Whereas, On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell uttered those now famous words, "Mr. Watson, come here!" thereby completing the first successful experiment with the telephone; and,

Whereas, Telephones are an essential part of daily life and are necessary for the safety and welfare of Michigan's citizens; and,

Whereas, The cost of telephone service contributes to the burden of low-income customers who are trying 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, Under the MTA, low-income customers under the age of 65 are eligible for a discount of 20 percent on the basic local service exchange rate of their local telephone provider, or $8.25 per month, whichever is greater; and,  

Whereas, Under the MTA, eligibility has been expanded to include persons whose annual incomes do not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines or persons who receive Medicaid, food stamps, supplemental security income (SSI), federal public housing assistance (Section 8), low-income home energy assistance (LIHEAP), the national school lunch program's free lunch, or temporary assistance for needy families (TANF); and,

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

Whereas, Under the MTA, the Michigan Public Service Commission has been directed to notify the public of the availability of the Lifeline Assistance Program; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of March 9, 2008, as Lifeline Week in Michigan.