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April 22, 2009
It's An Odd Definition Of "Volunteer"
Maybe it's my simple mind and humble upbringing stunting my cognitive faculties yet again, but if Obama is touting this as "volunteering" then why the heck is it costing so much?
WASHINGTON (AP) - Calling on Americans to volunteer, President Barack Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill Tuesday that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college."We need your service, right now, in this moment in history. ... I'm asking you to stand up and play your part," said Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago. "I'm asking you to help change history's course."
That's an edited transcript of course. What The Greatest Orator Of All Time actually said was
"We, um, need your, uh, service, your service right now, in, in this, uh, moment in history. ... I'm, uh, I'm asking you to, um, well, to stand up and, uh, play your part," said Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago. "I'm asking you to, uh, help change history's, um, history's course even though I, uh, was, uh, only a uh small child when history, or, uh, as some would say, uh, and they, er, would, uh, not be incorrect in so, uh, stating, to uh, inclusively say herstory as, uh, as well, but as I was only a, uh, small child when his or, uh, her story began I, uh, can not be held a, accountable for uh, how it, er, turned out."
Can someone explain this to me:
The service law expands ways for students and seniors to earn money for college through their volunteer work.
Isn't this saying that "The Government will pay you for doing something for free"? Have I been "volunteering" at my job for the past 20+ years? Who knew I was so civic-minded! Certainly no one who knows me...
It aims to foster and fulfill people's desire to make a difference, such as by mentoring children, cleaning up parks or buildings and weatherizing homes for the poor.
What place is it of the Government's to "foster or fulfill (my) desire(s)", let alone take it upon itself to decide what those desires actually are?
The "Nanny State Express" rolls along.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at April 22, 2009 07:39 AM
Comments
Well, my DESIRE (if the government actually CARED) is to be left the HELL alone to choose to do volunteer work - or not - as I CHOOSE.
I have too damn little free time as it is; I don't like being told I need to give that time away, just as I "give" away some 35% of what I earn, for the benefit of the government.
Posted by: ricki at April 22, 2009 08:30 AM
I can't help but think that when the One says "We need you more than ever" he silently adds "to work for the State." All our labor must be for our political process, and we can have the pittance left over for our God, family, friends, hobbies, and the rest of life.
The government is NOT all of society, dammit. [And I mean that in the dominical sense, not the common pejorative.]
Posted by: nightfly at April 22, 2009 09:52 AM
From some comments I've read, over at Coyote Blog I believe, the estimates are that teenagers "volunteering" will be getting paid way more than they would if they had to work real jobs. And the bonus will be that they'll probably being doing jobs that could easily be done by people who actually need jobs and would accept a fraction of the pay.
Posted by: Nobrainer at April 22, 2009 11:42 AM
Is it odd that, while reading Obama's call to "voluntary servitude" I keep hearing this song?
Posted by: Gunslinger at April 22, 2009 05:29 PM
Meh, Obama is buying the youth vote for 2012.
Posted by: JeffS at April 22, 2009 06:18 PM
As to why the cost is so high - the students and seniors will get minimum wage or less, BUT...they have to be supervised, and you can't really expect government supervisors to work for peanuts and still be able to meet their monthly fund raising quota for 'Friends of Barry'.
Posted by: Joe Redfield at April 23, 2009 04:19 PM