Rahm Emanuel wants you!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2008
Rahm Emanuel wants you!
202
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 3:43pm

From a 2006 interview on his mandatory civil service plan...


I think he had it at 18, but we were saying

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 8:59am
What on earth would Saddam have to do with another 9/11? Al-Qaeda was in Afghanistan and Pakistan, backed in part by Saudi money.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 9:47am

I liked the way it was done in Sopal's description of how her school district handles it (as there is no parental requirement to help get them motivated or scheduling issues as here, they must do these activities outside of school hours)...However, I have seen the benefits here. To be honest, I've found it a pain in the neck for me sometimes. The kids here are supposed to find their own community service opportunities (teaching them some of the skills they'll need when job hunting in the future). The schools do have bulletin boards with different Community Service opportunities but the kids have options as to what sort of work they'd like to do (but no option to NOT do the 40 hours required for graduation).

For example, if they are sports oriented (particularly if they are already in organized sports or other activities, they'll have plenty of opportunities through there) they can elect to be assistant coaches or help out in some other way in community sports...If they like to care for people, they can go to an old folks home and read to them or write letters, help them learn about computers....something along those lines. Those who like books or reading can help out in local libraries....I know of some children who have helped out with special needs children in the community. The environmentally minded can participate in neighbourhood cleanups (including after events like Canada Day celebrations or the many festivals going on in the city). Others work at food banks or in fundraising. Those in boy scouts, girl guides or cadets often manage to fulfill their community service requirements through the normal activities of those organizations.

My oldest son who graduated last year, did a stint playing music in a church performance raising funds for charities as well as helping teach young kids how to play the guitar (and this profoundly affected him as he is now pursuing a music degree and is working his way through university giving lessons....and says he loves teaching)....He also worked with the Salvation Army, getting first aid training and helping host activities for new refugee immigrants wanting to fit into Canadian society (giving him an opportunity to practice his French and also find out the difficulties some people have had to face in other, less fortunate countries)...He ended up going over the 40 required hours. My youngest son has yet to decide how he is going to fill those hours (he is in grade 10). Getting on his case to find some way to fill his hours is that part that I as a parent, find to be a pain (but no more of a pain than trying to get him to do his homework ;o)

What I have noticed among the population in their high schools is that the kids get to experience things not normally part of high school (where the focus is on merely obtaining the required credits to pass). Unlike community service activities, there is often no direct real world application/connection for a lot of the school subjects they are required to take. Many of them were inspired to go on and pursue certain higher education programs directly related to their Community Service activities. It allows them to see what they may be good at (and also to a certain degree, what they might not be suited for). It gives them contacts in the area for future employment opportunities as well. Some kids in high school don't have any idea what they might want to do as adults and some don't even fit in to the conventional high school curriculum very well (in terms if knowing what their interests are or finding some place where they can find their niche) but this has given many options they may never have considered otherwise. Also, there are some scholarship opportunities available that have, as part of the requirement, community involvement as well as marks. This is particularly true for those who continue on with these activities long after they have fulfilled their required 40 hours.

Anyway....What I was trying to say is that there are many advantages that can't be quantified to this (both for the community at large as well as for the students themselves).

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 10:13am

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Regarding the surge...There's no doubt that it has helped....But many folks in the US think that it only consisted of adding some more troops (and not that many more actually) and changing a few strategies. However, there were other more complicated things at play that never get talked about in the US media...and CERTAINLY amongst American politicians, particularly those trumpeting the surge's "success" (some of which do not involve the US at all) that occurred about the time the surge took place...Actually slightly before it was implemented (e.g. the Sunni outrage over atrocities committed by al Qaeda in tribal areas - causing changes in the level of violence - grievances that slightly predate the surge). Also....which is not considered as being part of this surge, is the fact that the US government (taxpayers) were paying Iraqis not to attack American troops. When this source of free money dries up (or if something were to happen that could again rekindle old - actually, some not so old - grievances between Sunni and Shiite)....Who's to say what will happen?

For the record, I'm happy that things are improving in Iraq and fervently hope that it continues to do so....All I'm saying is that it's not a done deal yet....and not all of the credit can be so simplistically claimed solely by the actions of the United States.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2008
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 11:14am

What on earth would Saddam have to do with another 9/11? Al-Qaeda was in Afghanistan and Pakistan, backed in part by Saudi money.


That's a good question. Maybe he would have been able to secure a nuke from his own program, or the Libyan program. We know he hated American and Israel. my opinion is that he would have tried to set one off in NYC or Israel or both, due to the large amount of Jews he could kill. The last thing he was going to do is sit there "contained" like a good little boy.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 11:27am

Ok, let's put it in simpler terms to you--how is cutting 1% of the budget going to affect you personally? How is elliminating pork barrel spending going to make it possible to cut taxes without raising the deficit?


It isn't. So long as we are fighting 2 wars, we cannot expect to see a real reduction in federal spending. Now which is better--to spend the money at home to improve our domestic economy, or sending that money overseas to fight a war? Which in the long run do you think will be better for us as a nation? Which do you think will make it possible to cut taxes?

The 3 Day

Sandy
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 11:32am

>OK...here's the scenario...a country with presumed WMDs presents a threat to the US and it's allies via direct attack, or by potentially arming terrorists...<


Except the powers that be KNEW Iraq didn't have WMDs. Remember, they lied to Congress.


>This rogue country has defied UN orders to disarm and disclose and refuses to allow mandated inspections.<


Ya know, Korea does have WMDs. Korea refuses to disarm and disclose and allow mandated inspections. Yet we didn't think about invading there now did we?


>What would YOU do to ensure the security of the US and it's allies?<


Not get

Sandy
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2007
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 11:34am
I agree with you about those factors leading to reduced violence.

Sopal

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2008
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 11:39am

Excellent points!


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2008
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 12:02pm

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 1:11pm

>Why would cutting taxes raise the deficit, assuming you don't cut below say 20%?<


Because we are ALREADY in deficit spending. We'd only not increase the deficit if we only cut taxes by as much as we decreased spending. However, just like in a household budget, is it really smart to decrease income at a time when we're already spending more than we bring in? And as Reagan showed, cutting taxes stimulates the economy only if you continue federal spending at current levels. You decrease federal domestic spending, you cause more problems.


>Which is better, ignoring threats to this country or confronting them and securing our people?<


Do you advocate then that we should invade Korea next?


>Spending the money at home isn't so great if NYC or Washington is blown to bits, is it?<


How many times do we have to repeat, there WERE NO WMDS IN IRAQ. None. Zero. Zip. It's already been proven the "evidence" was falsified and our leaders knew it. Saddam was no threat to anyone except his own people. We're wasting BILLIONS in Iraq, and our economy is tanking. War is BAD for the economy. So long as we're there, we're taking money OUT of the American economy that cannot be replaced.


Sandy

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