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Super cheap smartphone plans for saving seniors

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you direct me to some really cheap wireless smartphone plans for seniors who don’t use much data? I use my smartphone primarily for texting and talking but need some data for checking my email and a few other things when I’m away from Wi-Fi. Right now, I pay $30 per month but am looking for a better deal.

Senior Scrimper live on federally recognized Tribal lands. Or, if your annual household income is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines—$17,388 for one person, or $23,517 for two—you’re also eligible.

To check your eligibility or apply, visit LifelineSupport.org. If you do qualify, contact a wireless provider in your area that participates in the Lifeline program and sign up for service with them. You can also ask your current company to apply your Lifeline benefit to a service you are already getting, if it offers the benefit.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Dear Scrimper,

There are several super cheap wirelesses providers I can recommend for older smartphone users who are looking to save money by paring down their cell phone plan. Here are three of the cheapest options available that you can switch to without sacrificing the quality of your service.

Cheapest wireless plans

For extremely light smartphone data users, the very cheapest wireless plan available today is through Tello (Tello.com), which lets you build your own plan based on your needs or budget. For as little as $6 per month you can get unlimited texting, 100 minutes of talk time and 500 megabytes (MB) of high-speed data. Increases in talk time or data can be added in $1 increments.

Tello uses the T-Mobile network and gives you the option to bring your existing phone or purchase a new device, while keeping your same phone number if you wish. If you want to keep your phone, it must be unlocked. Just enter your phone’s ID (press *#06# on your keypad to get it) on Tello’s website to make sure that it’s compatible with the network.

Another super cheap plan to consider is the annual prepaid plan offered through Boost Mobile (BoostMobile.com). For only $100 per year (or $8.33 per month) this plan provides unlimited talk, text and 1 gigabyte (GB) of 5G or 4G data each month. If you need more data, their $150 annual plan (or $12.50/month) gets you 5 GB.

Boost Mobile uses the T-Mobile and AT&T networks and lets you use your existing phone (if compatible) or buy a new one.

And a third option to look into is Mint Mobile (MintMobile.com), which is recommended by Consumer Reports and has one of the best values for a cheap plan. Mint offers a $15 per month plan (plus taxes & fees) that provides unlimited talk and text, and 4 GB of 5G/4G data each month. They too use the T-Mobile network and will let you use your existing phone (if compatible) or buy a new one.

Savvy Senior, Jim Miller

Lifeline program

If your income is low enough, another option you should check into is the Lifeline Assistance Program. This is a federal program that provides a $9.25 monthly subsidy that could go towards your phone or internet service.

To qualify, you’ll need to show that you’re receiving certain types of government benefits such as Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), SSI, public housing assistance, veterans’ pension and survivors’ benefit, or

THE GOLDENDALE SENTINEL

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Burn-out has got to go

The Festival of Wheels gave it another try this year. It seems the attendance has dwindled to much lower levels than when the event was new, 10 years ago. There are a lot of competing car shows this time of year, so it doesn’t surprise me .

This year Goldendale Motorsports Association and ABATE brought back the burn-out, which was tried several times in the past with questionable benefits to the town. This year someone had the brilliant idea to use the old skateboard park as a place to stage the return of the burnout. It was held on the concrete slab, a tempting medium for anyone inclined to bum rubber. Rednecks of many degrees, punk kids or maybe the little old lady from Pasadena.

I personally was left with a bad taste in my mouth and lungs. Even though I made it a point to stay away from the burn-out and was at my home where I thought I would escape the noise and smoke, when the toxic cloud rose from the park and drifted over the Little Klickitat River Park (the swimming pool) on to the kids and families at the pool and on to me while I was sitting on my property. We were contaminated by the toxins in the smoke, and my eyes and throat were imitated, and my lungs filled with carbon monoxide and other cancer causing toxic compounds

Guidelines for Letters

for three hours.

I think the city of Goldendale needs to rethink supporting burnouts in our park. Next year don’t issue a permit to any group that wants to burn-out. There are places in the county where it could be held, just not in the city please. I hate toxic smoke, and you should too.

On Sept 4 I will be asking the mayor and his administration to make an ordinance forbidding anyone from reckless unsafe burnouts in any ones neighborhood or any street in the Goldendale city limits. I would appreciate some support from like-minded citizens at the council meeting. Let them know how you feel.

Ken McKune

Goldendale

C

I recently received an updated “Terms for Business and Deposit Account Agreement” from Columbia Bank. I am not in the habit of reading the fine print but for some reason this time I did. I came across an “added” line that I found very concerning. Again, this line is both for personal and business accounts. It reads: “We may refuse to open and account and may close your account at any time for any reason or for no reason at all.” “For No Reason At All” I particularly found offensive.

