Obongo will REQUIRE community service

[grapemaster]

In fact, I'll help you. Yeah, Obama is actually wanting to institute slavery by forcing people to work. I heard he's gonna force all white people to work in the cotton fields, it's payback for slavery!

All white people report to the cotton fields on February 1st 2009!

50 hours? are u kidding me? you're crying over 50 hours? thats nothing and most people should be putting community service hours. it would help the country alot.

I would whine over 2 hours if it was *mandatory*...

Mandatory community service was what kids who got expelled had to do when I was in high school. This is what people with DUI's have to do. They had to come to school or other areas and clean up. While the rest of us are spending those 50/100 hours studying our butts off and taking college classes in high school or actually getting a head start on the work force and getting an actual JOB.

[Futurama525]

I bet the people that love to call others lazy will be begging to sit this one out...

This is reminiscent of Clinton and school uniforms. Every president has a personal idea that is important to them, but they still have to clear it with other people. But if he does enforce this and it is enforced properly, it's a good idea to me.


Obviously we don't have the full story, because the plan has not even been developed yet.

If you want to take that excerpt at face value and assume the worst like ElMariachi, feel free to be an idiot.

In fact, I'll help you. Yeah, Obama is actually wanting to institute slavery by forcing people to work. I heard he's gonna force all white people to work in the cotton fields, it's payback for slavery!

That's what I'm worried about. They finally got the White House. What are they going to do?

[StartTheMachine]

this sounds like communism

Everything sounds like communism, if you want it to.

[ElMariachi]

Regardless of whether it's mentioned, it's true. College students are going to be paid (handsomely) for these hours, assuming it's signed into law.

Once again, what is the catch. Can I go volunteer at the VA hospital, or would someone be forced to volunteer with ACORN for example???

[jack90]

It's sad when America doesn't want to give 2 days of their entire year to improve their communities.

People are against forced labor? holy ****, what has the world gone to.

brb getting my shovel and heading to the mines. America FTW.

[Gadsden]

It's sad when America doesn't want to give 2 days of their entire year to improve their communities.

Americans spend 300+ days a year improving their communities. it's called having a job.

[madeinaustralia]

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act, which established the Corporation for National and Community Service and brought the full range of domestic community service programs under the umbrella of one central organization.

This legislation built on the first National Service Act signed by President H.W. Bush in 1990. It also formally launched AmeriCorps, a network of national service programs that engage Americans in intensive service to meet the nation’s critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment.

The newly created AmeriCorps incorporated two existing national service programs: the longstanding VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program, created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

View legislation governing the Corporation for National and Community Service and its programs.

The National and Community Service Act of 1990 [As amended through December 17, 1999, P.L. 106-170] (593 K PDF)

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act [as amended by Public Law 106-170, approved December 17, 1999] (80K PDF)

"Service is a spark to rekindle the spirit of democracy in an age of uncertainty. When it is all said and done, it comes down to three simple questions: What is right? What is wrong? And what are we going to do about it?"

— President Bill Clinton, upon swearing in the first class of AmeriCorps members

In September 1994, the first class of AmeriCorps members—20,000 strong—began serving in more than 1,000 communities. On July 3, 2003, President Bush signed the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act, which nearly doubled the number of AmeriCorps members. By establishing new accounting guidelines for making Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards from the National Service Trust, the Corporation can now authorize approximately twice as many AmeriCorps positions in all categories. The legislation was the product of extensive, cooperative discussions with the Administration and a sign of the strong bipartisan support for AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps and its programs are among the most recent chapters in our country's long history of encouraging and supporting civic engagement. Highlights of that history are shown on the National and Community Service Timeline.

Budget
Information on the Corporation for National and Community Service's budget can be found at http://www.nationalservice.gov/about...act/budget.asp.

[hooked4life]

I can't believe I'm hearing this. Bitching about having to help our fellow Americas? You should all be ashamed.

[RickRoss]

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation?s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

http://www.change.gov/americaserves

I'll be damned if I'm wasting my time cleaning up ghetto ****holes

Discuss

Community service was a requirement in my high school. Couldn't graduate without doing at least 60 hours. I graduated in 2002. If you plan to go to college, community service is pretty much a non-written requirement.

[nutsy54]

I'm saying he removed it from the new site as far as I can tell. This would seem to be pertinent information, wouldn't it? Which begs the question, why has it been removed?

