ObamaPhone or Indiana Lifeline Assistance

So I received my "ObamaPhone" application in the mail recently. I know there is so much to talk about right now, but since I have this in front of me and there is a ton of false information and ignorance about this particular subject I think this is necessary. Also: I want to contribute to the works that actually help people on occasion - this blog is not just for me sounding off about things that are wrong.

Picture of the flyer that came with my application. I wanted to show you the application, but I could not come up with a way to show you, Gentle Reader, what I wanted to show you without displaying personal information. 

They are cracking down on fraud and abuse on both corporate and individual levels. Do not falsify anything on your application.

Let me say right now that there is nothing wrong with needing a lifeline phone. They will only ask you about how you qualify, not about how or why you believe you need their phone. Even if your situation is okay but perhaps subject to cataclysmic change it is something you should consider. Maybe your need is obvious and undeniable. Maybe everything is fine today, but the finances are out of your hands. Maybe it will only take one big couple fight to find you in desperate need of a phone. Maybe you are at home taking care of a parent that uses access to cars, phones and whatnot to control you and your business. Only people that could really need one are even eligible, so do not let internalized classism keep you from help you need no matter why you need it. 

My application came to me though my health coverage. I am disabled so I have the state's health program. You can see if you are eligible for Indiana's Lifeline Assistance program here at Safelink. As with all things "free" it comes with ad offers and such, but you can opt out of most of them. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

You can apply straight up at the website above if you do not receive a pre-approved application in the mail. (Note: that approval only lasts a few days, so use your application right away if you receive one.) You can also apply at your local library. If you are having extreme trouble, you can apply over the phone, but they do save that for folks having trouble with the process.

The application I received is in English on one side, Spanish on the other, and I think they have other language options at the web site. All I had to fill out was my name, address, last four Social Security number digits, and a contact phone number if you have one. There is also a box to check if your address is temporary. 

Next you pick your plan. The choices are 68 minutes a month, 125 minutes a month, and 250 minutes a month. Each plan comes with different options. The most important one is that the 68 and 125 plans have roll over/carry over minutes, whereas the 250 plan does not. The first couple of months have bonus minutes, and my offer included free calls to my docs even if my time is used up. Speaking of, you can of course buy SafeLink cards to extend your time if you have used it up for the month.

Once you get though that, you have to swear under penalty of perjury that you belong to the plan they believe qualifies you and a handful of other statements like that a qualifying household can only participate in the plan once. If you have trouble reading small print I definitely recommend using the website so you can use your browser options to size the text to your comfort level and ability.

That is it. You can fill out the paper application, go online, call their question line, fax it. As my own application progresses I will update this article. I am happy to say that the process seems to be fairly easy so far. 

Updates will go here. Corrections to the above, if needed, will be added where appropriate and clearly indicated.

• This process immediately showed itself to be a government program, in that it is difficult to navigate in ways that only the government can produce (and I mean in general, no offense to the current administration).
• I filled out the paper application so I could walk through it in this article, but my plan was to go online to file. However, the first thing Safelink wants is your "enrollment ID." Guess what? There is no such thing labeled on the application. There is a member ID, and promo code, and a bar code, but no such number labeled.
• My call to the help number at the bottom of the paperwork was promptly answered, filling me with false hope. The support personnel on the other end of the line was difficult to hear, and stuck to a script which did not answer my question at all. At one point there was an indication that it might be my insurance number (my qualifying program), but that is also used as my "member ID" and was not usable as my "enrollment ID." So that was a 14 minute exercise in futility.
• I could not start a fresh application because their web form would not accept my hyphenated last name. Later even the tech support agent helping me had trouble and even asked me if I had changed it on my government paperwork. (Yes, I did, sexist coder that wrote this form, I did.)
• Next is my call to the help line listed on their web page. They have separate numbers for account help and tech support. The line is automated at first and is designed to help without connecting you to a real person. I needed a live person. It took two minutes to get connected to live help, which is not bad in my experience.
• Again, the script given to assist customers was almost the opposite of help. It took another thirty two minutes to suss out that the only way to get past the lack of "enrollment ID" and the last name business was to apply over the phone. Now, the person I actually dealt with was heroic in trying to stick to the script. She also actually wanted to and eventually did help.
• At one point I had to give the "I have worked in tech and tech support, I would not be bugging you if anything I could try worked!" speil. 
• It was assumed I wanted the 250 minute plan, the others were not mentioned.
• Applying over the phone is tedious, repetitive and irritating. If you can use any other method, I recommend quite strongly that you do so.
• So now the wait is on! 7 to 10 business days should produce an Indiana Lifeline Assistance handset...

In Case You Noticed

If you have time to fit it into your reading schedule, I suggest this from American Prospect. It is spot on, and can help explain why I talk about certain things the way I do.

I talk about acquiring things, or things brought into my life, but I rarely discuss buying things. One, I rarely actually buy things myself, and I am a sucker for accuracy. I am involved in more purchases than I make myself. It is hard for me to get out, so I am not the retail hound my mall rat early years would warrant.

Two, we live in a surveillance state. I am disabled and poor, so I participate in programs that have made headlines the past couple of years for spotting "fraud" in their programs by monitoring the online lives of folks forced to depend on them. I worry about mentioning that I felt good enough one day to go to a park, for fear that someone will decide that I am jerking the system for fun and profit. 

