I was not going to get involved in this thread, but think you made an excellent presentation, Howard.
Bob Martin
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 06:57:21 -0500, Howard Kaufman wrote:


>Why is it that when any project supported by our president is disliked by 
>somebody, they give it his name as a sign of disrespect?
>
>Their is always a sense of jealousy when anybody gets something for free 
>that we had to pay for with our hard earned money.  On the other hand, our 
>relationship to a phone has changed so drastically, that the need for access 
>makes some abuse tolerable.  For example, any cell phone, as long as it has 
>a charge will call 911.  The domestic violence centers therefore give them 
>to potential victims of domestic violence, so that the people will have 
>another option to increase their safety.  The entire HMO based Health care 
>system runs on the assumption of being able to communicate with patients by 
>phone.  Obviously, when a person is homeless, a land based phone line isn't 
>very useful.  With no installation costs, a cell phone becomes the most cost 
>effective way of providing a communications option for citizens who live in 
>poverty.  Remember, the phones are limited in features and time.  Are some 
>sold for drugs?  Probably.  Would you rather that those people stole your 
>stuff to sell for drugs?  How about selling their children for drugs?  As 
>long as their are actively consuming drugs, and as long as they have become 
>addicted to those drugs.  They will do what ever is necessary to obtain the 
>drugs.  Better that they have a phone to arrange for drug treatment through 
>their HMO's if and when they choose to.
>
>If one person does that every month, doesn't that make the investment worth 
>it?  How about the people that call the nurse rather than charge off in 
>panic for the unnecessary $200 emergency room visit?  You can pay for a lot 
>of phones with the cost savings there.
>
>Are we, the consumers of our wonderful NLS going to complain that somebody 
>else is getting something that we are not getting?  Of all people I don't 
>think we want to bark up that tree.  How many of us paid for our entire 
>educations, paid for every dime of our adaptive technology?  Never used 
>subsidized public transportation?  Drove on a road that we paid for?  Oh and 
>bought only unsubsidized farm products.  Everybody pays for some things 
>while they are using other things.
>
>No president is perfectly right and no president is perfectly wrong.  also 
>no president is all powerful.  The executive branch is 1/3 of the 
>government.