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A 23-year-old woman is alive and safe now thanks to her free government mobile phone. Her kidnapper, Brian Eugene Stidham, 50, held her at gunpoint when in her automobile after asking her for a ride and forced her to drive to a rural part of Kansas known as Truman Lake.

She continually called 911 from her free government mobile phone until she could maintain a connection. As Stidham had forced her into a very rural area with patchy mobile connection, she was lucky to have gotten through, although she did have to call back a few times. She got in contact with Benton County dispatchers, pleading for help. The police were able to pinpoint her location around Truman Lake and alerted local authorities in the Benton County and St Clair County. A ranger on duty in the St. Clair County found the vehicle being described and followed it, being careful to trail behind so as not to be noticed.

The car pulled into a house that was about 150 yards inside Benton County lines and when the St Clair County authorities realized they were the closest ones to the scene, they crossed the county lines and arrested Stidham. Brian Eugene Stidham was found behind the residence holding the gun in his hand. He was caught, apprehended and held until the Benton County sheriff arrived into his jurisdiction.

Stidham is now being held in Benton County jail with a bond set at $150,000 US Dollars. He is being charged with felonious restraint and unlawful use of a firearm although his motives for kidnap are currently unknown. Authorities do not know why Stidham went towards that farmhouse in particular, although there are rumors that he has family ties to that area.

The situation was resolved without any harm done to the young woman thanks to her Lifeline Phone.

There has been much scrutiny surrounding the free government mobile phone program that began in the 80’s during the Reagan Administration. The government has been providing free mobile phones and now low-rate broadband access for those who are eligible. Eligibility criteria does vary from state to state slightly, however generally, as long as you are living at 135% of the poverty line or are dependent on approved state or federal-run assistance programs, such as Food Stamps or Free School Lunches, you are eligible to apply for the free mobile phone program. Many right-wing politicians are claiming that this is a drain on the nation’s floundering financial funds, stating that there is blatant fraud and millions, if not billions of dollars of waste. However, with this situation, one can say without argument that had the young woman not had access to emergency numbers with her free mobile phone, the end of this story could have been very different. The Lifeline Program had situations like this in mind when the program was created. Providing safety and security for those who would otherwise not be able to afford that is not a luxury, but a necessity. This young woman’s life was saved as a result of the Lifeline Program.

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Senator David Vitter, Representative of the state of Louisiana, has added an amendment to the Farm Bill debate of 2013 and hopes to see some progress on this front. The Farm Bill is a $955 Billion, 5-year plan that has proposed to see a 10% increase in crop insurance for farmers and a decrease in Food Stamp distribution to convicted felons and pedophiles. Vitter’s amendment added the Lifeline Free Government Cell Phone program to that bill, in hopes of reducing spending or eliminating this program altogether.

The Federal Communications Commission created the Lifeline Program in 1985 during the Reagan Administration. The FCC was created in order to address the inequalities in access to affordable telecommunications in the United States. Access to telephone lines and now, Internet connection, is far more than a luxury. It has become a human right. Because of the rate at which our society is moving towards becoming completely wireless (with most of the world’s economy dependent upon wireless communication), to not have access to a mobile phone or the Internet is to be completely left behind.

For the country’s homeless, elderly and disabled or those living at or below the poverty level, access to affordable telecommunications can be very difficult. Prior to the Lifeline Program, many of the nation’s impoverished could not afford a landline, much less a mobile phone, and it was quite evident that trying to get back on one’s feet without the ability to communicate with prospective employers would make one virtually unemployable. Furthermore, access to healthcare services and emergency services for those who are not upwardly mobile or living with a disability is of utmost importance for the quality of life amongst the citizens of the United States. It was with these issues in mind that the Lifeline Program came to fruition.

Vittel had proposed that the Senate move to drop the Lifeline Program, stating that the free government cell phones program was ‘’an entitlement mentality gone wild; that we have started the notion that folks are entitled to the government, the taxpayer, providing them almost everything under the sun; and, secondly, and not unrelated, there has been widespread fraud and abuse in this program, and I am convinced it is at the core of this program and can’t be scrubbed out.’’

This alongside his other amendment stating that Food Stamps should be discontinued to those with a criminal record convicting them of rape, murder or pedophilia has put him in a very negative light to those on the more social end of the spectrum. Those who oppose him are hoping that the Senate throws out both amendments, as the new changes would disproportionately affect African-Americans or those who had convicted crimes many decades ago and were now surviving on government Food Stamps with their families.

