Safelink is not about safety. Any cell phone can call 911, even without any service plan, and that’s why Safelink is a scam because it only pretends to help the poor stay safe.
Safelink keeps the public safe, not the users
My guess is that safelink is secretly being used by federal, state and local law enforcment to spy on people who accept government handouts. Because the government is paying for the safelink service, by law they have the right to eavesdrop on the conversations without getting a warrant. Brilliant!
Safelink could be a Godsend for state and local police.
SafeLink is a foreign company
This giveaway of free telephones is not part of the Obama economic stimulus package, and does not benefit Americans.
SafeLink is a subsidiary of América Móvil, a MEXICAN company!
Worse, Safelink is not designed to help the worthy “working poor”. Instead, this communist giveaway is exclusively for welfare dependents, food stamp receipients, and the chronically underemployed.
No modest landline telephones for welfare, Medicaid and food stamp users:
Safelink does not give away modest landline phones
Evidently, welfare and food stamp dependents deserve the very best. They get very nice, top-notch cell phones, all at taxpayer expense.
I've wondered, when the First Lady visits a poverty-stricken neighborhood, how everyone has expensive cell phones with built-in cameras?
Luxury for the poor - All paid for with your tax dollars
Warning: Visiting this site will leave you pissed off – Free cell phones for welfare recipients.
Just look at what it takes to qualify. All that is required is that you are a certified loser and government moocher:
“The process to qualify for Lifeline Service depends on the State you live in. In general, you may qualify if...
You already participate in other State or Federal assistance program such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamps and Medicaid.
OR
Your total household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by your State and/or the Federal Government.”
This article confirms that SafeLink is just a scam, paid for by taxpayers.
And it’s not just for lazy Americans; it comes in Spanish too, for illegal aliens:
“The site is also available in Spanish, leading to the not-too-unreasonable conclusion that a significant percentage of the applicants conceivably could be, may be, might be undocumented aliens.”
Si - Uncle Sam will get your ass a free cell phone
THIS IS DISGUSTING. Why should the taxpayers give Mexicans free cell phones if they won’t even bother to learn English?
Icky People also expresses shock at this ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars:
“This is a bizarre policy.
The U.S. Government has started giving out free cellphones, free service, and free minutes every month, plus rollover minutes, caller ID, call waiting, and voicemail to citizens who qualify.
Uncle Sam pays for everything. I'm not making this up.”
The working poor must get by with lesser cell phones
And if you think that this program was just to allow poor people to communicate in emergencies, think again. These free cell phones are not just for emergencies!
“Through our Lifeline Service you will receive FREE cellular service, a FREE cell phone, and FREE Minutes every month!
SafeLink Wireless Service does not cost anything – there are no contracts, no recurring fees and no monthly charges.”
This makes me sick, it’s absolutely outrageous.
Please write your congressman and have this stupid government giveaway changed. Cell phones for honest working poor is a great idea, but it's beyond offensive to give free luxury goods to people on welfare and food stamps.
Note: So far, SafeLink Mexican-owned free phones are only approved for people in Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York and parts of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Let's stop this foreign cash drain before it spreads to other states.
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Reader comments:
Mr. Burleson,
You may have missed the point about SafeLink. It may be a government sponsored scam.
SafeLink may just be a way for law enforcement to circumvent wiretapping laws. If the government owns the cell phones they have every right to eavesdrop on all telephone calls.
Studies confirm that welfare and food stamp recipients are far more likely to commit crimes than working citizens, so SafeLink may be an clever and inexpensive method to circumvent the Federal wiretapping laws!