September 16th, 2013 at 7:04 pm
Remember Obama Phones?
Looking for a job? How about getting trained by a government contractor to “forge signatures and falsify data”?
National Review is reporting that a former employee at TerraCom, Inc., a cell phone provider under the federal government’s Lifeline program, was encouraged to use the tactics to help boost the company’s revenues from $32.6 million in 2011 to $52.3 million in 2012.
Though a drop in the bucket for a line-item that costs $2.189 billion, the revelation serves as a reminder for how bad the so-called “Obama Phone” program has been administered.
So does this: “Lifeline’s costs have increased by 166 percent in the past five years,” according to NR.
Hmm… that means the program, around since the 1980’s, dramatically spiked in 2009 and hasn’t stopped since. Any guess as to what – or who – is responsible?
September 28th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
‘ObamaPhone’ Program Grew Almost $1 Billion Since 2008
Fox News explains the ‘ObamaPhone’ program lauded by an enthusiastic recipient in this viral video:
The video is drawing attention to the government program — Lifeline — as a national debate unfolds on entitlements and the growing percentage of Americans who pay no income taxes and get a long menu of government benefits. But even though some beneficiaries may credit President Obama for providing the phones, Lifeline is an extension of a program that has existed since 1985. Still, critics including Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., note the program has swelled from $772 million in 2008 to $1.6 billion.
Much of the increase since 2008 springs from the Obama Administration’s decision to subsidize cellular phones and service on top of the landline systems the program originally covered. The expanded coverage and spending has grown the number of beneficiaries from 7.1 million in 2008 to 12.5 million today.
The government justifies the nearly $1 billion in new spending by claiming that 92 percent of low-income homes now have phone service.
No doubt President Barack Obama needs four more years – and at least a few hundred million dollars more – to close that pernicious 8 percent gap.
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