More than 15 Other States Already Facilitate Free Wireless Service for Qualifying Individuals; Federal Funding Exists for Program Requiring No New Taxes or Spending by State.
California should stop dragging its feet and allow free and universal wireless telephone service to be extended to qualifying low-income households, according to leading consumer, Hispanic and disability groups in the state. Even though California prides itself on being on the cutting edge of consumer and technological advances, the state is trailing far behind more than 15 states across the nation that already offer wireless phone service to the poor.
Consumers First, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and World Institute on Disability (WID) will hold an 11 a.m. PDT phone-based news conference on June 24, 2009 to bring attention to the need for the California Public Utility Commission to extend Lifeline services to wireless phones. Federal funding already exists for this action and no new taxes or spending by the state would be necessary to make the change.
News event speakers will be:
* Jim Conran, president, Consumers First, Orinda, CA; and
* Kathy Martinez, executive director, World Institute on Disability, Oakland, CA; and
* Angel Luevano, national vice president, Far West Region, LULAC, Antioch, CA.
TO PARTICIPATE: You can join this live, phone-based California news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 11 a.m. PDT on June 24, 2009 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the “California wireless for the poor” news event.
CAN’T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://216.250.243.12/CaLifeline/ as of 6 p.m. PDT on June 24, 2009.
CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, +1-703-276-3265 or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com, for the World Institute on Disability, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in California, and Consumers First
