Ford Fighting To Save AmeriCorps--Bryant and Hilleary Want To Eliminate

[Jackson4Gore]

http://haroldfordjr2006.blogspot.com/

Ford Fighting To Save AmeriCorps--Bryant and Hilleary Want To Eliminate Vital Program
According to Fox News, the Bush Administration has put the all important AmeriCorps on their budget chopping block.

Fox News reports, "The Bush administration has proposed cutting AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps — a program in which 18-24 year olds live in group residences for training before going out to perform service projects — from $27 million to $5 million in fiscal year 2007, with the intent of shutting it down altogether. The decision has drawn fire from NCCC alumni as well as AmeriCorps' congressional supporters."

"Though the program was a Clinton administration pet, President Bush has received criticism for his previous backing of AmeriCorps. The president has supported AmeriCorps since his campaign for president in 2000, using it as an example of his "compassionate conservatism" ideal."

"Bush was far more interested in exploiting to showcase his own benevolence so he sharply expanded its membership rolls and volunteers," wrote James Bovard, an expert at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and author of the 2004 book, "The Bush Betrayal."

"But alumni and advocates say the NCCC is like the "Special Forces" of AmeriCorps, and similar to the Peace Corps, which puts volunteers on a career path for a lifetime of public service.

"There has been this huge surge in people wanting to serve, especially among young people, particularly after 9/11 and Katrina. ... Now is not the time to be cutting it," said AnnMaura Connolly, vice president for Voices for National Service , a non-profit advocacy group for preserving AmeriCorps funding.

Select members of Congress are also rallying behind the NCCC.

Republican Reps. Christopher Shays of Connecticut and Tom Osborne of Nebraska and Democratic Reps. David Price of North Carolina and Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee, all members of the National Service Congressional Caucus, sent letters to colleagues and to the House Appropriations Committee leadership March 9 to urge the preservation of the program.

"The NCCC is a trained force that can be immediately deployed. The service NCCC members provided to (Katrina) evacuees was invaluable, and so is the NCCC," reads the letter to the committee. "If additional steps must be taken to enhance and reform the NCCC, we look forward to working with the to make the necessary changes."

So why is AmeriCorps so important? As noted in the report above, "AmeriCorps is run under the Corporation for National and Community Service. Aside from the NCCC, AmeriCorps also has programs including VISTA — of which 6,000 volunteers are in 1,100 local programs — and AmeriCorps State and National, which provide millions of dollars in grants each year to organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to recruit and supervise AmeriCorps members."

"According to AmeriCorps officials, since its inception, the NCCC has had 11,139 members, who have completed 6,249 projects valued at $323 million. It has also helped to build or reconstruct 5,500 homes, tutor 319,000 students and assisted 98,000 homeless people."

"NCCC members begin by getting trained in everything from tutoring children to disaster relief at one of five designated college campuses across the country. Then, they are put to work for successive six- to eight-week projects in the region.

Currently, the NCCC engages about 1,100 volunteers who get paid a stipend of about $4,000 for a 10-month commitment and an education voucher for about $4,600 when they finish.

AmeriCorps officials and alumni say 80 percent of the NCCC has been in the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina hit in August.

"It's fair to say there are no less than 500 members in the Gulf Coast … who are directed to disaster response on any given day," said D'Amico."

AmeriCorps also helps address child welfare needs in places like Memphis.

As Congressman Ford said a couple years back in response to AmeriCorps funding that was awarded to Memphis that targeted child welfare, "This is a big win for our community. The grants will help more young men and women serve others in exchange for help for their education. The Exchange Club Family Center and Porter-Leath Children's Center both have long traditions of making people's lives better and with this funding, they will continue this important mission."

Clearly this is a vital program not only to our country as a whole, but so many individual Americans.

With all that being said, it really baffles me why the President would want to cut this all important program. President Bush originally endorsed Congressman Ford's plan that would triple the number of AmeriCorps from 50,000 to 175,000 volunteers by 2008. So why the change of heart? I assume pressure from his core supporters.

As noted above, the AmeriCorps plays a vital role in many different areas in our nation, including the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. Cutting the program makes no sense whatsoever.

I am proud that Congressman Ford is once again fighting the good fight. He fully recognizes the importance of AmeriCorps and what they do for our nation.

However, the same can't be said for his Senate opponents, Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary.

While serving in Congress, both Ed and Van voted time and time again to cut or completely eliminate AmeriCorps.

* Ed and Van voted to totally do away with AmeriCorps: "Hostettler, R-Ind., amendment to eliminate the bill's $367 million in funding for the AmeriCorps National Service Program, thereby terminating the program." (Amdt to HR 3666, 06/26/96, Roll Call #276)

* Ed and Van voted to eliminate the AmeriCorps and the Legal Services Corporation: "Adoption of the concurrent resolution to adopt a six-year budget plan that called for the elimination more than 130 programs, including the Goals 2000 school reform program, the AmeriCorps national service program, and the Legal Services Corporation. The resolution sets binding budget levels for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1997: budget authority, $1,629.9 billion; outlays, $1,618.1 billion; revenues, $1,470.4 billion; and deficit, $147.7 billion." (HCR 178, 05/16/96, Roll Call #179)

* Ed and Van opposed recommitting funding to AmeriCorps: "The House rejected the Stokes motion to recommit HR 3666 to committee with instructions to restore $350 million in funds for the AmeriCorps program." (Recommit to HR 3666, 06/26/96, Vote #281)

* Ed and Van voted to slash AmeriCorps by $250 million: "The House approved HR 3579 to provide $2.9 billion in supplemental appropriations. It cut $2.9 billion in domestic programs including $250 million from AmeriCorps and $75 million from bilingual and migrant education programs. (HR 3579, 03/31/98, Vote #088)
Put simply, Ed and Van are on the wrong side of this issue, just as President Bush is.

Congressman Ford is once again showing Tennesseans why he should be our next U.S. Senator.

Good judgment is a virtue each U.S. Senator needs to have.

Clearly, Harold Ford Jr. has that virtue while his opponents do not.