Obama Signs $5.7 Billion National Service Bill
President Barack Obama is calling on Americans to serve their country, signing a $5.7 billion national service bill on Tuesday. The bill triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years, and offers new ways for students to earn money for college.
Building up the nation's voluntary public service programs has been a priority for President Obama, who often credits his earlier work as a community organizer for giving him direction in life.
The service law offers expended opportunities for both students and seniors to earn money for college through volunteer work. The goal is to foster and fulfill people's desire to make a difference.
The legislation calls for the gradual increase in size of the AmeriCorps, from its current 75,000 to 250,000. It also outlines five broad categories where people can direct their service: improving education, strengthening access to health care, assisting veterans, helping the poor, and encouraging energy efficiency.
The AmeriCorps program offers a number of volunteer opportunities, ranging from disaster response to caring for the elderly. Most participants receive an annual stipend of just less than $12,000 for working 10 months to a year.
The bill also ties together volunteer work to money for college. Those 55 and older can earn $1000 education awards by getting involved in public service, which can be transferred to a child, grandchild, or even someone they mentored. Students in grades 6 through 12 can also earn a $500 education award for helping in their neighborhoods during a new summer program.
The bill was passed by Congress last month with bipartisan support. Obama is seeking $1.1 billion to fund it next year, which has some Republicans balking. They complain that it is too costly, and is an unnecessary intrusion by the government into something that many Americans already do and in great numbers.
On Tuesday Obama also nominated Nike Inc. vice president Maria Eitel to head up the federal agency overseeing the United States' national service programs. Eitel is also the president of the Nike Foundation, and would need to be confirmed by the Senate to become CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Comments
$5.7 billion wasted on increasing bureaucracy, indoctrination
Nowhere in the Constitution is there a provision to take money from workers to give to others so they can do charitable works.
The federal government is supposed to be limited by the Constitution. Congress, and too many people who haven't gotten a proper education, think stealing from workers and redistribution of their money is just fine. The Constitution does not promote socialism. It promotes capitalism where people can reap the fruits of their own labor and not be forced to share it with the government .
This is just Acorn on steroids- taxpayer funded to build up the Democrat base. Community organizing at its worst.
Republicans are a riot.
Republicans are a riot. Liberals (the whole country for that matter) put up with the most inept 8 years by a President in the history of the USA. Everytime that the Democrats complained, the flag waving GOP would say how we are un-America. Now a new administration comes in trying to fix the problems that were created by the GOP and all you do is moan and complain. In 8 years, the country will be better off with these actions and the GOP will hopefully be a third party or banned!
volunteer legislation
re: Obama signs national service legislation
I have written to many folks, including most of those mentioned in today’s volunteer legislation articles, concerning a basic community based solution to both harness the renewed volunteerism and our home-foreclosure problem. Most nonprofits cannot hold assets however, a 509(a)1 can, and if it is also mission driven around housing, which means it can hold both the house asset and the mortgage paper, against houses.
This makes it a quasi-bank; it can hold the house going into foreclosure, “modify” the loan around the current owner’s ability to make monthly payments. The reduced dollar amount on the first mortgage would be held as a “soft” second mortgage, to be repaid through volunteerism (e.g. for every hour worked/volunteered, would reduce the second mortgage by $20).
There is only one organization which I am familiar with, that fits this bill, the Affordable Housing Center (AHC), 509(a)1; it has the potential to be the hub for HUD foreclosures and the vehicle for (a broader) volunteer coordination.
Duplicate postings of my response will be made to other articles, in hopes to begin a larger discussion.
By the way, I submitted AHC to Google’s project 100, the one for great ideas to change the world; perhaps the cyber world can create an online demand to sway voting, via Google inquiry/search.
PS (Some of you smart, network savvy and compassionate people must recognize the potential here and use your skills to promote.)
http://news.google.com/news?pz=1&ned=us&ncl=1337922020&topic=n
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