What will historians make of this idiocy, this lunacy? Most likely the same thing they made of it the last time it happened, though it probably won't take as long for it to reach its climactic pinnacle this time around. Why? Because so few of us were really paying any attention this time around, and this plan can be implemented much more quickly. With an innocuous title, and the good intentions of a very few turned awry by the slipping in of key phrases and insidious additions, many members of our Congress were sucked in to a scheme that will live in infamy as a permanent part of our society; a scheme that was perpetrated on not just today's adult population, but on that of our children. Many of us did all we could to turn our Senators away from this bill, but with little success. The final count was 79-19-1 in favor. And the spirit of Uncle Sam has his head down in disbelief and disgust.

The 19 who stood tall for us were all Republicans; Barrasso (WY), Brownback (KS), Bunning (KY), Coburn (OK), Corker (TN), Cornyn (TX), Crapo (ID), DeMint (SC), Ensign (NV), Graham (SC), Inhofe (OK), Kyl (AZ), McConnell (KY), Risch (ID), Roberts (KS), Sessions (AL), Shelby (AL), Thune (SD), and Vitter (LA). The rest can only be considered RINO's and/or co-conspirators in this stealing of our freedoms. And if their excuse becomes simply not reading the full breadth and extent of this bill, or understanding what it will do, they were derelict in their elected duties of representation. Yes, I'm talking about HR 1388, now to be called "The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act," or "The GIVE Act". What is the truth of it really? Obama's "National Civilian Security Force", but called the "National Civilian Community Corps", at least for now, and in the form of a "government corporation". Now, let's see if Obama waits the five days to allow Americans to see this legislation before he signs it into law.

Several of the worst portions of this bill are; H.Amdt. 48, "Amendment to create a National Service Reserve Corps and requires an annual service requirement of at least 10 hours and/or annual training. A member of the National Service Reserve Corps is one who has completed a term of national service, fulfilled training, and will respond to national disasters and other emergencies. These individuals will be listed in a national database for the ease of immediate deployment in case of emergency." (Tracking Americans and requiring service.) H.Amdt. 49, "The amendments prohibits organizations from attempting to influence legislation; organize or engage in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; and assist, promote, or deter union organizing." (So much for First Amendment rights.) Section 1509, "Permanent Cadre" with a CEO vs. a "Director".

What is conspicuously missing in this "final" bill is the amendment from HR 1444, "To establish the Congressional Commission on Civic Service to study methods of improving and promoting volunteerism and national service, and for other purposes." Why was it removed? Obviously to make sure HR 1388 passed first, so that HR 1444 can be attached to another bill for passage and inclusion, a typical trick in Congress. And why is HR 1444 so important that it needs to be kept from view until it gets slipped in? Could it be because it closely resembles the same legislation passed in Germany that became the stepping stone used to create what we now know as the "Hitler Youth" program? The following is from HR 1444:

SEC. 4. DUTIES:
     (a) General Purpose - The purpose of the Commission is to gather and analyze information in order to make recommendations to Congress to -
          (1) improve the ability of individuals in the United States to serve others and, by doing so, to enhance our Nation and the global community;
          (2) train leaders in public service organizations to better utilize individuals committed to national service and volunteerism as they manage human and fiscal resources;
     (b) Specific Topics- In carrying out its general purpose under subsection (a), the Commission shall address and analyze the following specific topics:
          (1) The level of understanding about the current Federal, State, and local volunteer programs and opportunities for service among individuals in the United States.
          (2) The issues that deter volunteerism and national service, particularly among young people, and how the identified issues can be overcome.
          (3) Whether there is an appropriate role for Federal, State, and local governments in overcoming the issues that deter volunteerism and national service and, if appropriate, how to expand the relationships and partnerships between different levels of government in promoting volunteerism and national service.
          (4) Whether existing databases are effective in matching community needs to would-be volunteers and service providers.
          (5) The effect on the Nation, on those who serve, and on the families of those who serve, if all individuals in the United States were expected to perform national service or were required to perform a certain amount of national service.
          (6) Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds.
          (7) The need for a public service academy, a 4-year institution that offers a federally funded undergraduate education with a focus on training future public sector leaders.
          (8) The means to develop awareness of national service and volunteer opportunities at a young age by creating, expanding, and promoting service options for primary and secondary school students and by raising awareness of existing incentives.
          (9) The effectiveness of establishing a training program on college campuses to recruit and educate college students for national service.
          (10) The effect on United States diplomacy and foreign policy interests of expanding service opportunities abroad, such as the Peace Corps, and the degree of need and capacity abroad for an expansion.
          (11) The constraints that service providers, nonprofit organizations, and State and local agencies face in utilizing federally funded volunteer programs, and how these constraints can be overcome.
          (12) Whether current Federal volunteer programs are suited to address the special skills and needs of senior volunteers, and if not, how these programs can be improved such that the Federal government can effectively promote service among the `baby boomer' generation.

Other damning portions of HR 1388 were removed before final passage, but they will be resurrected in other forms, just as HR 1444 will be, and added to US Code to give this new law more teeth and enforcement capabilities. I will agree that there are some good portions of this legislation, if they were truly intended to remain "volunteer" in nature, but we know that just isn't the case. And to actually fund payment of tax dollars for "volunteers" defeats the intent of volunteering in the first place. Thus they are no longer a "volunteer", but an employee of the "government corporation".

