The Federal government has been quietly slipping by a tax to the American people that costs as much as 20 C-130 cargo planes. "What for?", you might ask.
Free cell phones.
Let that sink in. For cell service, one and a quarter billion dollars (yes with a b) has been spent by Uncle Sam every year since 2008 and the cost has not stopped rising. Some people even have multiple phones that are being subsidized by ALL OF US.
Does this sound ludicrous to anyone else?
Basically, the Universal Service fee that you will see on every one of your phone bills constitutes the passing on of a mandatory payment from the phone company to you. The federal government requires companies pay into the Universal Service fund and they pass the buck, so to speak, to the consumer.
Originally the program only serviced land lines. That sounds reasonable, right? Well in 2008 the program was expanded to include cell phones and to say the cost skyrocketed would be an understatement. Rep. Tim Griffin of Tennessee has posted an excellent video explaining this lunacy to youtube, and it is embedded below.
With our economy severely recessed, and a pile of debt as tall as the Chrysler Building and growing, what on Earth is our government doing paying for data and minutes? This kind of idiotic and reckless spending has to be brought to someone's attention; it doesn't even sound rational.
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