More social justice!

[77]

http://www.westernjournalism.com/get-ready-buy-felons-phone/

[bullets13]

Misleading in many ways. First, the "Obamaphone" program was started under Reagan and greatly expanded under Bush. The inventors of the term Obamaphone conveniently forget this.

Despite that, is it really a bad thing for someone in a halfway house who's trying to get back on their feet to have a way to communicate with their boss and transportation to and from work? I feel better about that scenario than someone getting a free cellphone sitting in their government housing choosing not to work. I'm pretty positive someone in a work program HAS to work. As long as they're holding down a job, I think they're exactly the type of people who should get a little help while they get back on their feet, rather than those who just choose to sit on their butt.

[stevenash]

Misleading in many ways. First, the "Obamaphone" program was started under Reagan and greatly expanded under Bush. The inventors of the term Obamaphone conveniently forget this.

Despite that, is it really a bad thing for someone in a halfway house who's trying to get back on their feet to have a way to communicate with their boss and transportation to and from work? I feel better about that scenario than someone getting a free cellphone sitting in their government housing choosing not to work. I'm pretty positive someone in a work program HAS to work. As long as they're holding down a job, I think they're exactly the type of people who should get a little help while they get back on their feet, rather than those who just choose to sit on their butt.

How is it ever determined when somebody is "back on their feet"? If and when they are "back on their feet" does the "benefit" cease?

[bullets13]

I would hope so. Living in a halfway house work program is about as clear an example of someone "getting back on their feet" as I can think of.

[stevenash]

I would be willing to bet you a dollar to a donut that once someone leaves the halfway house, whatever assistance is being received does not stop.

[bullets13]

I would not know. I am just saying that I can see the necessity of someone in a work program getting bus fare and a Reaganbush phone with limited minutes.

[stevenash]

SInce you have decided to call it the ReaganBush phone, would it be interesting to see the number of Reagan phones vs the number of Bush phones, vs the number of Clinton phones vs the number of Bush 2 phones vs the number of Obama phones?

[bullets13]

Bush 2 was the one that expanded it, not Bush 1. Sorry I didn't make that clearer. I would love to see the numbers, as I'm sure they're worse now. But that would not change the fact that Obamaphone is an erroneous title. Obamacare, on the other hand, is properly named.

[stevenash]

While Obamaphone may be an erroneous title from a specificity standpoint, it is certainly appropriate from an ideological one.