re: You Want Service Initiatives? We've Got Service Initiatives.

not.Brit — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:48:22 GMT

McCain's plan uses a lot of words that say very little. While it looks like a series of fine ideas, there are no specific goals or benchmarks. In fact, "engage," "develop," "strengthen," "allow," and "boost" are all deliberately vague terms. It refers to a "national service initiative" without giving any details on what it is or how it would work.

Obama uses similarly vague terms ("enable," "encourage," etc.), but I like his specific goals. Doubling the Peace Corps. Fifty hours of required community service for middle and high schoolers (from PDF), $4000 toward college for 100 hours of service (also PDF). These are measurable and, I think, remarkably thoughtful targets.

re: You Want Service Initiatives? We've Got Service Initiatives.

not.Brit — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:15:05 GMT

This is a great article and it's too lonely in the comments section (plus I'm bored on a Friday), so I think I'll argue the other side just for kicks:

McCain's plan to encourage, rather than directly organize, community service efforts is brilliant. Community organizations should be organized by the community (hence the name). The federal government and the President in particular have a unique ability to push a positive agenda without needing to regulate everything. Some communities will be best served by their local church, others by the Red Cross. Let the states, cities, and towns decide. It is their community, after all.

Obama once again proves that he subscribes to the old-school Democratic (capital "D") principle of "big government." Rather than giving community organizers the freedom to work within their own environment, he would plan their progress from D.C. It's a little ridiculous.

As an aside, that Obama wants to run the entire thing through the public schools just goes to show that he has absolutely no desire to streamline or clean up our abhorrent education system. In fact, he wants to make it MORE bloated. Seriously, who's voting for this guy?