Vitter’s opposition to the Lifeline Program is due to the ease with which his friends and colleagues have been able to become approved, even though they can more than afford their own mobile phones. He stated that a friend of his walked into a distributer and got approved for a Lifeline phone in ‘’under ten minutes.’’ Vitter blames this lack of monitoring to the high rates of fraud and misuse of money, which just adds to the nation’s trillion-dollar debt.

The Federal Communications Commission has cracked down very severely on the fraud rate by introducing several new rules. One mobile per household and stricter auditing systems to hunt down those with more than one mobile account is already underway. In addition, there will be a central database with a lifetime record of those who have been approved for a free government mobile phone. This will ensure that those who are no longer eligible are recorded on this central database so that they cannot continue free services through another carrier.

We hope that the Senate sees that the Lifeline Program is not an ‘’entitlement mentality gone wild,’’ but rather a step in the right direction towards a higher quality of life for those who are working so hard to get themselves out of a bad situation. These people just need a bit of help and a nudge in the right direction and cancelling the Lifeline Program would set millions of American families back into the dark ages.

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In 2011, the CEO of Cintex Wireless was accused of fraudulent action with respect to the Lifeline Program. Although there is currently no proof, the accusations are coming straight from the Securities Exchange Commission.

Since August of 2011, Cintex Wireless has collected just over $8 Million US Dollars from the Federal Communications Commission, the body that oversees the budgeting of the Lifeline Program.

The Lifeline Program provides free mobile phones and affordable broadband to needy American families.  Currently, over 11.3 million Americans are Lifeline participants, but with the current rate of those who receive social assistance from the government standing at 48% of the total population of the USA, it looks like those numbers are just going to keep creeping upwards.

Paul V. Greene has racked up this subsidy bill while also serving as president of another mobile carrier company. The buck does not stop there. In fact, Greene was investigated for fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission.  In 2013, Paul agreed, and without admitting guilt, a final judgment in an SEC action that involved allegations of aiding and abetting and was ordered to pay $100,000. It just keeps getting worse for Mr Greene.

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The benefits of social assistance programs such as Lifeline are how it provides safety, peace of mind and a connection to society to those in need. The downside is the amount of fraud that can occur when a well-intentioned program is taken advantage of by those who deem themselves above the law.

There has been a lot of controversy around the Lifeline Program, a system in place to provide free mobile phones and affordable broadband service to those Americans who would otherwise go without. Although the vast majority of the participants are truly down and out citizens of the United States, there are a small population who have taken advantage of the ‘honor system’ application process.

More importantly, although perhaps less surprisingly, there have been huge oversights by many of the mobile carriers which have resulted in duplicate accounts and falsified identities of customers. The mobile carriers have much to gain by signing up customers for the Lifeline Program. They do not lose a single penny out of their own pocket and for every client they sign up, they receive a nice subsidy from the Universal Service Fund, the fund that was set up in order to provide the budget for several altruistic programs such as Lifeline across the nation.

One unfortunate example of the way that big businesses are blatantly using the Lifeline Program as an opportunity to swindle money from the government came through in Rhode Island. Jim Taricani, a reporter for one of the local news stations in Rhode Island was doing a bit of street investigation and came across a local mobile carrier handing out free mobile phones to passers-by.

The representative was from Life Wireless, a mobile carrier that is a participant in the Lifeline Program. In fact, the representative was looking for welfare-recipients on the street to hand the phones out to.

Taricani was appalled and thought that this was not only a blatant misuse of government funding, but also possibly an exploitation of those who were hard done by.

A spokesperson from Life Wireless said in a public statement that they were simply doing their job to help thousands of poor Americans receive their free mobile phone and that there was nothing wrong with that.

True – but only if it is done without the intention of lining the company’s own pockets at the expense of the government and the needy Americans they were serving.

It is unfortunate that situations like this are occurring at the level of the corporation, although it should not be that surprising. Since the credit crisis, we have all had our eyes opened to the world at the top of that ever-elusive corporate ladder. We are all too aware of the kind of imaginative ways that corporations will think up of in order to cheat the system, the government and the American public.

