Jackson Free Press

"The AmeriCorps program is in a crisis," wrote its Mississippi director, Judy Stein, in a June 17, 2003, letter to Congress. And that crisis may leave Mississippi the hardest hit in the nation, with a 67-percent reduction in services—from reading programs to care of the disabled to Boys & Girls Clubs—as early as this fall. The AmeriCorps program, started by President Clinton and heralded by President Bush in his 2002 State of the Union address as a way Americans could together rebound after Sept. 11, is in a confusing mess on Capitol Hill. Many AmeriCorps supporters—including conservatives at the American Enterprise Institute—blame Bush for not following on his promise to increase AmeriCorps enrollments from 50,000 to 75,000 members.

Soon after cameras spotlighted AmeriCorps workers in Bush's State of the Union audience, disputes between Congress and AmeriCorps accounting managers pushed Congress to reduce the enrollment cap of 50,000 members to nearly 30,000, and cut AmeriCorps funds from $241 million to $174 million.

In 2002, the Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers AmeriCorps funds, approved 70,000 positions—20,000 more than their budget could support. That gave congressional critics of the program (like Dick Armey, R-Texas) an opening to start chipping away at its funding in the latest budget proposals by setting an enrollment cap at 50,000 members, considerably lower than the Bush pledge.

Emergency legislation restored this year's funding to its previous level, but many AmeriCorps supporters—including 49 governors, 51 senators, and more than 170 House members, from the left and the right—have signed a letter to the president asking him to support his pledge to fully fund the program, asking for about $185 million. (That's one-half of 1 percent of the latest tax cut.)

Mississippi may feel the pinch of AmeriCorps services more than any other state. The service helps provide child tutoring, mentoring, home building and renovation, skills and training to individuals with disabilities, and countless other services to citizens in need. Mississippi has received $6.3 million in federal funding to provide up to 1 million hours of work for its 900 participants and 13 programs in the state. If the budget blocks remain, there may be only $3.2 million for 300 participants and three programs, Stein reports.

Living Independence For Everyone (LIFE) is the only organization in Mississippi that employs only those with disabilities. LIFE not only provides a $750 a month stipend and an education award to its AmeriCorps workers, but members also receive health and child-care assistance. "What makes us unique is that we provide jobs for and offer those with disabilities the opportunity to receive training and skills that otherwise would not have been possible. With the education award our members can then go back to school if they wish," Christy Dunaway, director of LIFE said. Without full funding, Dunaway is concerned that only four of their 20 positions would be funded.

Ironically, part of AmeriCorps problem has been that the number of applicants has doubled in the last year, as many young citizens are answering President Bush's call to serve their nation.

"Our country also needs citizens working to rebuild our communities. We need mentors to love our children … and we need more talented teachers in troubled schools," Bush said in 2002. The President's request to our citizens has been answered, and then doubled. Mississippians are urged to contact congressional leaders (particularly Sen. Thad Cochran) and plead for AmeriCorps to receive its promised piece of the budget pie.

Previous Comments

ID

63995

Comment

Update: Bush naming new Americorps Officers. The Washington Post reports: "The new executives inherit an AmeriCorps still reeling from financial and management problems that have left the program 20,000 volunteers short of the 50,000-volunteer maximum set by Congress. The Clinton-era program faces an uncertain future despite Bush's strong rhetorical support for it and his stated goal of expanding the program to 75,000 volunteers as part of his 'compassionate conservative' agenda." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45461-2003Jul11.html?nav=hptoc_p

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-12T16:36:27-06:00

ID

63996

Comment

AP--The Senate approved an additional $100 million for AmeriCorps in a 72-21 vote Friday.

Author

Becky

Date

2003-07-12T22:09:26-06:00

ID

63997

Comment

Check out this July 15 letter posted on the Teach for America Web site: "Held up as a Model for National Service, Teach For America is Abruptly Dropped from List of National AmeriCorps Programs." http://www.teachforamerica.org/americorps_update.html The world is getting more surreal by the day, eh? If you want to help save AmeriCorps, go to: http://www.saveamericorps.org/

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-17T23:15:40-06:00

ID

63998

Comment

It was good to see the Clarion-Ledger editorialize about AmeriCorps cuts today: http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0307/18/leditorial.html

Author

ladd

Date

2003-07-18T14:40:13-06:00

ID

63999

Comment

We reported July 10 that AmeriCorps programs were about to come under the ax. The Clarion-Ledger reported today that our prediction is coming true: http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0309/09/m01.html

Author

ladd

Date

2003-09-09T16:45:58-06:00