Did your cell phone bill go up? Not by a lot, but enough to notice. Looked closely at your bill.

AHA!!! There, buried in the very 'fine' print and almost invisible, is the answer:
- The Federal fee increased July 1st to "subsidize low-income families."

Bet, you feel better knowing that at least your ''TAX'' didn't go up....it was only a "FEE" that went up..

The “Federal Communication Commission’s Universal Service Fund” fee on your cell phone bill is for your no-account, lazy layabout neighbor to have a free cell phone plan.

This means free cell phones for low-income families and phones come with 68 minutes of airtime a month, along with voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, and text messaging.

The program is supported by the federal government, but it isn’t exactly tax dollars footing the bill. Instead, many cellular customers are paying for it.

Cell phone companies must contribute to the Federal Communication Commission’s Universal Service Fund and carriers pass those contribution costs along to their customers.
Looking at an AT&T bill....the charge for one month was $2.58, which amounts to about $31 a year. Sprint and others also charge the fund to its customers. Once that money is collected, the federal government subsidizes the cell phones for low-income families by paying $10 per phone/per month from the fund.

Why is subsidizing cell phones for the poor....a function of government? Are cell phones necessary for existence? Will it keep them from starving or make them well if they are sick? How did the entire human race survive without cell phones?

Cell phones are a luxury item to be earned by those who provide for themselves. Not a freebie to be subsidized by those who earn this luxury item for themselves!!!!!

Welcome to Abracadabra's world, the United Socialist States of America. I know but welcome anyway!