U.S. judge halts cell phone service fee for the poor in Georgia

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

BY DAVID BEASLEY
ATLANTA Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:59am EST

(Reuters) - A federal judge has blocked Georgia's plan to charge low-income residents $5 per month for cell phone service that currently is provided free of charge.

The fee was set to take effect on January 31 and would have made Georgia the only the U.S. state to charge for the federally subsidized phone service.

"The public interest tilts in favor of providing telephone services to low-income households that otherwise would be unable to afford mobile phones," U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story wrote on Tuesday in a temporary injunction that stops the new fee while a court challenge is pending.

Nationally, about 14 million households participate in the Lifeline phone program, according to the Universal Service Administrative Co, the nonprofit organization that administers the program.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/18/us-usa-georgia-cellphones-idUSBRE9BH0WJ20131218

[tosh]

1. K&R.

[randome]

2. What a fucked up idea to charge for something that's free.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[JoePhilly]

3. The GOP would force you to buy a metered mask through

which you can breathe their air, for a fee, given half the chance.

[randome]

4. This huge effort to catch the .000001% of people who might be scamming the system.

They just can't stand the idea that someone, somewhere, might not be playing by the rules. All the time they bend and distort the rules to their own benefit.

And if they did promote metered masks, there would be exceptions or subsidies for themselves.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[bobclark86]

5. Two things:

1) It's probably closer to 1 or 2 percent that are scamming.

2) They really don't care about scamming. Well, some of "them" do, but many opponents who bring up scamming just don't like the program and use any excuse possible to put up roadblocks so they can say "Look! It's not working! Burn it down!" That's why the ObamaCare website was such a big deal.

[randome]

7. You're right. Same way they shut down ACORN.

They can take that 'victory' to the grave with them but other organizations stepped up to the plate so it was all a worthless effort, just like the Georgia cell phone idea.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[El Shaman]

8. Want it free?

Pay up first!!!

[dem in texas]

6. What is wrong with Republicans?

They hate poor people and try every way they can to make life harder for them while pounding on their chests and bragging about what good Christians they are.

The cell phone option is so important for sick and disabled people who can't afford one. If the power fails like it did here in Dallas in the recent ice storm, these people would be cut off and not able to call for help if they needed it.