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EST 
LSU Fan
Investigating
Member since Oct 2003
10882 posts
| California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 4:07 pm)
LINK
quote:
In California, the unemployment rate may be above 10.2%, and the state debt may be above $16 billion, the state’s GDP may be in serious trouble and businesses may be leaving in droves due to ever-increasing tax rates, but that isn’t going to stop the gravy train for the state’s poor and dispossessed. The California Public Utilities Commission is all set to greenlight a new program that would give homeless and low-income people free cell phones – call them Obamaphones – with free service. The idea is to help them reach out to possible job opportunities and stay connected with family.
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ClientNumber9
LSU Fan
Spokane, WA
Member since Feb 2009
3752 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 4:10 pm to EST)
I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
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UGATiger26 
Georgia Fan
Athens, GA
Member since Dec 2009
1135 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 4:12 pm to EST)
quote:
The idea is to help them reach out to possible job opportunities and stay connected with family.
It's almost comical how obvious it is that this will backfire.
Will these calls be monitored at all?
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DonChowder
LSU Fan
Crockpot
Member since Dec 2012
1446 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 4:21 pm to EST)
Damn I hate living in CA. They're always coming up with some stupid shot like this....I'm afraid my kids might grow up thinking that this is normal.
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Broketec
LSU Fan
Dumpster Fire
Member since Sep 2006
1063 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 4:23 pm to EST)
quote:
– call them Obamaphones –
How does this even apply...? *sigh*
Inflamatory article is inflamatory. No matter how rediculious of a program it is, let the program's rediculiousness speak for itself. Calling them Obamaphones is just autistic.
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Tim
LSU Fan
Texas
Member since Jan 2005
5318 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 4:49 pm to Broketec)
Actually, spelling ridiculous like "rediculious" is autistic...
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NoHoTiger
LSU Fan
just left of center
Member since Nov 2006
24643 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:00 pm to DonChowder)
quote:
Damn I hate living in CA.
I'm getting there. I've talked to lots of people who are considering leaving the state in the next year or so depending on their personal financial status and the job market in the areas they are looking at moving to.
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DonChowder
LSU Fan
Crockpot
Member since Dec 2012
1446 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:22 pm to NoHoTiger)
It's a damn shame too...it's a beautiful place.
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Srbtiger06 
USA Fan
Member since Apr 2006
17424 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:23 pm to Tim)
quote:
Actually, spelling ridiculous like "rediculious" is autistic...
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LSUMJ
LSU Fan
BR
Member since Sep 2004
13502 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:32 pm to Srbtiger06)
24 bucks
Thats how much my no frills home phone coats me a month, my cell phone backup
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buddhavista
Member since Jul 2012
3543 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:41 pm to EST)
of ways to get people employed, this is probably one of the better ways.
The thing about it, is even dirt poor people have cell phones these days. So you probably won't get much of a lift out of it.
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SilverSpurs13
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Aug 2011
1013 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:46 pm to EST)
I'm sure the phone these people will receive will be the newest cutting edge smartphone with a quadcore processor and 24 gigapixel camera 
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RogerTheShrubber
LSU Fan
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
71862 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:50 pm to SilverSpurs13)
quote:
I'm sure the phone these people will receive will be the newest cutting edge smartphone with a quadcore processor and 24 gigapixel camera
Man, that point went right over your head.
Cal. can do what the want as long as I am not paying for it. I doubt offering people cell phones will result any many, if any...becoming taxpaying citizens though.
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SilverSpurs13
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Aug 2011
1013 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:53 pm to RogerTheShrubber)
quote:
Cal. can do what the want as long as I am not paying for it.
You live in Alaska
quote:
I doubt offering people cell phones will result any many, if any...becoming taxpaying citizens though.
So every person getting an "Obamaphone" is a worthless crackhead and/or drug dealer?
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buddhavista
Member since Jul 2012
3543 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:56 pm to RogerTheShrubber)
quote:
Cal. can do what the want as long as I am not paying for it. I doubt offering people cell phones will result any many, if any...becoming taxpaying citizens though.
I think that going from no phone to having a cell phone makes a marginal employable person much more employable.
The problem is cell phone saturation is very high and even the poorest people have one. So you are just wasting $$.
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BamaFan89 
Alabama Fan
T-Town
Member since Dec 2009
17783 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 5:56 pm to SilverSpurs13)
quote:
So every person getting an "Obamaphone" is a worthless crackhead and/or drug dealer?
You sure do love to throw out straw men.
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RogerTheShrubber
LSU Fan
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
71862 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 6:05 pm to SilverSpurs13)
quote:
I doubt offering people cell phones will result any many, if any...becoming taxpaying citizens though.
So every person getting an "Obamaphone" is a worthless crackhead and/or drug dealer?
Way to jump to extremes. Typical.
Offering a cell phone isn't a lifeline to a job unless they actually have access to view and apply for jobs via the device.
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RogerTheShrubber
LSU Fan
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
71862 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 6:07 pm to buddhavista)
quote:
I think that going from no phone to having a cell phone makes a marginal employable person much more employable.
I highly doubt anyone marginally employable is without some access to a phone, even if it's at a job center.
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buddhavista
Member since Jul 2012
3543 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 6:12 pm to RogerTheShrubber)
quote:
I highly doubt anyone marginally employable is without some access to a phone, even if it's at a job center.
That doesn't mean they are going to check and messages, and reply appropriately. And frankly if I was an employer, I wouldn't touch an employee that I couldn't contact immediately.
I think the better argument is that everyone already has cell phone, all you are doing is transfering the cost to the gov't.
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RogerTheShrubber
LSU Fan
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
71862 posts
| re: California to offer free cell phones with service to poor (Posted on 12/10/12 at 6:14 pm to buddhavista)
quote:
That doesn't mean they are going to check and messages, and reply appropriately. And frankly if I was an employer, I wouldn't touch an employee that I couldn't contact immediately.
I think the better argument is that everyone already has cell phone, all you are doing is transfering the cost to the gov't.
As long as the California taxpayer is paying for it, more power to them.
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