From Gibbs Burke…

1)      $977,346

2)      1 Full-time Job Created

3)      Support via text 24/7

4)      Connect with others quitting

5)      Options to help prevent relapse

So the people who can actually afford to pay $9.00 a pack in this economy are finally reaping the benefits. Gone are the days of Marlboro Rewards or Camel Cash – usher in the new era of government paid smoking rewards. And for the countless number of Americans who remain jobless, there is the hope of landing the single job the program provides.  And let’s not forget to mention that the addiction to what many call Crackberries is thought to be even stronger than that to cigarettes.

For those of you trying to do the math in your head, here are some facts you might want to know before you decide:

1)      The average cost of a Blackberry® is around $400. This cost is drastically reduced when purchased with a cell phone plan.

2)      Due to the PDA nature of Blackberry’s®, all major Cell-Phone companies require the purchase of a data plan on-top of their voice plans. Cost – $30.

3)      Research in Motion (RIM) charges an additional cost to connect to there Blackberry® enterprise network.

Here are some further details to think about: (Be aware that these estimates are assuming that the government doesn’t pay for the phone service, but just provides the actual phone. It would cost exuberant amounts more to provide service.) 

1)      At the cost of retail pricing, the American government would be able to buy 2,443 Blackberries® with the 1 million dollars allocated for the program. At the average $30 a month data cost for the phone. Major cell phone companies would be making $73,300 a month just on data plans alone. This equates to about $880,000 a year on just the data plan, without inclusion of the voice plan necessary with the phone. This does not include the Money RIM would get from the additional users of there Blackberry® who subscribe to their services. ( Data from http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/10/technology/cell_phone_bill/)

 

2)      With the average start-up cost for a Small business being $10,000 to $15,000. With the money allocated for this program you could have started approximately 80 new Small Businesses. ( Data from http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/17/smbusiness/wells_fargo_study/index.htm) Eighty new businesses have the potential to not only stimulate the economy, but also provide jobs for the countless unemployed.

 I have only one question, (beyond how the hell this plan was ever approved) a question that rolls around my head every time something like this comes up in legislation.

Why do we, the taxpayers have to pay for such a program?

I understand people have addictions; I understand that sometimes these addictions are harmful and negative to ones health or lifestyle; I understand a majority of the time their choices not only affect them, but the people around them. But why must I pay for their choices? Reducing the overwhelming health care costs brought on by smoking is understandable, but where do we draw the line? Should I have to pay for the person who orders the double bacon cheese burger the day after getting out of the hospital for bypass surgery, in the name of a healthy society?

More specifically, the attack on cigarettes is like beating a dead horse. We have already done all we can to regulate and tax them. The 90’s saw the ban against cigarette advertisement, as Joe Cool, The Marlboro Man, and the Kool commercials disappeared from our TV screens. Heavy taxes came next, trying to force people to stop via economic means. Despite their efforts cigarettes, are as much engraved into the American cultural as is alcohol. Smokers will smoke – end of story.

And what’s next? When we finally exacerbate all the issues associated with smoking, will a new study appear showing the cost of drunk driving crashes, and there effect on healthcare costs? What’s next? Iphone for Drunks, with a beer application to give the illusion of drinking a beer?

But for all those users of illegal drugs, there looks to be no recovery help for you. I don’t foresee a “Palms® for Potheads”, an “LGs® for LSD”, or “Motorola® for Meth” anytime in the near future. You’vebeen and don’t deserve a PDA.

In the end, instead of providing jobs to all those people who would be willing to get paid to help addicted people, the government has decided to just give out free gifts. Now, instead of asking your friend in person if he wants to go for a smoke, you can send him a multimedia message with a picture of a pack of cigarettes on your new Blackberry® to let him know you need a cig.

Thanks for putting my government’s money to good use. Text-um if you got-um.