The Federal Communications Commission is currently performing very extreme audits in order to find any duplicate accounts and users of the Lifeline System. The FCC is also working hard to ensure that a central database is being put into place in order to avoid duplicate accounts. There will be fines and even prison time given to those individuals who are caught trying to cheat the system. The thing that we are more curious of is if the FCC and the United States government are going to hold the mobile carriers, the corporations, accountable for their part in the fraud. There are always rules and regulations put into place in order to punish the individual. There is always an example set from a customer or a group of customers who get caught. However, when will the corporations of America stand on trial for their wrongdoings? When will the government and the powers that be start to disentangle their financial relationship and finally give those corporations their just desserts?

The Lifeline Program is a philanthropic program that offers hope and safety to those who could otherwise not afford that comfort. The Lifeline Program recognizes that affordable access to telecommunications is a human right, not a human luxury. That living on the street does not mean that access to emergency numbers is no longer a right. Being a single mother living in a shelter with her children does not mean she can no longer be allowed to stay in contact with her friends and family. Being elderly or infirm does not call for a removal of methods that would provide instant connection to family and healthcare workers. In fact, just the opposite. These are the fringe populations that get so easily left behind and these are the people who need access to telecommunications more than anyone. The Lifeline Program sees to it that they are taken care of in this sense.

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The Lifeline Program, which gives out free mobile phones plus free monthly talk minutes and texts to eligible American citizens, has fallen in the cross-fire of many right wing politicians and conservative media reporters. The likes of Rush Limbaugh and Tim Griffin of Arkansas believe that the Lifeline Program should be discontinued as they see it as a huge leak of federal funds.

The Lifeline Program was started during the Reagan Administration in 1985 in response to an amendment to the Telecommunications Act. The Act states that all American citizens should have affordable access to telecommunications. The reason why access to telecommunications is so important is because this provides connection to society and to safety. This is more than just a luxury afforded to the privileged few – it is a right that should be given to everyone. With the world moving in the direction that it is, with the advent of the mobile phone and the Internet, the Act has undergone several adjustments since then, the most significant in 1996 in order to take those two particular additions into account. Over 80% of job applications are done online now. That means in order to be competitive in the job market; one must have access to broadband. In order to be available for call-backs for interviews, one must have a mobile phone. Without these two things, one will be left behind in the job-hunt and therefore will be financially at a disadvantage.

Safety is another issue. Mobile phones provide free emergency access to health services and ambulances or paramedics. One can argue that payphones provide that same courtesy, however with the way that mobile phone use has grown, there are very few phone booths available on public street corners. If one has to depend on the rare phone booth in order to feel safe when walking home alone or in the unfortunate situation of a mugging, there is not much comfort in that idea whatsoever.

The elderly and the disabled – two populations who lack the mobility in order to access many of the necessities that the able-bodied take for granted, such as walking to supermarkets, walk-in clinics, emergency rooms, not to mention just getting up by oneself in order to get a glass of water or bathe oneself. These two populations need access to telecommunications more so than anyone else as they are often unable to help themselves for tasks that require upward mobility. Without a mobile phone or even broadband, these populations will be unable to stay connected with health care services, friends and family or even pharmacy delivery services to refill their prescriptions. Access to telecommunications in the form of a mobile phone or broadband is tantamount to survival for these two populations.

The right-wing politicians are calling for a serious petition to put an end to this program. They are particularly upset about the money that the companies are receiving in subsidies for being a participant in the Lifeline Program. In fact, in 2009, Safelink Wireless received over $180 Million US Dollars in government subsidies for the free mobile phone program. Countless other mobile carriers are quickly scrambling to follow suit and take advantage of this virtually free money.

The amount of fraud that is occurring in this free government mobile phone program is fairly staggering and one can see why the conservative government is nervous. Especially given the fact that the US debt is in the trillions of US dollars. Let us not lose perspective here, though. Those trillions of US dollars are not from external countries, much to everyone’s disbelief. They are a result of overspending on American soil, namely the historic bailouts of several large financial corporations and banks that mishandled billions of dollars of funds out of greed and egotism, not from altruism and equality. For the conservative government to start wagging their fingers at a mere fraction of funds that is going towards a humanitarian and human rights cause is rather bold. It is too bad that the conservative government continues to place blame on the nation’s more humanitarian efforts rather than punishing those in the privileged minority who swindle the American public for billions of dollars. Our nation’s priorities are too deeply entwined with the pocketbooks of big banks, big pharma and corporations who deem themselves too good to be taxed. Let us take a stand against the tyranny of the rich and greedy and bring to light where our nation is falling short. Help programs such as Lifeline to stay afloat and let’s place the focus where it really should go.

