Comments about ‘Obama signs Kennedy Serve America Act’

That Orrin Hatch and Ted Kennedy can link arms once again around an enormous spending bill, and voters in Utah are so in awe of their senior Senator who is so compassionate as to honor his dear friend and colleague of many, many years by naming the bill after him? Let's see, in the spirit of compromise, ask yourselves who moved further Hatch or Kennedy? I'll give you a clue -- it's not the one from Massachusetts. And this is what we sent Hatch to Washington to do? Give me a break!

. . . is it really volunteering?

Can we all say "Chappaquiddick", "can we all say Mary Jo." I would wish Kennedy well but it would be a bold face lie.

As for Hatch, I have few greater Heroes. His song writing ability is amazing.

He is an example of how to get along but I just would not want to get along with Kennedy. John and Bobby Yes. Teddy, Not So Much!

There is Not Harm in serving your Country for two years. As long as the selection process is fair.

Missionaries prove all the time that you can leave College and serve and pick up where you left off. You should even come out better for it.

B. O. is going to receive a reality check soon. Most of those getting it for free do not WANT to Serve. The Right Wing Talk People call it Forced Service. I want to see it enacted and the law suits against it before I think that .

I would prefer a Draft (Men and Women) before AmariCorps, Job Core or anything else.

The WPA ended in part because of High Court Rulings and Unions. People taking what would be real job. A source for cheap labor Not.

What is the government of the United States of America? And that's what you call "Double Jeopardy," or the "Jeopardy Daily Double." Put legitimate charities on the ropes with no funding and fund the biggest charity on Earth with taxpayer dollars. Oh, and the best part -- the biggest spendthrift president in the history of this country thinks you've done something really great. Congratulations, Senator Hatch. We all join the president in patting you on the back. You've hit the "screw the taxpayer into the ground" jackpot by disguising a massive spending bill as charitable service. Thanks Senator Hatch for making it all possible. We can't wait to send you back there again for another six-year term in 2012, so you can continue to honor your colleague, Teddy Kennedy, posthumously long after he's dead and buried. After all, you'll be 78 years old when we elect you again, and then you'll be 84 years old when your next term expires. Keep up the good work. Maybe Kennedy's heirs will recognize you someday too in exchange for your wonderful work in rehabilitating their scandal-ridden family member so regularly throughout your life.

This is not service. People are being paid. It is goverment paid employment to help communities. It would have been nice to have a true service program with out spending billions of dollars. Shame on Hatch he knows the difference and played dumb. My daughters came in upset after raking the neighbors leaves. He caught us and gave us some money now it is not service but a job. If elementary age girls can understand this concept surely two of our US Senators can. Nice thought behind it but a big mistake in how it will be administered.

Come back and say that after you've been working for 10 months straight without getting paid and having to pay all your own expenses. Even what they get paid is minimal at best. Hardly a living wage.

Ted Kennedy never stopped asking what he could do for his country? Are you kidding me?
This aristocrat has TAKEN and never given.
Term limits, no more dynasties.

Can we please all agree not to vote for Hatch again? I am a Utah reformed Republican (libertarian) and I will vote for anyone but Hatch next time, even if it is a Democrat. I am tired of RINOS and tired of Hatch and Bennett.

We have term limits. They're called elections. If the constituents agree with him, then he gets to stay. If they're complacent and/or apathetic, he stays. If he pisses off his constituents, he's voted out.

Why is it necessary to write a law to do what voters either choose not to do or refuse to do? If you aren't willing to vote intelligently, then don't ask for a law to make the decision for you.

I happen to like Sen. Kennedy and the service he has rendered for his country.

For a state filled with conservatives who are against big government, want the President to fail, and continue to compare everything the President does to a Socialist/Marxist agenda with obviously no or limited understanding of what those terms mean, a law mandating term limits, taking that power and basic building block of a republic democracy away from the people, you're looking a lot more Fascist/Marxist/Socialist, than anything Obama has done.

Ted Kennedy and service do not go together in the same sentence! What a phoney Obama is for signing it and what a phoney Kennedy is for accepting it! Worthless piece of trash exchanged by two scam artists congratulating each other on their "greatness". Can you imagine Mother Terresa accepting such a thing? Pride and arrogance!

