Bush breaks promise to young Americans

[LauraK]

On Jan. 15, 2002, my colleagues and I watched with pride as the president in the State of the Union Address announced his commitment to the program we loved. He challenged us, and all of America, to increase enrollment in AmeriCorps by 50 percent, so that nearly 100,000 people would be serving their neighbors through thousands of community organizations across the country. We, and thousands of young Americans, responded to that call, and when I left the Corporation for National and Community Service in June that year to return to elective politics in my home state, it was with more optimism than when I had arrived in Washington three years before.

Over the last six months, as I heard about financial problems at AmeriCorps from former colleagues, I became increasingly concerned. But I assumed that the president would meet his commitment, and a solution to these problems would be found. With the recent actions of the Bush administration, however, my concern changed to anger. The president is not merely damaging a powerful national program and dampening the ?thousand points of light? who fulfill their missions through AmeriCorps members. In fact, he risks exacerbating the cynicism of an entire generation. <cut

It appears our excitement was premature. Financial mismanagement by the administration last fall meant that AmeriCorps programs across the country had to place a freeze on recruitment of new members. The president?s lack of leadership in the budget process led to a dramatic reduction in program dollars, crippling a number of AmeriCorps? core partnerships. Then the leader of the Corporation for National and Community Service announced he would resign. Now the administration has gone even further by recommending more cuts in AmeriCorps funding. Recently came the devastating news that critical national service programs, including Teach for America, Habitat for Humanity and Public Allies, will receive a nearly 80 percent drop in AmeriCorps positions.
<cut
http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/Columns/Article/68302.html

[mbperrin]

1. If you lived in Texas and knew his track record

you would know that this is broken promise #4,256,781

I simply do not know of anything that he ever said he would do that he did!

[diamond14]

2. yes, but shrub will offer a draft for young Americans...he'll

point out how much better that is than Americorps...just go into the military....

if you listened to rummy/franks testify before Congress today on C-span....they both claimed that they had already rotated over 140,000 troops through Iraq, that, as Congress pointed out too, they need 5 times that many to keep up the program in Iraq...that it is extremely difficult to rely on our National Guard and reserves so much...and that it would be preferable to have more permanent military...also, Franks commented on how they would evolve their plan over the next 10 to 20 years in Iraq...

then there's always Liberia, Iran, Korea, and our continuous war in Afganistan (the forgotten war, ongoing for almost 2 years now with no end in site)....

[saigon68]

5. UNCLE SHRUB NEEDS YOUR HELP AGAIN

Way down Yonder in IRAQNAM

You can be the first one on your block

To have your boy come home in a BOX

----With apologies to Country Joe -:(

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. Bush breaks all promises!!!

:eyes:




:dem: In 04'

[Neoplatonist]

4. What do you expect?

Bush is a thief. He stold democracy, for Christ's sakes. He can't be trusted with anything. He steals from the poor and gives to the rich. Broken promises? He's a rich, spoiled brat--just a terrible human being. What do you expect?