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A journalist from Scripps News Service stumbled across a huge hole in the security of participants of the Lifeline Program, a program that provides free mobile phones to those who are in need in the USA. Through a Google search, this journalist uncovered the private information, such as Social Security numbers, passport information, driver’s licenses and even sensitive materials such as parole letters, of over 170,000 clients of the Lifeline Program.

The Lifeline Program was created in the 1980s during the Reagan Administration. The Federal Communications Commission, whose role in the USA is to ensure that everybody has affordable access to telecommunications, put it together. This was instigated by a chance in the Telecommunications Act of 1986 that discussed the importance of access to telecommunications for the American Public.

With the movement of the modern world towards cellular communication and online markets, it is nearly impossible to stay abreast of technology, healthcare and education without access to a mobile phone and the Internet. This issue is of huge concern amongst the population of the American public that fall at or below the poverty line and therefore cannot afford to pay for a mobile phone, much less have broadband Internet access in their homes. While those without means are seeing this kind of access as a luxury in comparison to medicine, heat and food, the reality is that access to telecommunications is now a human right. Without it, one will fall far behind in society.

Application processes for the Lifeline Program are often conducted on the Internet, allowing those who would like to receive a free mobile phone and text and talk minutes per month to upload a lot of their personal information onto the internet. IN order to prove that one is eligible for the Lifeline Program, one has to provide documentation that shows they are living at 135% of the poverty line through tax returns or pay stubs. Otherwise, they are required to show proof that they are already a participant in other state or federal-run assistance programs, such as Food Stamps or Free School Lunches. Criteria do vary from state to state.

As a result, a lot of this private and often sensitive information such as home addresses and food stamp records are uploaded onto the Internet. What this journalist from Scripps News Service found was the ability to access all of that private information with a simple Google search. This journalist also reported that they were the applicants of two different phone carriers: TerraCom Incorporated who is based in Oklahoma City and YourTel America Incorporated, a subsidiary of TerraCom.

This unfortunately massive security blip has put thousands of needy Americans at risk in their already horrible situation. With their identities and sensitive information out there on the internet like that, these people could become potential victims to security fraud and identity theft – a setback that none of them would be able to afford or bounce back from. Let us not even mention the violation to data protection laws or the right to privacy in the USA. This is not just a minor setback – this is what novels such as 1984 were based upon!

The Federal Communications Commission has become aware of this situation and has mentioned in passing that a single breach of privacy could cost TerraCom upwards of $1 Million US Dollars.

The journalist from Scripps News Service notified TerraCom immediately of the breach of privacy and instead of being thanked, was angrily demonized as the ‘hacker’ by Jonathan Lee, the legal counsel for TerraCom. In fact, Lee has claimed that it was Scripps News Service that orchestrated the leak in the first place.

The deputy general counsel of Scripps News Service, David Giles, has retaliated with his own statement urging the mobile carrier companies to stop the name-calling and to take responsibility for the obvious security oversight and ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Blaming others does not fix the situation and the sooner that the problem can be addressed, the less chance that it has of occurring again.

The CEO of TerraCom, Dale Schmick issued a statement saying that their company is in the middle of ongoing negotiations and discussions with federal regulators with respect to the incident. The CEO is claiming that Scripps News Service used ‘’sophisticated computer techniques’’ in order to hack into the company’s information.

Giles denies the use of any ‘sophisticated computer techniques’ and the investigation is ongoing. It is too bad that the journalist, who just wanted to make sure that people’s privacy were protected, is now the victim of a smear campaign.

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The Lifeline Program, which gives out free mobile phones to eligible, in-need Americans, has been under scrutiny because of the millions of dollars lost due to fraud.

In response, the Federal Communications Commission has put together a very aggressive strategy in order to reduce the amount of money lost in fraud. There have been very strict audits put in place that have already found over a quarter of a million duplicate free cell phone accounts. The next step is to put together a huge central database of all of the participants in the Lifeline Program.

Information Management Consultants Inc is putting the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) together. This has all been organised by the Universal Service Administrative Company, which is a non-profit organisation that is essentially in charge of the Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF holds the budget for the Lifeline Program.

