Gov. Granholm Now Taking Tax Money Collected From 75% of Michigan Families in Order to Give Free Cell Phones and Free Minutes to 25% of Michigan Households Making Less Than $33,075 Annual Income, or Award Free Bonus Benefits to One Million Already 'Qualified' Michigan Households Receiving any one of Seven State/Federal Welfare Programs

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Although Total State Government Spending in Michigan is 10% higher than last year, Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) is continuing to increase the size and deficit spending of state government that have been undermining household budgets for the first 7 1/2 years of her eight-year term by arbitrarily burdening still-employed, hard working middle income families with additional 'assurances to support low-income households'," noted Bill McMaster, state chairman (volunteer). Taxpayers United Michigan Foundation.

Michigan is one of the first four states to implement "Assurance Wireless" by contracting with Sprint. Gov. Granholm has committed Michigan grassroots taxpayers to support the most expensive aspects of the program created by the Obama Administration as an option for the states.

According to TV ads now running on Detroit television stations, "Assurance Wireless offers a FREE wireless phone and 200 FREE minutes of wireless service each month to eligible customers. There are no bills, long-term contracts, activation fees, recurring fees, or surcharges for Assurance Wireless customers. Call our toll-free number to request an application."

Michigan residents eligible for Assurance Wireless include those eligible for or receiving Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA or Section 8), Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) or the National School Lunch Program's Free Lunch Program.

All residents may also qualify based solely on household income. Gov. Granholm has generously determined Michiganians automatically qualify for free cell phone and free wireless service if they live in households reporting incomes up to $33,075 per year. That's 150% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for four adults/children per household.

In a news release from "Virgin Mobile USA", a subsidiary of Sprint, Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer for Sprint's brands, said, "Mobile phones allow us to stay connected with friends, family and employers and provide critical support in case of emergency.

"Assurance Wireless provides wireless consumers with free voice mail, call waiting, caller ID, and access to 911 in case of emergency. Beyond the free 200 minutes, customers can pay for additional 10-cent per minute domestic calling, international calling at competitive rates, 15-cent text, email or instant messages, and more."

GOV. GRANHOLM'S OUT-OF-CONTROL TAX AND SPENDING HAVE CAUSED MICHIGAN TO HAVE THE CONTINUING WORST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE U.S. FOR FOUR YEARS (14% THIS MONTH)

In a May 4, 2010 letter to Gov. Granholm protesting her probably illegal action gifting 25% of her constituents with free cell phones at the expense of the 75% majority, McMaster wrote:

"We in Taxpayers United think your new cell phone plan is ill-conceived, duplicitous, unnecessary and another waste of our money.

 "Not only would you permanently supply free cell phones to the 25% of Michigan households your government has obviously helped push into the poor house category, but you're secretly adding another illegal tax burden on all the monthly cell phone bills of the other 75% of our struggling family households in order to pay for such an ambush socialist mandate.

"Checking the small print on the back of my current monthly Verizon cell phone bill, I'm surprised to learn that your Executive Branch of State Government is already collecting and spending $9.48 from my $131.43 bill for 'Taxes, Government Surcharges & Fees' and 'Verizon Wireless' Surcharges and Other Charges & Credits'.

"Remember, Governor, that the Michigan Supreme Court has upheld the definition of 'fees' as 'taxes' subject to the 1978 Headlee Tax Limitation Amendment voted into our Michigan Constitution by the majority of statewide residents. A basic premise of the Headlee Amendment (Dick Headlee, deceased 2004, was Campaign Chairman; I was Campaign Director), remains "No new taxes without statewide voter approval."

"Taxpayers United didn't have the contribution funding about ten years ago to launch a legal challenge against the State of Michigan for illegally rewarding Michigan Bell's successful lobbying scheme to add collection of a "911 Fee" and "Taxes, Surcharges & Fees" to every customer's monthly home land line bill. My Comcast home landline phone bill last month amounted to $96.22. Of that, $9.96 was for '911 Fees' and 'Total Taxes, Surcharges & Fees.'

"Despite Engler and your Administrations making several additional appropriations beyond the original $300 million taxpayers paid through State Government for creation and maintenance of the State Police 911 Cell Towers all over our State, both the current Verizon and Comcast monthly bills are collecting taxes for 'certain costs and charges associated with proceedings related to new cell site construction'.

"In addition to state and welfare benefits listed above, hard working Michigan families are already supporting the poor with the most generous gifts in the country: digital 911 home phones, state (MISHDA) and federal public housing assistance, home mortgage forbearance, low income home energy assistance, student grants to community colleges and 15 State universities, etc., and simply by supplementing household incomes low enough to qualify as chronically poor.

"Isn't it time you realize you must comply with your Oath of Office to uphold our Michigan Constitution (which includes the Headlee Amendment) and immediately stop taking precious household money away from 75% of Michigan families and giving it to 'the qualified poor'?"

Gov. Granholm, on behalf of the nine million grassroots taxpayers throughout Michigan you're swindling, we ask you to stop this taxpayer-funded Free Cell Phone-Free Minutes Bonanza for the Permanently Eligible, AND DO IT RIGHT NOW!

Taxpayers United Michigan Foundation was founded in 1976 by Insurance Executive Dick Headlee (deceased 2004) and McMaster Marketing & PR firm CEO Bill McMaster to successfully win statewide voter approval of the 1978 Headlee Tax Limitation Amendment in our Michigan Constitution. Taxpayers United has evolved into a tax deductible 501(c)(3) under the IRS Code as a non-partisan, non-profit educational foundation helping educate grassroots taxpayers how to defend and control their Constitutional Rights despite exploitation by public officials and units of government.

SOURCE Taxpayers United Michigan Foundation