Nearly One Million Low-Income Tennessee Households to Benefit from Free, Government-S

[Guest SUNTZU]

So almost a million are eligible. I wonder how many will apply? Of those that do, I wonder how many will find employment? Because they are government funded, are the phones subject to restrictions on usage?

I get a lot of my job labor through temporary services. The majority of the men have pay as you go cell phones, and live in the shelters downtown. Most of these guys will tell you that they don't want to leave the shelter, and work to pay the $10 a day rent or to by liquor, beer, weed, crack, etc. I don't want my taxes to be increased to pay for their cell phones.

Use your Reeboks and some brain sweat to get a job. I've tried to hire different guys full time and the story is always the same. Got drunk, got high, got arrested, sorry about that, can you GIVE me another chance.

"I don't give jobs, I hire men." I got my job without a cell phone, I see no reason why others can't do the same.

[Guest grimel]

Let me add to that with an analogy.

They're low income.

That makes them young blacks,living in the projects riding on dubs while refusing to work.

They're low income.

That makes them young blacks,living in the projects riding on dubs while refusing to work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grimel

welfare has paid for basic land line service for years. If they ain't got no job why ain't they home to answer the phone - because they don't want no damn job when da man will keep giving them stuff fo free.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grimel

they paid for my wife's. happy?

Was your wife like that?

Young and black? No.

Unemployed not staying at home to answer phone calls from prospective employers? No.

[Guest grimel]

Well thats really not proving anything,but Ill take your word

Just because we have a project after projects full of people that will not work does not mean that all low income family's are that way.Most do work.Most are under-educated.Most are working day to day manual labor.

Can't get much more than that.

If people had any idea what the government was giving away on a daily basis to those too lazy to find a job their heads would explode.

Just 14yrs ago, a single mother of 2 was given a 3 br apt, $500 in food stamps, $300ish for incidentals not covered by foodstamps, $150 toward utilities, medicare/medicade and some other odds & ends. That's $1600 after tax dollars in 1994. IIRC, that was about $1818 in income or $21,816 a year ($10.49/hr) back in 1994.

ETA:

As for the last part of your claim, I spent 6 years cleaning & repairing sewer lines. Guess where that took me? The ghettos of cities throughout the southeast. I can't say that most of those in the projects were working other than the occasional stint as a rent-a-drunk. We were perpetually short handed, can't say I was ever asked if we were hiring.

I did clean out the Morristown Tn unemployement office of dead beats. Hired 20 people needing 3. A whopping 6 showed up. Two left before getting started, one left at lunch. Two didn't show up the next day.

Edited August 17, 2008 by grimel

[Mike.357]

"I don't give jobs, I hire men." I got my job without a cell phone, I see no reason why others can't do the same.

I ain't using it, but Suntzu that is a signature line quality quote if I ever read one.

[greenego]

Since when do you need a cell phone to get a job? When I was working for someone, I didn't own a cell phone. Now that I hire people, a cell phone will never be a requirement. Getting to work is. How about we provide them a car next.

[BrandonTN]

No comment...

[strickj]

Young and black? No.

Unemployed not staying at home to answer phone calls from prospective employers? No.

I hate to say it but you categorized your wife in there.As a dead beat non-worker.

If people had any idea what the government was giving away on a daily basis to those too lazy to find a job their heads would explode.

You are correct,and yes I do know the numbers.

But must keep in mind not all are like that(like your wife I'm assuming)! Some are genuinely good,hard working Americans.No,I dont want to foot the bill for the scum sucking anymoreso then you,but I'm also not going to deny something to someone who needs it.I'm not the least bit greedy like that.I will(and have)given my last 5 dollars away.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.Winston Churchill

It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.Albert Einstein

[Guest grimel]

I hate to say it but you categorized your wife in there.As a dead beat non-worker.

Umm, no, "welfare has paid for basic land line service for years. If they ain't got no job why ain't they home to answer the phone - because they don't want no damn job when da man will keep giving them stuff fo free."

At no point did I say my wife wasn't home to answer the phone if/when unemployed. Never did I say she didn't want a job. Never did I say she was a dead beat. I said the government paid for her land line. Going to school as a single mother isn't unemployed doesn't want a job. She's fairly well employed (makes more than most) for this area right now because she took the time to take a few functional classes and apply them.

[G27]

Assuming program exists so they can find a job (which is ludicrous, imo), why not make it a month-to-month program whereby they surrender the phone as soon as they gain employment?

I'll tell you why - because it's out-of-control socialized spending and nothing more.

[fizik]

Since when do you need a cell phone to get a job? When I was working for someone, I didn't own a cell phone. Now that I hire people, a cell phone will never be a requirement. Getting to work is. How about we provide them a car next.

Oh God, don't give 'em any more bright ideas.

