FCC proposing monthly broadband subsidies for low-income households

[Painter]

Unless your senior or disabled or have kids (single mom or single dad) you can only get food stamps for limited time at least in Indiana. Myself, I don't Qualify for full Medicaid or Food Stamp but I do qualify for Medicaid/Medicare qmb and prescription help. For example Pradaxa cost around 350 U.S. Dollars without a part d plan, with the Extra help from part D it only cost $7.30 which helps. Just a note, if I didn't have medicare or medicaid I probably wouldn't be here. Medicare and Medicaid qmb has prolonged my life some. I am still not up to par, I still have some breathing issue that I need to take care of. It is very hard to do anything when you can't breath well. The internet has helped me understand my health problem and issues. I had a aortic heart valve replacement (Not mechanical) and maze procedure done. The maze procedure didn't work. I still have chronic afib. I wish I could go to the Cleveland Clinic, maybe the could find out the real cause of my breathing issue. For the Internet I am still on a discount special but I may give up my landline to keep the internet when the special runs out. I am not lazy.

I am sure everyone here wishes you the best. If the Cleveland Clinic can help you, but you do not have the resources to get that help, have you asked them if they have a pay-plan that would suit your budget, e.g. a extended pay period or work for service? If they do not, make them an offer - you have some computer skills, offer your services (maybe not for the clinic itself, but possibly for the hospitalized patients). Another option would be to crowd source - you should have enough skill to set it up. Get your bank onside -an account at no charge for the donations. You have to help yourself to be helped and you come across as somebody who is well aware of that.

 

[Bongo]

The majority of people on the dole aren't handicapped. And many of those who are handicapped could do something.

In my opinion this is a ignorant statement, I am handicap and you have no idea the health issues I have that prevent me from working.

 

[gary407]

Many people that are taking government (tax payer) hand outs do it because they can not because they need to.
My income level qualifies me for food stamps and Obama phones and all kinds of other things. I don't take any of them.
I still find a little money at the end of the month to donate to the Salvation Army. Not much mind you just what I can afford.

If I pinch and squeeze I can make it and still have a little left over to play with computers and a little J.D.
I see healthy young people using food stamps and drive a car that cost almost as much as my house. Wearing leather coats and gold that cost enough to feed me and my cat for many months.

I have no problem helping the needy but I do have a problem giving things to the greedy.

I know now and have known for years public employees that get paid while they are at home sleeping or at a bar because their buddy at work clocked them in and out. They would take turns doing this.
I know a fireman that took a motorcycle ride across country while he was at work. His time clock said he was at work so the pay checks kept coming.
I turned down a government job a long time ago to manage (Top Dog) a motor pool of several city vehicles. When I refused to change political parties they told me they could not have a registered xxxxx working for the city. I would have to register as OOOO to get the job.
If I would of changed parties I would of got the job and I would be sitting high on the hog now with one huge retirement pay check every month. I don't regret my choice. I still don't like being blackmailed.

Government substitutes is a way of buying votes. The political part that has a better record of handing out government check to those to lazy to work is the party the receivers of these checks vote for.
I will live on what I have earned and deserve. I always have.

wow I think we know which which party you belong to........the one that would end medicare and social security. enjoy your holier than thou life and I am sure you won't draw social security or medicare when you can

 

[chefduane]

... end medicare and social security? LOL. You have been effectively propagandized. Perhaps make Medicare and SS streamlined and more cost effective, but I cannot recall anyone ever stating that they wanted to absolutely end those programs. And lest you also profile me (as you did gary407) I should let you know I am an Independent.

 

[whs]

He guys, before we get too deep into that, I suggest to stop the party discussion.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

The majority of people on the dole aren't handicapped. And many of those who are handicapped could do something.

In my opinion this is a ignorant statement, I am handicap and you have no idea the health issues I have that prevent me from working.

Just because you are handicapped has nothing to do with how many others are handicapped (or not). Btw, I'm also handicapped so I know exactly how health issues can prevent someone from working; there is no way I could hold down a job doing the work I used to do anymore (full or even part time; I couldn't even work as a Walmart greeter). There are jobs I could do if necessary; they just wouldn't pay as well.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

He guys, before we get too deep into that, I suggest to stop the party discussion.

I agree; let's not get this thread shut down over political discussions.

