Whereas, The cost of telephone service contributes to the burden of low- income customers who struggle to pay their bills and maintain a reasonable quality of life; and,

Whereas, The Lifeline Assistance Program, established by the Federal Communications Committee and enhanced by the Michigan Telecommunications Act (MTA), provides discounts to qualified telephone subscribers; and, 

Whereas, Through MTA, low-income customers under the age of 65 are eligible for a discount of 20 percent on the basic local service exchange rate, or $8.25 per month, whichever is greater; and,

Whereas, Low-income customers age 65 years or older can receive through MTA a 25 percent discount on the basic local exchange service rate, or $12.35 per month, whichever is greater; and,

Whereas, Eligibility for the MTA program has been expanded to include many people who have used or receive government assistance; and,

Whereas, Currently, seven wireless providers are now offering Lifeline Assistance Program discounts to eligible customers; and,

Whereas, There are a significant number of eligible Michigan customers who are not enrolled in the Lifeline Assistance Program at this time;

Now, Therefore, be it Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, governor of the state of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of March 8, 2009, Lifeline Week in Michigan and encourage citizens to find out if they are eligible for the Lifeline Assistance Program.