And strickj, I see where you're coming from, and agree that some may have a legitimate need for this. I also know that those will be a tiny minority. I spent nine months working for a buddy running three of his halfway houses. I've seen this all firsthand, how many will be government subsidized and be content with that? How many will be subsidized and then get back on their feet and give it up? - not many, although when someone I got close to did get themselves back on track it was fulfilling as anything else in this world. The ones just juicing the system make me sick. And maybe you're just playing devil's advocate here, I dunno.

Edited August 18, 2008 by fizik

[strickj]

The ones just juicing the system make me sick

As they do I!

There will always be those that abuse the system,but to put everyone in that category is asinine.

There are those whom abuse the system in gun ownership as well and everyone of us gets put into that category.Everyone here is doing the same with low income families.

Thats all I'm saying here! Do I want to foot the bill for low life scum suckers that abuse the system? NO!

However I will not punish those who dont abuse the system.

Sound familiar?

Grimel;Your first comment stated that all receiving benefits do not want to work,and you said that in a sarcastic yo yo homeboy way.

Then you said your wife was once receiving benefits.So incense you did indeed refute your original point as I'm sure your wife does not fall into that category.

I bet your wife couldn't have made it if someone wasn't willing to help her along the way.Was her land line phone an essential for living?No.Did it make life better/easier?Yes!

There are plenty of other things that 30 bucks a month could have went to,but it went to her in her time of need.Explain the bad in that?

Edited August 18, 2008 by strickj

[Im Neero]

Some are genuinely good,hard working Americans.

I have a hard time with the idea that anyone on welfare is considered hard working.

[strickj]

What do you consider hard working?

Having your first car paid for by mom,and dad? Having them work your way through collage? Sitting on your ass all day pushing buttons that you learned to do in collage?

Take a field trip to a factory with a line worker to see how hard they work for how little they work for.

Next time you go to McDonald's look at the person at the window.

The poorest people this country has ever seen were in poverty.

Ever hear an old guy say"my father worked his butt of all day for nothing,but he is more of a man then I will ever be"?

Life experience is your friend grasshopper!

[Im Neero]

Can you get all these welfare benefits while employed? I may be confused, but I did not think the person at the McDonald's window was eligible for much.

Also, who had their car and college payed for by mommy and daddy? I took that comment as directed toward me, but I don't think I've ever met you. If we want to make unfounded presumptions about each other then I'll play.

I'm not really sure how you have any room to talk since you've been living in a 40 room mansion ever since that huge settlement you reached with Krispy Kreme donuts for discriminating against you based upon your religious beliefs.

And to answer your question, I consider one who does what has to be done without expecting handouts from anyone hard working. There was a time in this country that FDR had to undertake huge public works program to create jobs because men would not accept money that they did not earn. That is what I call hard working.

I got my first 3 jobs without a cell phone, so yes, I have tried to get a job without a cell phone. It can be done. Easily.

[Guest SUNTZU]

strickj, I understand your viewpoint, and agree that life experience is important. Here's my viewpoint.

From what I see in the construction industry, the work ethic my parents and grandparents have/had is dead or dying. Most of the people that work for me through the temp service are content to suck on the government tit. The same is true of many with full time jobs in various trades. The opportunities are out there, and if they aren't, then you make your own opportunity as I did. I didn't go to college, but I had my own lawn care and landscaping service through high school. I also started out in the construction industry slinging mud out of footers in February rains, and now I'm the superintendent. I am dang proud of having worked my way up through the ranks. I bought my first vehicle myself, which was an 88 Chevy Suburban. A TN orange state truck. I cannot see taking advantage of a government shackle for myself. Once you accept one, I reckon its mighty hard to get it back off again. Some people can make use of a system such as welfare till they get on their feet, which is all well and good for them. That is what the system was originally intended for, IMO. I still don't agree with it, personally. That's my opinion, feel free to disagree, as I'm sure some do. I just feel you have to make your own way, bury your own roots, and grow tall through your own sweat and blood and toil. I did it, and I don't see why another person can't do the same.

[strickj]

but I don't think I've ever met you. If we want to make unfounded presumptions about each other then I'll play.

Not directed at you! Sorry it came off that way! Can I have a hug?

I just get a little pissed when people assume this or that when it isn't always the case.

I was raised by a single mother of two that worked her butt off each and every day for nothing.She took all she could not because she wanted to,but because she had to.

I said earlier "There are plenty of other things that 30 bucks a month could have went to,but it went to her in her time of need.Explain the bad in that?"

Can you answer that?

[Im Neero]

I said earlier "There are plenty of other things that 30 bucks a month could have went to,but it went to her in her time of need.Explain the bad in that?"

Can you answer that?