I contacted the bank for an explanation. The answer was essentially that “we wouldn’t do that.” Then why is it in your documents, I asked. The answer was to send me up the chain of command. The second person gave the same answer as the first and then was to have me contacted by some-one higher up. That person has not contacted me after more than a week so I am following through on what I told the bank contacts I was going to do—write a letter to the editor to be sure local folks are aware of how Columbia Bank is choosing to deal with its account holders. My concern is that a comment Letters from the community as broad as this opens the door for abuse. I have had no difficulOur American Legion ties with our local branch and am sorry that the headquarters has

Since Covid hit there have been decided to take such a hard line. lots of ups and downs—in our lives, It ap-pears I will need to look for a and in the community. bank that does not behave in this

Businesses had to adapt in order manner. to reopen. New businesses opened, some closed, and businesses in Ken Margraftown were left just striving to sur- Goldendale vive. One such business striving to survive is the American Legion Louis Leidl Post 116. The American Legion is a non-profit organization whose written purpose is to “Enhance the well-being of America’s Veterans, their families, our Military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.”

This is exactly what our Goldendale American Legion does through the help of the Legionaries (Veterans), Auxiliary (wives, daughters, and granddaughters of veterans), and Sals (sons and grandsons of veterans). These three groups of volunteers work very hard to help keep our Legion up and running. As volunteers, they donate their time putting on dinners such as First Responders (free to all first responders and their families) Veterans Day meal (free to all veterans and their spouses). The Post provides honor details for military funerals and host meals for memorials when asked. The Post provides ceremonies for Memorial Day, including displaying and taking and down flags at the local cemetery, currently 475. A couple of other things the Legion provides are walkers, wheelchairs, and wheelchair ramps for vets. I don’t have the room to list the many projects the Legion takes on, but we would love it if you come down and join us in assisting with any of these projects!

In spite of what you may have heard about the local Legion, we are not in it for the money or competition with local businesses—we are here for our veterans. We have a great Legion family, and we welcome you to drop in and join us. Are you new to town? Come in let’s get acquainted. Not a member? One of our members will sign you in and give you information on how you can join us if you choose to do so.

You are welcome to join us for Taco Tuesday, Trivia night, first and third Wednesdays, Bingo (provides for children’s causes) on Thursdays, and dinners or open menu on Fridays! Come on in, we’d love to get to know you!

Anita Furlong Auxiliary Member Goldendale Why did they lift it?

False advertising! The Carriger Solar Project doesn’t have community support. Last year, over 300 signatures went on a petition and overwhelming testimony during public hearing opposed unregulated Industrial Scale Solar Projects. As a result, a temporary moratorium on solar projects connecting to the Knight Road substation was imposed. This is not community “support.” Permitting these projects without adequate emergency response plans is wrong. Does anyone know how our county is going to respond to a wildfire that may sweep across these projects that are placed in wild lands? The plan is to let them burn. There’s nearly 9,000 acres of land that is being leased for these projects. If 9,000 acres gets developed into solar and a wildfire swoops through, that’s a lot of toxins that will just burn from solar panels and lithium ion batteries. This project will be just outside of Goldendale off Knight Road, in an urban growth area. Lund Hill Project is currently in construction. Ask commissioners how much tax revenue is being generated from Lund Hill Project. Ask locals and businesses how many jobs they have seen or increased business. Lastly, these aren’t Klickitat County homes getting en-ergy from this project. Nope. We still pay approximately 10% more than the state’s average despite being Washington State’s renewable energy capital. Why did the commissioners lift the moratorium? The rest of the nation is imposing ordinances, yet ours isn’t. Why is this?

Rocel Dimmik Goldendale They’re hijacking our republic

I agree. I don’t feel bad for Republicans. I feel irritated by the mentally lazy. Little effort is needed to be factually informed from primary sources of information and to think critically. This effort enables one to avoid being duped by nonsense conspiracy theories, Orwellian lies, and disinformation. The Jan. 6 insurrection (sedition) demonstrates the effectiveness of duping people with a Big Lie, powered by mass broadcast channels such as Fox Lies and other similar outlets. And I feel rankled by the gullible electorate. These are the people who blindly accept the lies, and vote against their own and America’s best interests. Consequently, they’ve elected Congress members who’ve abdicated their oaths of office and give their loyalty to a few billionaire donors, who bribe these congress members with huge campaign donations, in return for acting as their puppets. They’re intent on devolving our republic to an oligarchic corporatocracy, so they can engage in predatory profiteering, regardless of consequences. And I feel disgusted by those Americans, generally the majority of registered voters, who don’t vote, especially in midterm elections. Last, I feel despair for all Americans, including you and me. That’s because mental laziness, believing lies and nonsense, being gullible, and not voting has consequences. That is, corrupt and bribed seditionists have been elected, and they are hijacking our republic! Wake up! Vote these criminals out of office and into prison. Otherwise, we will lose our republic, our rights, and our freedoms under the U.S. Constitution and the Rule of Law.

Steve Heitmann White Salmon

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