Cell Phones as an entitlment and other stupid things

[^_^ 5,021]

Coz if the ppl who cannot pay for the Obama care would be given Federal or State assistance to pay that…. Huh.

So I have to pay my portion of the Obama Care and then have to pay for someone else too coz they cannot pay their portion?

How does that make any sense?

We don't have a flat tax so you do that already.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I read that the government is spending 1.3 BILLION on this program.

[rocks 494]

Rocks - Very true and I think that is part of the basis for the time given, etc now that you've said it. I haven't looked at the brochures lately. Around these parts, the local rumor mill is faster than a phone or internet though - heck, a prospective employer may even just drive to your place to talk to you. It amazes me.

Even if there were tightened restrictions on certain entitlements, you can't fix poor choices and stupid decision making. An example - a guy calls my office wanting to know about home health care options as he's been deemed disabled with arthritis and can no longer cook, clean, get to the toilet, etc. He calls because he hears we have free services. Which we do, if you qualify as a medicaid patient [some percentage of federal poverty limit needs to be met]. He was a senior and receiving SSDI and on medicare. His monthly SSDI payment was too high for him to get medicaid. Since he didn't meet those guidelines, he couldn't get free help. And then the ranting started. He had called the congressman's office about how piss poor the services were here. That his tax money was wasted on other people. That he worked for 25 years in construction and this was all just utter BS. That he had to wait for his brother to come home just to ####### on the toilet...but then it got interesting. #1 - he was mad he couldn't drive his new SUV anymore and that it just sat in the driveway. #2 - he was mad at his landlord for not installing a shower bar in his rental [it was a 1-piece fiberglass or acrylic shower]. #3 - he was mad that his landlord didn't widen the doorways for his wheelchair. #4 - he was mad that medicare wouldn't give him a free scooter. #5 - his rent was too high anyway. #6 - he had to hire a med transport co to get him to the doctor's 10 blocks away and it cost him $200/trip. This was followed up with threats of calling every elected official in the county/state/federal government about how evil our agency is.

Now, here's where the whole "try to make a decent decision" part comes into play. Why on earth still own the SUV? Seriously??? There is your scooter money plus months worth of rent. He lives on a resort island that is 14 miles each way from the major highway. Of course the medical transport company was going to charge him premium prices. He lived in his rental for 7 years and is now asking for some potentially major renovations. Would it be nice if the land lord did it - sure. But, the land lord doesn't have to do it because it's a resort island where vacancies don't sit - which, by the way, explains the top dollar rent.

There is a brand new apartment complex about 20 miles away built exclusively for seniors, ADA compliant apartments, sliding scale rent based on income, transportation to medical offices for $2 - was he interested? No. His preference was to have it his way and complain and be angry. [Plus, he had some choice words about the "type" of people who live in that kind of housing].

I'm guessing when push comes to shove down the road he may sing a different tune. But, for now, he's much happier not being able to have his scooter which would let him move freely around his place [narrower width that would fit through the doors than a wheelchair]. Possibly fall in the shower. But, he can look at his SUV in the driveway and pay a few hundred dollars more rent a month with his "pittance" [a $1450/month SSDI check].

My point - yes, it may suck to leave a place you consider home but you are not helping yourself if you are making really questionable decisions [keep the SUV you can't use and have your brother carry you to the toilet once a day OR sell it and get a scooter - how is this even a question that has been put off for 2+ years?].

This guy sounds like a lovely person to deal with. Did you have to take his call?

Everyone should be able to have access to health care, and assistance in their home if they need it. No one should have to wait all day to be able to use the bathroom. Whether medicare pays for it is a different story. If he thinks $17,400 is a pittance then it doesn't sound like he qualifies. Medicare should reserve the scooters for people who understand that $17,400 is not a pittance! Maybe it isn't much if you choose to live in luxury accommodation and own an SUV? If he can pay for the SUV, tag and insurance it doesn't sound like he needs financial help with getting a scooter. Every year older the SUV gets, the less it is worth...

Technically his landlord should provide him with disabled access but when you hear the rest of the story with it, it makes you want to side with the landlord.

[Harsh_77 718]

We don't have a flat tax so you do that already.

Obama care is beyond flat tax.

