Obama Crony Awarded Huge Contract To Supply Ill-Equipped Smartphones To Low-Income Job-Seekers… Is it the responsibility of the Gov to supply free phones for low income job seekers ?
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The program’s supporters tout it as a way for the unemployed to learn technical skills, to prepare resumes and to search for jobs, but one of the 14 pilot contracts that the FCC awarded went to Miami-based TracFone Wireless Inc.
TracFone CEO F.J. Pollak has been a frequent White House visitor and his wife Abigail has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for both Mr. Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
And although TracFone had originally lobbied for the program, critics say its contract would not provide recipients with skills-boosting computers and services, but would supply high-end Android phones, ready to play games and browse Facebook but doing little in the way of getting a job.
Other companies selected to provide Internet service noted that merely allowing viewers to use apps such as Twitter and run simple Google searches on a small phone screen didn’t meet the spirit of the program’s intent, which included goals of “increasing digital literacy and use of the Internet [to] help bridge the skills gap [and] reduce job search discouragement.”
“The small screen, keyboard and perhaps connectivity issues make it harder for smartphone-only users to engage as deeply with the Internet as home broadband users,” wrote John B. Horrigan of the Partnership for Connected Illinois, which will provide DSL hookups and computer hardware for the poor in that state.
Rep. Tim Griffin, Arkansas Republican, said the cellphone spectrum is poorly suited to be a user’s primary Internet portal and that any resume tapped out with two fingers on a cellphone screen would be sure to be sloppy.
Top Opinion
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Brian ☮ R P ☮ 2012 ☮ 2013/02/07 18:30:31
it's another way the government can take more control over your life
But seriously, this is absolute bull. They can't afford the stuff they're already doing. We're on the verge of a major financial collapse and another depression with all this dept. Now he wants to hand everyone free cellphones and free service? Is this a joke? Because if it is, it's probably one of their best ones yet!
More Obama crony capitalism.
Sorry, they're simply more freebies for the low-life, dead-beat, entitlement Welfare Liberals.....the OVomit sheeple.
"pilot contracts".
This implies it's a test program to see if it'll work. And if it doesn't? then no harm no foul, don't reup.
It's at least worth a shot to see if it'll help.
Unfortunately, since I don't know the process to see that contract for myself, I have to make guesses.
I'm of the belief that if it's kept to a small pool of people and used as a test case to see if it helps, and is subject to review.. then good. If it turns out they are a huge help and those people do end up with jobs, with due credit to the added communications, then we might be on to something.
Can't make a cake without breaking a few eggs. And if it doesn't work... that's why I would like to see that pool of people kept small.
more Colorado voters !
How much waste will the democrats, not the lib/progressives, put up with? When will those people come to the senses? and this quid pro quo governance has got to stop.
take some of that unemployment money and buy a $10 phone at walmart or cvs
a DAY !!!! Now think about a smart phone for a minute. ( TRACKING ) Might be why it's free ! If you offer something free, they will come . People might what to remember, all that glitters isn't gold. To the smart people in this country, ..... I see that debt clock spinning right off it's axels !!! Blind sheep !!!!!
But hey, I'm on a fixed income, so where's my free ISP? Nope, I'm not a useless Illinois 'thug', guess I don't quality. So I'm stuck paying $75 a mth to Comcast!
Same ol story, the honest wage earner always has to pay!