Call Me, Maybe

Hello my Dear Friends. I'd like to apologize, in advance, for how angry I'm about to make you. I suspect the majority of "news" coverage today will focus on the Postal Service's announcement that they will discontinue Saturday delivery. Let's face it, unless you're one of the postal workers getting laid off or having your hours cut, you don't care about this. Here's what you wont hear about. The Gubmint has launched a "test program" where they will be supplying smart phones to the "low income and unemployed" to aid them in their search for a job. The program, if successful and fully implemented, will cost about $100 Million dollars A MONTH! Here's a fun fact. The no-bid contract for this program was given to Mexican mobile giant Tracfone, whose CEO happens to be F.J. Pollock, one of the top contributors to both Obama campaigns. Talk about coincidence! Anyway, the "pilot program" is designed to help low income and unemployed Americans learn typing and technical skills, resume writing and to assist in their search for a job. This raises several questions. First, how exactly does one write a resume on a smart phone? Second, why are we paying for job training and computer literacy programs and centers if we want those in need to sit home on their couch playing with their free smart phones? Maybe it's just me. We're asking the "wealthy" to "pay their fair share" so people who don't work can have smart phones? Here's another question that comes to mind. If the Gubmint is paying your rent, heat, electricity, water; buying your food, paying your health care and child care and now supplying your smart phone with internet service, how hard are you looking for a job? And, if you are actually looking, where are you going to find a job that pays enough to cover all of the things you are now getting for free? That's what I thought. By the end of this year, the Gubmint will be borrowing 24 cents of every dollar it spends. That means, if this "pilot program" is fully implemented, we will be borrowing about $24 million dollars A MONTH to pay for it. If you're wondering why I keep putting "pilot program" in quotation marks, it's because about 90% of all "pilot programs" are implemented. I told you I was going to make you angry. At least I hope you're angry.
Po