In reflection on the old CCC (The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program for unemployed men, focused on natural resource conservation from 1933 to 1942) and WPA (The Works Progress Administration was the largest New Deal agency, employing millions of people and affecting almost every locality in the United States, especially rural and western mountain populations) programs that were used to put people back to work, those programs did accomplish some great works, but did very little to solve the real problems that came after the "Great Depression". The new programs created and expanded by this legislation will do little of what was accomplished under those of the "New Deal", and will cost the American taxpayer much more all while accomplishing much less.

The only thing that actually worked to bring our nation back to real prosperity was World War II, when able-bodied and "non-essential" men were sent off to do battle and women went to work in the factories. Where the WPA paid the local prevailing wage of $19 to $94 a month to an estimated 8 million jobs between the years 1935 to 1943 (limited to a 30 hour work week), and the CCC employed approximately 3.5 million men between 1933 and 1942 with average wages of $30 a month. The CCC was considered to be a much better program than the WPA due to its worker composition and the total good works completed by it. This new version under the GIVE Act is a combination of those programs, taking the worst of each instead of the best, and certainly destined to spend much more borrowed money than its predecessors.

This new "GIVE Act" (under Sec. 1508) changes the wording of:

TITLE 42, CHAPTER 129, SUBCHAPTER I, Division E, § 12618, Authorized benefits for Corps members.
     (a) In general - The Director shall provide for members of the (add National) Civilian Community Corps to receive benefits authorized by this section.
     (b) Living allowance - The Director shall provide a living allowance to members of the Corps for the period during which such members are engaged in training or any activity on a Corps project. The Director shall establish the amount of the allowance at any amount not in excess of the amount equal to 100 percent of the poverty line that is applicable to a family of two (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 9902 (2) of this title.
     (c) Other authorized benefits - While receiving training or engaging in service projects as members of the Civilian Community Corps, members may be provided the following benefits:
          (1) Allowances for travel expenses, personal expenses, and other expenses.
          (2) Quarters.
          (3) Subsistence.
          (4) Transportation.
          (5) Equipment.
          (6) Clothing (Changed to Uniforms).
          (7) Recreational services and supplies (Changed to Supplies).
          (8) Other services determined by the Director to be consistent with the purposes of the Program.
     (d) Supportive services - As the Director determines appropriate, the Director may provide each member of the Corps with health care services, child care services, counseling services, and other supportive services.
     (e) Post-service benefits - Upon completion of the agreed period of service with the Corps, a member shall elect to receive the educational assistance under subsection (f) of this section or the cash benefit under subsection (g) of this section.
     (f) National service educational awards - A Corps member who successfully completes a period of agreed service in the Corps may receive the national service educational award described in division D of this subchapter if the Corps member -
          (1) serves in an approved national service position; and
          (2) satisfies the eligibility requirements specified in section 12602 of this title with respect to service in that approved national service position.
     (g) Alternative benefit - If a Corps member who successfully completes a period of agreed service in the Corps is ineligible for the national service educational award described in division D of this subchapter, the Director may provide for the provision of a suitable alternative benefit for the Corps member.

While the initial cost of implementation is a mere $6 million, according to the CBO, the actual cost of operation and benefits will be much greater. Based on an average of $15k a year (average poverty level for a family of two) and an estimated 3 million "volunteers", that number would be $45 billion. Adding in all of the benefits, along with the long term "awards" in education, etc., and suddenly we're looking at $100 billion a year in taxpayer dollars, 85% paid by the Feds and 15% paid by the states. If it reaches a participation level of 4.5 million, as expected by the White House, that figure cold easily surpass $150 billion a year. If you aren't concerned by now, then let me add this. An amendment that would have blocked organizations such as ACORN, and others like it, was blocked and will never be allowed to be part of this legislation. Add to that the fact that Obama supporters, ACORN and others, have already been mobilized to aid in getting his budget passed, and what we will have is a tool for pushing agendas we most likely will oppose, and paid for out of our own pockets.

What is conspicuously missing from the Washington mentality is one simple fact. Government jobs do not create prosperity; they draw on prosperity, at times crippling it. Only private enterprise can create prosperity, and pay for the costs of government through taxes. With the current trend of spending 1.5 times the amount taken in by the Federal government each year, and adding more and more spending legislation such as HR 1388, we can never hope to regain any reasonable or real level of prosperity in this nation, all we can expect is a sense of false prosperity. Even if a balanced budget amendment were to be passed now, our National Debt will still reach $20 trillion by 2020. A debt that will never be paid off if we continue down the same paths we are being led by our elected officials in Washington.

So what is the answer? How do we ever become truly prosperous again? By making some very hard choices, and sticking to them. That means reducing the size of government, not increasing it, and then reducing our tax burden by implementing a consumption tax, which will allow companies to grow taking our economy with it. Holding a surplus is also not out of the question, as long as Congress and the President understand that they cannot dip into that surplus for any reason except to pay off both principal and interest on the National Debt. And that must be a stipulation in any "balanced budget amendment". Unfortunately, no amount of prodding will ever get such an amendment passed, until there is a wholesale change of politicians in Washington. That will probably take another amendment, one establishing term limits on all members of Congress. Short of that, the best we can hope for is a major change in members in the 2010 election. Until then,

WAKE UP, AMERICA!!

WE'RE BEING SOLD DOWN THE RIVER!!!

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