This was changed within the last few hours - because I also remembering seeing the key word "required" when looking at that site earlier.

http://www.change.gov/agenda/service/

[Organichu]

Once again, what is the catch. Can I go volunteer at the VA hospital, or would someone be forced to volunteer with ACORN for example???

How the **** should I know? We'll have to wait until the bill's drafted. I'm just pointing out that calling it 'slavery' is kind of ridiculous because these kids will be (allegedly) paid the scaled down equivalent of a $75,000 a year salary for these hours.

[Gadsden]

I can't believe I'm hearing this. Bitching about having to help our fellow Americas? You should all be ashamed.

If Obama proposed 1000 hours of community service, would you complain? how about 2000? how about he suggested next time you were offered a raise to turn it down? If you complained, should we accuse you of not wanting to "serve"?

does this have anything to do with not wanting to help people, or does it have to do with not wanting to be forced by the most inefficient force known to man: a government?

[linuxg]

lazy bastards do your community service and STFU

[hooked4life]

"Integrate Service into Learning

* Expand Service-Learning in Our Nation's Schools: Obama and Biden will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year. They will develop national guidelines for service- learning and will give schools better tools both to develop programs and to document student experience. Green Job Corps: Obama and Biden will create an energy-focused youth jobs program to provide disadvantaged youth with service opportunities weatherizing buildings and getting practical experience in fast-growing career fields.
* Expand YouthBuild Program: Obama and Biden will expand the YouthBuild program, which gives disadvantaged young people the chance to complete their high school education, learn valuable skills and build affordable housing in their communities. They will grow the program so that 50,000 low-income young people a year a chance to learn construction job skills and complete high school.
* Require 100 Hours of Service in College: Obama and Biden will establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.
* Promote College Serve-Study: Obama and Biden will ensure that at least 25 percent of College Work-Study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries."

You are really complaining about this?

[Organichu]

I'm saying he removed it from the new site as far as I can tell. This would seem to be pertinent information, wouldn't it? Which begs the question, why has it been removed?

I don't understand how this selfish, evil money making can ever mesh with a service-based America, in addition.

The second half of your post makes no sense.

To the first: who knows? Maybe because he's focusing on the "service" aspect rather than the "help our kids make it to college" aspect? Perhaps whoever is organizing the site chose to list the two elements separately.

[jack90]

Community service was a requirement in my high school. Couldn't graduate without doing at least 60 hours. I graduated in 2002. If you plan to go to college, community service is pretty much a non-written requirement.

You dont need to do community service to go to college in america lol.

[RickRoss]

I'll be damned if I'm wasting my time cleaning up ghetto ****holes

Discuss

You're 20 years old. Are you still in high school? Finish college and stfu.

[Duckenheimer]

50 hours? are u kidding me? you're crying over 50 hours? thats nothing and most people should be putting community service hours. it would help the country alot.

Sure it would be good if they could manage it, but not like this.

I can't believe I'm hearing this. Bitching about having to help our fellow Americas? You should all be ashamed.

Bitching about forced labour, the nature and direction of which is mandated by government, is nothing to be shameful of. Why would many of us who put our money and time where our mouth is, and not only work, but volunteer and provide to charity be ashamed of this political position?

Volunteering and providing to charity should be championed; not this.

[grapemaster]

"Integrate Service into Learning

* Expand Service-Learning in Our Nation's Schools: Obama and Biden will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year. They will develop national guidelines for service- learning and will give schools better tools both to develop programs and to document student experience. Green Job Corps: Obama and Biden will create an energy-focused youth jobs program to provide disadvantaged youth with service opportunities weatherizing buildings and getting practical experience in fast-growing career fields.
* Expand YouthBuild Program: Obama and Biden will expand the YouthBuild program, which gives disadvantaged young people the chance to complete their high school education, learn valuable skills and build affordable housing in their communities. They will grow the program so that 50,000 low-income young people a year a chance to learn construction job skills and complete high school.
* Require 100 Hours of Service in College: Obama and Biden will establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.
* Promote College Serve-Study: Obama and Biden will ensure that at least 25 percent of College Work-Study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries."

You are really complaining about this?

Yes, totally, read my prior post as to why. It is wrong AND inefficient. Key word "required"... you think we should be required to do that? Do you think we should be required to die for our country? Are you also a draft supporter?

Heres a deal Obama, I'll do 50 hours community service, if I don't have to pay taxes If I ever have children, I will want them to be focusing on academics, and using CAPITALISM to send them to whichever extracurricular activities *I* see fit along the lines of my child's interest, not some bogus MANDATED AND REQUIRED community project.

Community service was a requirement in my high school. Couldn't graduate without doing at least 60 hours. I graduated in 2002. If you plan to go to college, community service is pretty much a non-written requirement.

I never did a lick of community service in high school and graduated top 10 out of 700 kids... Would you say I should have not got a high school diploma? In my spare time my parents made me do something called GETTING A JOB, when I was 14...

[ajn]

I absolutely would, just on general principle. I already volunteer quite a bit, but I would not want someone to MAKE me do it. I do it because I want to and not because of pressure from the government.



The other thing that people have not mentioned is......what's his definition of community service? I assume that there'd be a requirement to work for preselected organizations or causes. What happens if you don't find anything that you want to volunteer for???

No, but there's certainly something wrong with Forced Labor, mandated by the Government. Please explain why you believe that's OK. . . (Bonus points if you can do so without using the names of any prominent Republicans).

Now, let's guess how this will be enforced - and what the penalties will be for those who don't wish to comply. Oh, and how about yet another new bureaucracy that we'll need to create to centrally track and manage your mandated servitude.

Why the hell are you criticizing a plan you haven't even seen? Now you guys are making up fantasies in your head to criticize Obama about.

'But what if he does this, and this, and this? OMG!?!'

You have to realize how idiotic you all look. Honestly.

Oh, and..

I'm sure there will be some hook to it, like linking it to financial aid, scholarships or making it a requirement for graduation.

Community service was a graduation requirement for both middle school and high school in my county. Idiot.

All white people report to the cotton fields on February 1st 2009!

lol, I saw that on ********

[RickRoss]

You dont need to do community service to go to college in america lol.

It's known that colleges don't just look at grades. They look favorably at what you've done outside of the classroom, especially community service. lol

[Gadsden]

The second half of your post makes no sense.

To the first: who knows? Maybe because he's focusing on the "service" aspect rather than the "help our kids make it to college" aspect? Perhaps whoever is organizing the site chose to list the two elements separately.

my point was that there's this notion that profit seeking and money making is less virtuous than doing something for free. If that's the case, why should we encourage that?

obviously it's not the view I hold.

[ZexCui]

Everything sounds like communism, if you want it to.

this sounds like facism to me.

[Morbid_Mind]

New uniforms, as to be unveiled by the Fuhrer

[SilverSpork]

Wow, wtf is this ****?

[cj_hackett]

I work 6 days a week. I'll be damned if I'm going to perform community service. That should be left to those who are going to be living on welfare. In fact, we should make those on welfare earn their checks by creating these community service jobs he speaks of. Make their lazy asses work 50 hours a year, lol.

I'm not an obama fan but even 100 hours a year works out to about 2 hours a week of 15 minutes a day. Quit whining. People are too selfish today. People only care about themselves.

[jack90]

It's known that colleges don't just look at grades. They look favorably at what you've done outside of the classroom, especially community service. lol

you even bother applying to college?

You didnt claim that it helped, you claimed community service was an unspoken REQUIREMENT. you are full of ****.

There are other outside the classom activities than community service. clubs, sports, etc.

[nutsy54]

Simply amazing responses here.

It will interesting to watch when the blind Obama supporters and apologists finally start taking unbiased looks at his proposals, policies, and legislation.

"Forced Labor mandated by the Government is OK!" (As long as President Obama is the one sending us to work)

[Duckenheimer]

I'm not an obama fan but even 100 hours a year works out to about 2 hours a week of 15 minutes a day. Quit whining. People are too selfish today. People only care about themselves.

That is not the point at all. Like I said.

"Bitching about forced labour, the nature and direction of which is mandated by government, is nothing to be shameful of. Why would many of us who put our money and time where our mouth is, and not only work, but volunteer and provide to charity be ashamed of this political position? "

The concerns expressed here have NOTHING to do with selfishness.

[ElMariachi]

Simply amazing responses here.

It will interesting to watch when the blind Obama supporters and apologists finally start taking unbiased looks at his proposals, policies, and legislation.

"Forced Labor mandated by the Government is OK!" (As long as President Obama is the one forcing us to do it)

I can't believe people are so goofy nowadays that they hear the government requiring people to "volunteer" and think that it is a good idea. It defeats the whole purpose of "volunteering" to begin with and really crosses into an area where government should not be.