Since the beginning of the Earned Income Credit, while the rich bitch about their taxes, the working poor have a minor holiday. Bills get paid, folks  that usually use SNAP/EBT can eat a little better for a while, kids get new shoes... the bleeding edge grows a bit of a scab for a while. And you know how it works, the very rich hit the cable channels bitching that the poor are not suffering quite enough. It is so tiring. 

So when I say I was involved in a purchase, you may have to read into that a bit. Or when I say a new thing came into the house, a new thing came into the house, one way or another. But I do not lie to the institutions that help me and mine get by (barely), and I do not lie to you. I simply require a little more reading comprehension. Well, a little bit more than my obtuse way of discussing things needs anyway.

Oh, and not using contractions - that is just me.

The President's First Hangout

Note: I am writing wrote this as the Hangout happened and I watched it on YouTube. The hangout, I think, will be archived on YouTube here. (I am having tense issues, writing it as it happens knowing you can only read it later - so please pardon the ones I do not catch. Thank you!)


This was exciting! I love that this White House Administration is on top of tech trends and that they are using G+ to interact directly with the public. The people they picked to speak to President Obama are smart, have good questions, and over all are leaving a good impression with me. PotUS seemed comfortable and real (as real as a politician can be, anyhow), like you are talking to him and not the facade a lot of people in politics seem to put on in public.


The wife with the unemployed husband had a very real story. I am impressed that the President delved into it, finding out his specialty and asking for a resume. He treated it like he was dealing with lives and not talking points.


The #Occupy protester reached out and squeezed my cardiac muscles in a way I did not expect. It seemed kind of hollow to go to "grow the economy" as an answer, but I guess I understand it. But the big picture plans ring hollow when your stomach is empty.


The mom that is asking about children and learning about economics
PotUS rightfully mentioned Know Before You Owe, which is a new program from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. You cannot just have one talk about how to manage finances with your kids. While they should probably not have a lot of contact with the family's personal finances, they should know that this is something they will have to manage and get solid advice on how to do so.


I like the explanation that the President gave on foreign aid. It is less that one percent of the budget, and that needs to be emphasized in the conversation. He touched on the strategy and human interest involved. People misunderstand almost everything about foreign aid from how much we spend to what we spend it on and why. Sometimes we give money to people that, as they say, "hate us," but still have a good reason to spend money there.


The next question was about unmanned drone strikes. The President does not believe that the drones cause "large" numbers of civilian casualties. I think there is a perception problem there, but that may just be me. If it is your child killed in a drone strike, even that one death is unacceptable as an operational risk. He emphasized the information gathering that happens before a drone takes off and that they do a lot of work to make sure that they are going after appropriate targets only and do their best to minimize civilian casualties. I disagree with him here completely, but feel he answered the question fairly well.


The next subject as education and employment. Who needs what kind of training? Maybe, said the President, you want to be a graphics designer and only need a two years or a six month program before you have the skills to do your job well. Then he moved on to the changes made in student loans and cutting out the middle man in getting school funds directly to student. Then he mentioned encouraging tax credits for families with students in colleges and universities. The President has also asked the states to help more with funding schools and programs. Then he went to rewarding innovation and good ideas from schools that save money but get the job of educating done.


On the same subject, he talked about how the economic outlook is hitting people as they try to plan their future like college. He acknowledged that it is difficult to invest in a higher education if it looks like you may never be able to pay it back. He does congratulate young people for having such a keen and able eye on their future, but continues to emphasize that they will do better with a degree than with a high school diploma.


SOPA and PIPA were brought up in a question. President Obama spoke about protecting against internet piracy while allowing ideas and information to flow freely. He does seem to have some respect for the open culture of the Internet, which is unusual in our politicians. He addressed a case involving extradition and revealed that he is not involved personally involved in it.


And then came Alpha Cat! He asked his question as President Obama and it was funny but not disrespectful. The President stated that he felt that the ability to poke fun and satire political figures is important and speaks to the strength of our democracy.


The Hangout members were then given the opportunity to ask a quick personal question. The first one was about the PotUS and dancing. He answered it with grace and humor. I felt like there were uncomfortable racial overtones in asking a white person asking a black person to dance for them, let alone the President of the United States. The next questioner asked if he could be the personal physician to PotUS after he graduated. The third asked about how it felt to no be able to go get a snack at a convenience store if he wanted to - and the President talked about the nuts and bolts of just wanting to go run an errand. The forth questioner asked if PotUS would come to his school and expand the under-dog school's prestige. PotUS responded with the idea that their participation in the Hangout/Interview would hopefully help with that (as the only school participating). The last asked about the President and the First Lady's upcoming 20th wedding anniversary. He stated that there may be some logistical trouble since it is in October (near the election) and he may have to delay a big celebration. She also asked to and then put her children on camera briefly. The President smiled and eagerly told her to bring her kids out, which was pretty cool.


The Hangout was quickly and neatly wrapped up. I am really impressed at how smoothly this went. With both pre-recorded and live questioners, it could have been a big mess. Hell, I was on the page before it started and even their "Hey is this thing on" was professional and brief. Over all, I want to see a lot more of this kind of near-direct interaction with the President and his Administration. The White House already has an A+ in my book on their use and understanding of tech and social media.