The way Obama care is you have to purchase the medical insurance and that is mandatory, if you cannot pay the prem for the insurance some help would be provided, now where is the money for the help coming from?

My taxes, which means I have to pay tax, I have to pay my prem for medical insurance and than out of the tax I paid I was getting some services back like water, highway etc which would likely go away or become small as some of my tax money is being used to pay someone else medical prem.

The Obama care is not the answer to reduce the cost of medical treatement, reduce the mal practice lawsuit, judges who award the lawsuit need to use some common sense.

Now more ppl will have coverage means more lawsuit means doctors and medical facilities would need even bigger policy to cover them which cost would be passed on to the patient.

[^_^ 5,021]

Obama care is beyond flat tax.

The way Obama care is you have to purchase the medical insurance and that is mandatory, if you cannot pay the prem for the insurance some help would be provided, now where is the money for the help coming from?

My taxes, which means I have to pay tax, I have to pay my prem for medical insurance and than out of the tax I paid I was getting some services back like water, highway etc which would likely go away or become small as some of my tax money is being used to pay someone else medical prem.

The Obama care is not the answer to reduce the cost of medical treatement, reduce the mal practice lawsuit, judges who award the lawsuit need to use some common sense.

Now more ppl will have coverage means more lawsuit means doctors and medical facilities would need even bigger policy to cover them which cost would be passed on to the patient.

You have a philosophical and (un)principled objection to helping other people, I get it. What I'm saying to you is you already do.

[rocks 494]

I'm not just singling out cell phones, it just happens to be the topic of this thread. The cell phones are just a small part of the big problem which is a combination of people abusing the gov't services they receive and the gov't constantly widening their safety net for people who are poor. I can feel badly for anyone who is genuinely down on their luck for whatever reason, and I don't have any problem helping these folks out, but at some point the handouts have to stop and people have to step up and help themselves out of the situation they are in. Otherwise we just breed generations of people that are dependent on these handouts. And when we make living a "poor" lifestyle almost as attractive as actually working for a living, more and more people will chose the easy way out. Sooner or later the scales will tip and the outcome will not be pretty.

I know you aren't, I'm just saying that these aren't necessarily the people to be upset with. I agree that if someone is on food stamps, that money should only be for food, not use the cash for lottery tickets. I also think they shouldn't be allowed soda or candy or anything like that as I said before. Here you can buy shrimp and crawfish with EBT cards! I was quite shocked to find that out. Meanwhile if you're on WIC you get a very limited choice of items that you can pick up from a WIC location.

[Harsh_77 718]

You have a philosophical and (un)principled objection to helping other people, I get it. What I'm saying to you is you already do.

Helping people who needs help and who are willing to help themselves is different and helping someone who does not want to work and wants to sit on their butt and wants govt to provide them for free is different.

I will tell you an incident… police were investigating a case (this is real life case) and during the investigation they questioned someone about where their spouse was etc. The person responded the spouse was working… OK sounds good so far.

Working doing what… burglarizing a business establishment…..WHAT……. since when did burglarizing an occupation and considered working?????

The point is there are more and more ppl who work at nights and during they use this govt aides and benefits.

I surely would not want to turn this country in to some country where govt gives u free house, free food, free education, free medical care…. Sorry not looking for another UK.

[rocks 494]

Helping people who needs help and who are willing to help themselves is different and helping someone who does not want to work and wants to sit on their butt and wants govt to provide them for free is different.

I will tell you an incident… police were investigating a case (this is real life case) and during the investigation they questioned someone about where their spouse was etc. The person responded the spouse was working… OK sounds good so far.

Working doing what… burglarizing a business establishment…..WHAT……. since when did burglarizing an occupation and considered working?????

The point is there are more and more ppl who work at nights and during they use this govt aides and benefits.

I surely would not want to turn this country in to some country where govt gives u free house, free food, free education, free medical care…. Sorry not looking for another UK.

So one person doing something like this ruins it for everyone else? Is this how people behave in the UK?

[catknit 144]

This guy sounds like a lovely person to deal with. Did you have to take his call?