I'll answer it. My problem isn't where the money went, it's where it came from; the government. I think everyone should do what they can to help each other out when in need, and there are organizations that do just that. My problem comes in when somebody in Nashville decides that everyone needs a cell phone, and I should pay for it.

I am admittedly not very familiar with the welfare system, but it seems to me that most of the truly hardworking individuals fall through the cracks due to a bad system. Most people that really work as hard as they can to provide for their family do not qualify for most welfare programs. I don't have a problem with the concept of helping those in need, I do have a problem with how it is done currently.

Not directed at you! Sorry it came off that way!

It's all good

Can I have a hug?

[StumpyBeagle]

The problem with this type of Give-a-Way is it will end up the same as TennCare. Every body on the border states of Tennessee within range will wind up with a free cell phone. There will not be enough people involved with keeping something that could be used as a good thing from going very bad. And they don't do a proper background check to verify that the address is correct, there's just not enough money or manpower. Before you know it its been expanded to 2 to 3 million low-income households. Stuff like this always turns into Pandora's Box.

"Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it."

Not sure who said it, but you can be darn sure it wasn't a Tennessee politician.

Edited August 18, 2008 by jdredmond

[Guest Honest AK]

Most people that really work as hard as they can to provide for their family do not qualify for most welfare programs.

If wages for unskilled labor keeps staying the same, while prices for necessities keeps rising, most folks working those kinds of jobs will qualify for most welfare programs if they don't already.

[towerclimber37]

- Jose Fuentes, Director of Government Relations, SafeLink Wireless

this is the guy trying to get his wireless business off the ground...how? he's looking to the government to do it for him

-- The Honorable David Mitchell, Commissioner Tennessee Department of Safety

-- Cliff Sharp, Executive Director, Greenhouse Ministries

gotta get the clergy involved!! it wouldn't be right if we didnt!!!

-- The Honorable Tommie Brown, Member, Tennessee House of Representatives, and Secretary, Tennessee Legislative Black Caucus (TLBC)

Meh. Of COURSE it's gotta have the stamp of the representative of 'teh people'

let me guess..it's starting out in Memphis. Home of the those folks who are so poor they have to turn to crime to make a living...

-- The Honorable Lois DeBerry, Speaker Pro Tempore, Tennessee House of Representatives, and TLBC Member (tentative)

-- Nicholas P. Sullivan, Visiting Scholar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author, "Cell Phones Provide Significant Economic Gains for Low-Income American Households"

so we're looking to MASSa2****s for a way to make our state better????

some egghead comes down from one of the most liberal states in the union to tell us how to live, and these guys buy it..whats worse, they spend OUR money on it..not theirs..OURS!

My congressman is SO getting a letter..and a piece of my mind over this one!!!

[G27]

I was raised by a single mother of two that worked her butt off each and every day for nothing.She took all she could not because she wanted to,but because she had to.

Good, she did the right thing. No one said life was easy or fair.

I said earlier "There are plenty of other things that 30 bucks a month could have went to,but it went to her in her time of need.Explain the bad in that?"

Can you answer that?

Sure - give it back to the taxpayers.

How anyone can equate a cell phone with a 'need' is beyond me - it truly shows how far our society has fallen when a sense of entitlement is so openly professed.

[BrasilNuts]

How anyone can equate a cell phone with a 'need' is beyond me - it truly shows how far our society has fallen when a sense of entitlement is so openly professed.

+1

[molonlabetn]

Oh my god! How did folks get jobs BEFORE there were cell-phones?!

Seems to me that what we need is to give them a roll of quarters for pay-phones, IF we give them anything at all...

[Guest grimel]

Grimel;Your first comment stated that all receiving benefits do not want to work,and you said that in a sarcastic yo yo homeboy way.

Then you said your wife was once receiving benefits.So incense you did indeed refute your original point as I'm sure your wife does not fall into that category.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grimel

welfare has paid for basic land line service for years. If they ain't got no job why ain't they home to answer the phone - because they don't want no damn job when da man will keep giving them stuff fo free.

1) this doesn't say all receiving benefits do not want a job. It says if they don't have a job why aren't they home waiting for the phone? Then it answers the question - because they don't want a job when they can get everything for free.

2) the second statement doesn't refute this.

I bet your wife couldn't have made it if someone wasn't willing to help her along the way.Was her land line phone an essential for living?No.Did it make life better/easier?Yes!

There are plenty of other things that 30 bucks a month could have went to,but it went to her in her time of need.Explain the bad in that?

Someone getting an education pays for itself via income taxes.

[saintsfanbrian]

Okay, last time I checked you could dial 911 from a phone that has NO SERVICE and still get connected to a dispatcher from either a land line or a cell phone. So that dog won't hunt.

As for less than privileged people being able to get state subsidized cell phones - No sir- we have better things to do with our state taxes.

Thank you and have a nice day.