The purpose of the NLAD is to prevent any future duplicate free mobile phone accounts, thereby reducing money lost in fraud.

It is hoped that the NLAD will be launched in the year 2013.

We hope so too, so that millions can be saved in dollars. Millions that can go back towards helping those who truly need and would profit from the Lifeline free mobile phone program.

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The Lifeline Program offers free mobile phones to those Americans who cannot afford them. This access to telecommunications not only provides safety to those at the touch of a button, but allows the unemployed to find jobs, the elderly to stay in touch with health care workers and family, the disabled to refill prescriptions through the pharmacy or their doctor without moving and the homeless a bit of hope. All in all, the Lifeline Program is here to help those who are in need in the USA.

Here are some things about the Lifeline Program that you may not have known:

You do not have to be a legal resident in order to qualify for a mobile phone.

Apparently there is no rule that forces one to prove their citizenship or their visa status in the USA. However….is personal security and safety something that we only offer to those who have a green card?

The Lifeline Program cost $1.6 Billion US Dollars in 2011 alone.

We can understand how the naysayers are a bit nervous with this budget, especially since the United States is over a trillion US Dollars in debt already. We ask you this in turn – should we punish those in need because of a mishandling of funds by the small privileged minority that sit in our White House?

The Lifeline Program is not funded by taxpayers’ money.

The Universal Service Fund, which gives the budget for this program, takes money from paying telephone account holders every month as a nominal fee. It is really only a few dollars a month. Yes, it could be thought of as an ‘’extra tax’’ but it is actually only on the bills of those who have telephones already.

If you already are eligible for several state or federal run assistance programs, you are eligible for a free mobile phone.

Those who are opposed would rather see the millions spent on mobile phones to go towards something that they feel is already helping those in need, such as health care or education. What we say is that access to telecommunications, especially internet, directly Leads to health care and education. Because the way the world works now with everything being online, not being able to afford a mobile phone means not being able to access an ambulance. Not being able to afford broadband means falling behind in our public education system. Without access to mobile phones or some form of modern communication, one is disconnected from all that allows the world to turn presently and that is a dangerous place to be in, socially, economically and emotionally.

Lifeline Program is draining billions of US Dollars a year in fraud losses alone.

True – this we cannot argue with. However, the Federal Communications Commission is working Extremely hard in order to cut down these losses. With audits and central databases for all participants in the planning process, the FCC projects that they will save over a billion dollars in lost revenue by 2014. Already over a quarter of a million duplicate Lifeline phone accounts have been chased down and cancelled. No system is ever a perfect system, but the FCC is doing everything they can to rectify it. In the end, it will pay off.

Carlos Slim, one of the richest men in the world, owns Safelink Wireless.

Those who oppose the Lifeline Program says that the intentions of this supposedly altruistic system is actually pouring money into the pockets of the already super rich. We say that regardless of who owns the companies, the fact that they’re doing something that is benefiting those who are in need is better than not having this program because of lack of funding. We would rather see Carlos Slim putting his time and effort into something that will result in a stronger society, offering a second chance to those who need it, rather than have him invest in nuclear warheads, wouldn’t you?

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The Lifeline Program is a social assistance system that provides free mobile phones to those who are eligible. This program was started during the Reagan Administration back in the 1980’s and was founded by the Federal Communications Commission in response to an amendment to the Telecommunications Act. This Act stated that all citizens of the USA had the right to affordable access to telecommunications.

Assurance Wireless is one of the largest carriers of the Lifeline Program in the USA. It is currently running in the highest number of states out of all of the carriers and is hoping to expand to include every single state. Assurance Wireless is a subsidiary of Virgin Mobile, owned by the great Sir Richard Branson – most notably known for launching himself out of airplanes and owning large tropical islands. The following are some Frequently Asked Questions about the Lifeline Program and Assurance Wireless.

How Do You Qualify

Qualification for the Lifeline Program does vary from state to state, but in general, with Assurance Wireless, if you can prove that you are living at 135% of the poverty line or are a participant of one of the state-run or federal assistance programs, you can definitely apply for a free mobile phone. Here is a list of possible state and federal assistance programs, but please check with the criteria specified for your state:

• Medicaid
• Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP – Food Stamps)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Low Income House Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
• National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunches
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• Please check with other possible assistance programs in the state you currently reside in

How Do I Prove my Eligibility?