 

[michael diemer]

Not all government workers are as was earlier suggested. I worked for the state Of Maine for 10 years. I averaged 5 sick days a year. I actually did my job. There are hundreds of people in southern Maine who are no longer homeless because I did my job. Many of these people would be in hospitals and jails if I had not been there to help them. Not all government workers are slackers. And those who are should be fired.

As for the topic of this question, while I tend to favor the side that says give them a hand up rather than a handout, I think the internet is different. It is today's equivalent of the public square. You need it just to be able to apply for a job, for God's sake. I say equal access to all. What we do with it is up to us.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Debbie Downer today?

:roflmao:

Curious. Most of the people giving me grief over my feelings about an issue in my country do not even live in my country. What made you all such experts on what happens here? I certainly do not attack issues where you live or how you feel about them. At least Wolfgang lives here for a significant portion of the year every year and has been doing so for some time, which makes him far more qualified to comment about this issue than any of you people who do not live here at all.

 

[Bongo]

The majority of people on the dole aren't handicapped. And many of those who are handicapped could do something.

In my opinion this is a ignorant statement, I am handicap and you have no idea the health issues I have that prevent me from working.

Just because you are handicapped has nothing to do with how many others are handicapped (or not). Btw, I'm also handicapped so I know exactly how health issues can prevent someone from working; there is no way I could hold down a job doing the work I used to do anymore (full or even part time; I couldn't even work as a Walmart greeter). There are jobs I could do if necessary; they just wouldn't pay as well.

So it's all about the money than, you say "And many of those who are handicapped could do something." if you are handicap why don't you go do something oh that's right you wouldn't get paid as well.

 

[whs]

I don't know about other countries - but in Germany we have PC shops where you can walk in and get on the internet. It used to cost 1 Euro per hour - that is appr. 1 Dollar. There anybody had access to the internet for small money.

These days there are a lot of public WiFis. If you have a mobile device, you can connect there - e.g. at your public library. So I do not think it is a matter of money to get on the internet.

 

[whs]

At least Wolfgang lives here for a significant portion of the year every year
and has been doing so for some time

If I add up all the times I lived and worked in the US, it is appr. 20 years. Now it is 6 months per year - since the last 18 years. My wife is American and she likes to be a certain time in her home country. And I like the Florida weather in the winter.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

In my opinion this is a ignorant statement, I am handicap and you have no idea the health issues I have that prevent me from working.

Just because you are handicapped has nothing to do with how many others are handicapped (or not). Btw, I'm also handicapped so I know exactly how health issues can prevent someone from working; there is no way I could hold down a job doing the work I used to do anymore (full or even part time; I couldn't even work as a Walmart greeter). There are jobs I could do if necessary; they just wouldn't pay as well.

So it's all about the money than, you say "And many of those who are handicapped could do something." if you are handicap why don't you go do something oh that's right you wouldn't get paid as well.

I don't "go do something" because I don't need to; I busted my backside all my working life preparing for retirement so I wouldn't have to work when I was older (I hadn't anticipated getting handicapped but that just meant I retired a couple of years earlier) working physically demanding jobs (which, along with stress, probably contributed to my handicaps or, at least, hastened the arrival of the more physical ones).

You misunderstood what I meant about most people on welfare could do something. Almost everyone on welfare can do some kind of work, be it answering phones, shuffling paper in an office, working a concierge desk, doing light assembly line work that can be done sitting down, doing physical labor (such as picking up roadside trash) that doesn't require mental abilities, etc. It wouldn't even have to be fulltime. If, instead of just handing out money and benefits to people, they would have to do some kind of work for those benefits, the kind and amount of work based on their abilities and by making these jobs less profitable and desirable than working in the private sector, the people who are leeching off the system now (and I'm not saying all welfare recipients are leeches) would be more likely to have the incentive to get off welfare.

Training people who are otherwise unemployable does work; I've seen it happen. A neighbor of mine was downsized back in 2009. When she was unable to find work she was qualified to do and was facing bankruptcy, the State provided her with a bare bones computer and classes on how to use it and basic office productivity programs (and she had to take those classes to get the computer and keep it). Within six months, she was off welfare and working again and has since been able to buy a better home. I have no issues with my tax dollars being used that way.

I do have issues with, when I was supporting a family, seeing people drive better cars than I did and wearing better than clothes than my family could ever afford, filling up grocery carts with the best cuts of meat when my family had to make do with helping Hamburger Helper with additional noodles, then watch them pay for all that good food with food stamps. Small wonder people don't want to work for a living when they can live better on the dole.