself or their sick child. A voicemail service removing the need for an answering machine. The list goes on.
I do not begrudge a low income person having a cell phone as long as it is their primary phone. It actually makes good financial and societal sense.

What is a cell phone? I don't see it mentioned in the constitution!

Bassman- A lot of people now don't have home phone services, and instead have cell phones. Since cell phones can contact a person anywhere they are- at work, at the store, in the car- it is a good choice for parents while their kids are in school. If there was no way to contact a parent with a sick child, you would complain about that, too....

And, a $10 credit isn't going to go very far- sounds like just enough to handle emergencies. That should be about 100 minutes a month (at most). Divide that by 30 days....

People need a phone number to get a job interview, for sick kids, to make doctor appointments, and to report emergencies.

I far prefer supporting those less fortunate than big business.

Time to move out of mom's basement and into the world bassman - lots of people (even poor folk) are ditching land lines for cell phones. It's the wave of the future.

That's right, subsidies are only for big oil, big pharma, big ag, and the wealthy. We've got to stop spending on the poor and out of work.

Low income with cell phones ? Of course that's more important than the basic needs in life. PUKE!

Saxcat, Do you throw-up in your mouth when we give oil companies $20 billion in subsidies?

Enjoy!
You earned it.

Seriously? This type of government "help" needs to stop. 1.9 million wasted on this.

Makes me throw up in my mouth.