2003-07-07|9:04 p.m.
As if I needed another reason to hate Bush. Yet here it is and now it is personal.
A few entries back I wrote about a new opportunity that had come my way. I could make money helping people at Dress for Success employed by AmeriCorps.
And then I find this out:
AmeriCorps progam to be cut by 57%
In today's world, we should be doing everything we can to provide opportunities for students to serve their communities. AmeriCorps involves students and recent graduates in civic life, helps them to expand their educational experience through participation in service, and encourages them to become active members of society. And AmeriCorps members perform countless important services such as teaching at-risk students, running mentorship programs, and cleaning up rivers and parks. President Bush has repeatedly praised AmeriCorps and promised to dramatically expand the program, even making it a priority in his 2002 State of the Union speech.
But under his watch, the program is severely threatened, and the White House has done little to help. Now AmeriCorps is facing cuts in the next few weeks that will eliminate over half of the nation's AmeriCorps members. Some states would see their AmeriCorps programs cut by over 70%. These cuts would mean an end to hundreds of valuable programs.
Despite his many promises to support AmeriCorps, the President has done nothing to prevent these cuts or challenge Congress to reverse them. In fact, the President's 2004 budget request actually asks for $40 million less for AmeriCorps than he requested in 2003. President Bush has repeatedly failed to back up his promises to support and expand the program. Now, the best chance for AmeriCorps is for the President to request supplemental funding so that the program can hire 50,000 members this year.
So, more broken promises. But you can help me and others who benefit from this program by taking 30 seconds to send a pre-written email to the White House to tell Bush that this is not ok.
It would mean a lot to me and many others. Tell your friends!
I honestly have no clue why anyone likes Bush at all:
