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Michelle McDonough lives in Biddeford and is a member of WorkMoney, an organization that helps people lower costs and raise incomes.
Having a job is a necessity these days. Everyday, hard-working folks are finding it harder and harder to get by with less and less. Like most people, rising costs keep me up at night. I feel panicked and frustrated, especially when it comes to being able to afford groceries. Over the holidays, I enjoyed one recent gift that I’m afraid I’ll lose this year.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) gives eligible households a $30 per month discount on their internet bill and a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.
Having the ACP has been a lifesaver; it means there’s one less bill that I have to worry about. Most months, I barely have enough money to get by. The ACP has been the difference between me being able to afford food every month and paying my credit card bills on time. With so many Americans racking up credit card debt — Americans now owe more than $1 trillion in credit card debt — the ACP is one program that can save all of us money.
Thanks to the ACP, I’m able to take online classes to further my education and help provide a better life for myself. Having reliable internet access is a necessity for my schoolwork. I can’t go to a college campus, my classroom is online.
Losing the ACP would also affect other areas of my life, like my ability to apply for higher-paying jobs. Most jobs want you to apply online. With the price of many goods and services high, the ACP is helping keep access to reliable internet service low.
Even if you don’t use the ACP, its benefits are far reaching. The ACP has helped expand internet access in rural parts of Maine where internet service was bad or didn’t exist before. It means more small businesses have internet access too.
Thanks to the ACP, people can apply to jobs online, see their doctors for telehealth visits, talk to relatives in other states, and save money on gas because they’re driving less. The money saved can then be spent on things that benefit our communities, not spending a hundred dollars or more a month on the internet.
It feels like politicians don’t care about everyday struggling families, like mine. I don’t think they could last a day in my shoes. If they think internet access isn’t important, I suggest they cancel their service and go without it for a day — let’s see how much not having internet access really costs you.
The ACP is going to expire in April, unless Congress takes action. I want to see our elected officials work together to continue the ACP. I hope Sen. Susan Collins will work with members in Congress, in both parties, to fully fund the program. If Sen. Collins truly thinks about families like mine and has our best interest at heart, she’ll work to extend the ACP.