Free ‘Obama Phones’ A Little Too Easy To Get

They’re lined up outside welfare offices, on street corners and in supermarkets: people hawking free cellphones for those in need. CBS2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein says it’s called the California Lifeline Program, but it’s more commonly known by another name. “Is that what they call the ‘Obama phones?’ ” asked one customer. The program exploded under President Barack Obama: 14 million American have the free phones, costing $2.2 billion in subsidies nationwide in 2013. And it’s all paid for by taxpayers. There’s a Lifeline surcharge on everyone’s cellphone bill, and just in California the numbers have tripled: 30,000 new subscribers in August, 90,000 just last month. Officially, you need proof of government assistance or low income in order to qualify for the program. But our undercover producer hit the streets telling people she didn’t have anything — no Medi-Cal or EBT card — and found plenty of salespeople, many of whom work on commission, willing to offer advice on how to bend the rules. One salesman for Budget Mobile stationed outside a South L.A. welfare office was one of those people. “Do you have any friends or family that might have EBT or some sort of social service?” he asked our producer. “What you could do is ask your friend to sign up for a free phone and when it comes in, they can let you have it.” Outside one welfare office on Grand Avenue, two salespeople for Assurance Wireless said our producer could use someone else’s card, which is against the rules. But it was outside another welfare office on 108th and Central that Erica, also with Assurance Wireless, went the furthest. “You don’t need an ID or a Social Security number, none of that,” she said. “I would make up the Social, the last four, I would make up those four numbers for you. “If you have a friend or something that already has their EBT, I’ll take a picture of their card so that you can get the phone,” Erica offered. “But would it be in my name?” our producer asked. “Yeah, I can put it in your name,” Erica replied...more

Run down and get your free Obamaphone.  Then call the White House, EPA, USFWS, your Congressman, etc. and tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine.