It’s hard to forget the “Obamaphone” lady from Cleveland back during the 2012 presidential race.
It was also pretty hard to imagine that a “free” government cellphone program wouldn’t be abused.
https://twitter.com/jimmiebjr/status/516709624868012032
In the Washington, D.C., area people have been seeing and hearing a lot of television and radio commercials about why the government’s “Lifeline” program is such a great use of taxpayers’ money. The ads focus on a poor veteran whose only means of contacting his family is the free cellphone provided by the government. The reality seems much different though.
In Maryland the number of people taking advantage of this program actually exceeds the number of people who should be eligible for it.
The Washington Examiner reports:
By the third quarter of 2012, the number of Lifeline subscribers in Maryland had risen almost 100 fold to 645,000″ compared to three years prior, industry consultant Billy Jack Gregg told Congress.
“Moreover, the current number of Lifeline subscribers in Maryland is almost double the number of low income households in the state” who are eligible.
The FCC says it has since instituted some reforms to put a damper on fraud. Until recently, applicants could self-certify their eligibility, and the FCC found millions of dollars of abuse when it finally checked.
Self-certifying for free government benefits led to fraud? Who could have ever predicted that?
The Lifeline program has to be among the most fraud-ridden. The only way to fix this is too eliminate #FreeCellPhones http://t.co/Ue1UoKWcz9
— David Vitter (@DavidVitter) September 29, 2014
@SteveScalise @PatrickMcHenry @dcexaminer Began under Reagan, expanded under Clinton, added cells under Dubya. "Obamaphones," my ass.
— Patrick (@PatrickInNC) September 29, 2014
10,000% increase under Obama? Seems reasonable to give him a big share of the recognition, but there’s plenty of blame to go around.
Obamaphone use soars in #Maryland 100-fold in 3 years & half aren't eligible http://t.co/IFrnUtgNu5 #FCC @WashTimes pic.twitter.com/fIC0mCLTcZ
— Georgia Lynn (@CureOurCountry) September 29, 2014
https://twitter.com/A5H0KA/status/516705868239224833
Yet another example of #waste and #fraud within the #Lifeline program that is intended to help low-income families. http://t.co/hEXCe9z3WY
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) September 29, 2014
Thats 100 fold increase (not 100%)100 TIMES increase. No fraud/corruption/disincentive here. Nothing 2C Nothing 2C http://t.co/Tfucy2KAXw
— Archiblade Runner (@Oldunclearchie) September 29, 2014
It was easy to see coming. Check this tweet from back in July:
#FutureTweet: Obamaphone fraud doesn’t end – RT @HumanEvents: FCC commissioner wants to end Obamaphone fraud: http://t.co/iQq6GeGSaf
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) July 30, 2014
Good call.
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