As if the experience gained by the thousands of volunteers--the broadening of mind, the lessons in political reality, the living exposure to non-first-world realities--did not in itself justify the 360 million bucks of the PC budget! The sense of global perspective the volunteers bring back is alone worth the spit-in-the-sink amount.

The president just asked for an extra $87 Billion freaking dollars to continue funding the death and destruction in Iraq and this obsessive/compulsive namby-pamby senator Coleman wants the Peace Corps to be held accountable for its results? Who the hell is holding the administration accountable for its billions spent on invasions, assassinations, overthrows of governments and political incarcerations? Its cutting of funding for education and public works programs?

Jim Collins PC Ecuador 1967/68

By John Smart on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 10:50 pm: Edit Post

I too am highly skeptical of Senator Coleman's attempt to somehow quantify the work of the Peace Corps.
I serve on a local school board, and this administration seems hell bent on testing for everything. Testing is not always the best course in teaching children, and it certainly is inappropriate in measuring the value of the Peace Corps experience, either for the host countries or for our own.
I've been home from Uzbekistan for five years, and I am still learning of things that I did there that have had longterm consequences. And the effect it's had on me and my activities is truly measureless.
Let Senator Coleman spend his time passing the budget increase that the president has supposedly requested. That should be enough of a job. This president is famous for talking a good game and then letting the ball drop on funding.
John Smart
Uzbekistan 1995-1998