To prove that you are eligible, you must provide Assurance Wireless with either last year’s tax returns or pay stubs from your current job to show that you are living below 135% of the poverty line, or submit documents that show you are participating in one of your state’s assistance programs.

How Many Per Household?

Currently, there is a rule of only ONE free mobile phone per household. There are recent movements to allow more than one free mobile to multiple-family households, but please check your current state’s policies to see if this has been approved where you currently reside.

What is Annual Verification Audit?

Once you have been approved for a Lifeline free government mobile phone, you must continue to prove that you are eligible for the program annually. This is to reduce the amount of fraud that is happening with customers who manage to get new jobs or increase their financial status (i.e. – no longer be eligible for the free mobile phone package) and yet continue on with the free services. Every year you will be sent an audit package. Simply follow the instructions contained within the package. If the instructions are not followed, your Lifeline mobile phone with be disconnected and your membership cancelled.

We hope that these answer many of your questions. If you find that you need further information about signing up with Assurance Wireless or if you want to change from another carrier to Assurance, many of these companies have additional resources available.

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H. George Everett, a Public Service Commissioner in Georgia, recently stated that he wanted the state to start charging a fee every month for the Lifeline Program. He is said to have said that charging $5 a month would probably deter fraud.

Perhaps he has a point. Alaska is already charging $1 a month for unlimited minutes and texts a month and a couple of other states have carriers that are following suit. $5 a month is not so much that someone who is down and out couldn’t afford it, whereas when people receive something for nothing, there is a tendency to undermine the value and simply try to get more for free.

The Lifeline Program helps to provide affordable access to mobile phones (and soon, broadband Internet) for those in need. Criteria for eligibility does vary slightly from state to state, but in general, for those living at 135% of the poverty line or are participants in a federal or state-run assistance programs (Food Stamps, School Free Lunches, Disability assistance), they can apply for a free mobile phone.

Everett also added to his original statement that companies that refuse to accept the $5 from their clients would have to add 500 free minutes per month rather than the standard government subsidized 250 free minutes per month. This would pass off extra costs to the company as well, hopefully preventing mobile carriers from approving free mobile accounts just so they can receive their government subsidy payments.

Many people are opposed to Everett’s proposal, saying that he is taking food away from the needy and setting up financial restrictions once again for those who cannot afford it.

However, perhaps Everett is onto something. He does not want to directly stop the program. He wants to stop the cheaters from giving the program a bad name. He wants to hold the mobile carriers accountable for their role in this philanthropic project by not allowing them to take the subsidy checks without any consideration for the resulting impact on the public. He wants to draw attention to the fact that the FCC may not be doing enough to bring down fraud. Everett has never mentioned that he feels these people are not worthy of help. He just wants to make it more difficult for the bad guys.

Perhaps a compromise can be met. Everett has merely made a proposal but there is no reason not to grow and expand on that. Maybe it is not about punishing the innocent with the $5 a month fee, but giving the companies more incentive to be strict with their approval policies. Hold the ones in power accountable for their actions, not the weak for falling prey to a system that, by design, has too many holes in it.

Let us try to keep an open mind. We are all trying to work together to make this world a better place for everyone, not just giant corporations. This does not need to be turned into a David and Goliath story. Everett was simply stating that things need to change with this program. Too much money is being wasted on fraud and perhaps too much money is being spent on measures to correct that fraud. It may not be the most popular approach, but Everett wants effective action now, by making everyone accountable.

The sooner this can be resolved, the better. The Lifeline Program was designed to help those who are in situations that are difficult to get out of. The unemployed want to find jobs and contribute to society. They will be hard-pressed to do so if they have no form of communication to get in touch with potential employers. The homeless do not want to live in fear in their shelters and on the streets. The free mobile phone will give them instant access to emergency phone numbers. Single parents need to keep in contact with schools and educators while they are clocking in multiple jobs to feed hungry children. A free mobile phone will make their daily lives a lot easier. The disabled and elderly need means to stay in contact with their health care givers and hospitals. A free mobile phone allows them this comfort and peace of mind. Lifeline is here to help those in need. Everett may not have proposed a method that everyone likes, but at least he’s thinking of ways to positively lift the reputation of this fraud-ridden program so that we can all agree that it is only doing well for those who deserve it.

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