If you get Paid: Yes it is, still Volunteering. I Volunteered for 8 year in the Army and I got paid, No one forced me. I do Foster Care, We volunteered for the training, and we get Paid. We still open our home. It takes our time, kids get sick, see shrinks, have School Issues, Curt Hearing etc. Plus you have to be around for comfort and Turma. My Foster Kids played Basketball transportation and going to some games.

I Volunteer to raise my Grandson, thats for free, but I get blessing etc. Also most of the same as above.

Some people I know Volunteered to go to Vietnam. Some for the Combat Pay ($75 dollars a month more).

Some Males Volunteer to Impregnate a Service Mans wife while he is defending America. Some Servicemen come back and Volunteer to raise their kid regardless. Some Volunteering is Good Some Not So Much.

Unless you are rich enough to work for free, or someone supports you. Then you have to get paid. At least Min Wage or they are in violation of Labor Laws.

I am on No side of this. Just see it play out for Woops and Giggles.

I'll admit I didn't read the article, just the headline. When I saw the title, "kennedy service act", I had to ask myself, "What was he being served, a double scotch on the rocks or a subpoena?" He has never given any type of service unless it has been self-service

re: Obama signs national service legislation
I have written to many folks, including most of those mentioned in todays volunteer legislation articles, concerning a basic community based solution to both harness the renewed volunteerism and our home-foreclosure problem. Most nonprofits cannot hold assets however, a 509(a)1 can, and if it is also mission driven around housing, which means it can hold both the house asset and the mortgage paper, against houses.
This makes it a quasi-bank; it can hold the house going into foreclosure, modify the loan around the current owners ability to make monthly payments. The reduced dollar amount on the first mortgage would be held as a soft second mortgage, to be repaid through volunteerism (e.g. for every hour worked/volunteered, would reduce the second mortgage by $20).
There is only one organization that I am familiar with that fits this bill, the Affordable Housing Center (AHC), 509(a)1; it has the potential to be the hub for HUD foreclosures and the vehicle for (a broader) volunteer coordination.
Duplicate postings of my response will be made to other articles, in hopes to begin a larger discussion.

If you didn't like the stipend then why did you do it?

What sort of service will participants be required to do? Will it take the place of jobs that people can do to actually make a living?

What was wrong with Americorp that they couldn't just improve or spend more on that? Why another program? Is it just to stroke each other and put something else down as list of tasks accomplished?

I never knew there was so much opposition to volunteering..I think it's a great way to get people, young and old, out there in their communities! There are many ways to volunteer, and Lynn Smith on March 29th wrote about how she dedicated 20 yrs to her country and she basically doesn't want this "volunteering" for her son--your son doesn't have to join the military..(that is an option, but not the only one) and it's not what this Act is saying, so it's OK.

On the issue of the added incentives, I know that the Act seems to have some of these "if you do this, we'll give you that", but bottomline people--it's good for you, your children and your neighbors to volunteer and build that part of your life, because it really can challenge you to recognize this notion that there are other people in the world that matter too, and you can do something to impact their lives. Essentially, the benefits outweigh any potential flaws. How is there anything wrong with that? I just ask that you consider it.

Congrats on some movement towards charity and love.

Selfish pride has reined too long! Now its time to give back to the community in service.

How about a bill that requires senators and the president to work at a food/homeless shelter once a week and show it on tv so we know it happened?

If you get forced to volunteer, is it really volunteering and is it really true charity and love?

Hatch has lost his perspective and is no longer a "Utahn" but another spend spend spend Washington politician who is more interested in Orin Hatch than representing his constituents. When are these guys going to stop irresponsibly spending our hard earned dollars! 5.7 billion dollars - GIVE ME A BREAK - It's time to put some people in Washington who haven't lost touch with the reality and understand that you cannot continue to spend money you don't have. The working man would be in jail if he spent as irresponsibly as congress recently has - both democrats and republicans. When are we going to say ENOUGH!

And which Article give the federal government the power and authority to take from our pockets and do this? Nice of them to volunteer my earnings yet again...

Stage 1 of the New Obama Civilian National security force complete.