Everyone should be able to have access to health care, and assistance in their home if they need it. No one should have to wait all day to be able to use the bathroom. Whether medicare pays for it is a different story. If he thinks $17,400 is a pittance then it doesn't sound like he qualifies. Medicare should reserve the scooters for people who understand that $17,400 is not a pittance! Maybe it isn't much if you choose to live in luxury accommodation and own an SUV? If he can pay for the SUV, tag and insurance it doesn't sound like he needs financial help with getting a scooter. Every year older the SUV gets, the less it is worth...

Technically his landlord should provide him with disabled access but when you hear the rest of the story with it, it makes you want to side with the landlord.

Thankfully, most of my calls don't go this poorly! I'm a director of a senior center but our local agency on aging gives out the number of the centers as a place to make contact as the agency has 2 counties and many, many miles to cover. It gives a sense of security to call a "local" number....

I asked whether or not the landlord needed to pony up and was told that individual rented homes may or may not need to follow any ADA compliance rules. Some multifamily homes, apartment complexes, any homes that are HUD/Section 8, hotels, and college dorms can have compliance regulations to follow but not necessarily a free-standing, single family home that is being rented to the general public. Accommodations may be requested but may not be forced [due to cost or other issues]. The tenant may pay for changes in the rental [shower handles, etc] but that would have been out of this guy's pocket, not the landlord. So, the guy said it was a non-starter because the landlord refused to foot the bill and mentioned if the shower stall leaked over time he [the landlord] would charge the guy to have it fixed when he moved out.

I sent a counselor out to see this guy to show concern and see if he was mistaken about his SSDI - maybe we could work something out. The counselor came back stating what a nice guy he was and that we'd try to work something out to at least get him to the doctor. Ok. Great.

Three weeks later at a follow up, he was a hot mess again. The counselor got more of a med history and endured his verb abuse for a bit. The extreme mood swings coupled with the med history and the pill popping led her to come to the conclusion that he's fighting pain pill addiction. I truly feel bad for the guy. It's no way to live. But, come on, make some rational, mature decisions. Sell the SUV, move to the other apartment complex, get the help you need...

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I cited your article, twice. I stupidly assumed you had read it.

Do I need to explain to you what payroll taxes are?

Please address my question instead of repeating what you have already said.

Do you need to explain to me Payroll taxes.. Dear lord.. Not hardly.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Are you going to buy them a computer?

In all seriousness, everyone needs access to a phone.

why does everyone need access to a phone and why should I help fund it. Everyone does have access to a phone, maybe just not at the end of their arm

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

But is isn't "fair" to tax 100% of a low-income household and not a high-income household, and in addition to that complain when they get tax refunds.

That is what public transport is for....

I think must of us have no problem with very poor people paying no income tax. The problem I have is when they get back 6000 more dollars than they paid in.

[웃 910]

Are you going to buy them a computer?

In all seriousness, everyone needs access to a phone.

New & Improved 2012 MagicJack Plus

MagicJack Plus VOIP Phone Adaptor lets you make local and long distance phone calls for a small fraction of the cost of your phone service's landline. You do not need a computer anymore with the MagicJack Plus VOIP Phone Adaptor, so now you receive as good or better service than your regular home phone does. No more having to keep your computer turned on all the time.

http://www.buy.com/p...llerid=22539552

Edited July 2, 2012 by ☠

[rocks 494]

why does everyone need access to a phone and why should I help fund it. Everyone does have access to a phone, maybe just not at the end of their arm

Read my posts. I'm tired of you making my repeat myself.

Do you need to explain to me Payroll taxes.. Dear lord.. Not hardly.

Don't address the question though will you.

New & Improved 2012 MagicJack Plus

MagicJack Plus VOIP Phone Adaptor lets you make local and long distance phone calls for a small fraction of the cost of your phone service's landline. You do not need a computer anymore with the MagicJack Plus VOIP Phone Adaptor, so now you receive as good or better service than your regular home phone does. No more having to keep your computer turned on all the time.

http://www.buy.com/p...llerid=22539552

Wow OK. You must be the only person who pays attention to infomercials. Let's offer that to everyone then, problem solved!

[Karee 4,190]

Read my posts. I'm tired of you making my repeat myself.

Don't address the question though will you.

Wow OK. You must be the only person who pays attention to infomercials. Let's offer that to everyone then, problem solved!

Obviously you still need to pay a monthly fee for a decent internet connection.