2009.07.22: July 22, 2009: Headlines: Congress: Speaking Out: Budget: Expansion: Appropriations: Daily Herald: TRPCV John Paskevicz writes: Thanks to congressman Mark Kirk for Peace Corps support
Peace Corps Online:
Peace Corps News:
Library:
Peace Corps: Congress:
Peace Corps: Congress: Newest Stories:
2009.07.22: July 22, 2009: Headlines: Congress: Speaking Out: Budget: Expansion: Appropriations: Daily Herald: TRPCV John Paskevicz writes: Thanks to congressman Mark Kirk for Peace Corps support
TRPCV John Paskevicz writes: Thanks to congressman Mark Kirk for Peace Corps support
Presidents Clinton and Bush and now President Obama pledged in past presidential campaigns to increase the size of the Peace Corps. These promises went unfulfilled and it seems that President Obama was on the same path. For the past 15 years requests to join the Peace Corps could not be supported because past administrations failed to live up to their pledges. Congress, this time, won't let it happen again. It added an additional 90 million dollars so that the Obama promise can be met. The total 2010 budget for the Peace Corps is now expected to be about 450 million dollars, or to put it in perspective, about the cost of 2 F-22 fighter aircraft. This amount of money for such a key part of the US foreign policy represents a fraction of a percent of the total Federal budget.
TRPCV John Paskevicz writes: Thanks to congressman Mark Kirk for Peace Corps support
Thanks to Kirk for Peace Corps support
Letter to the Editor
Published: 7/22/2009 12:01 AM
Normally, when I write to my congressman I usually rant about concerns that I feel adversely affect the country. And usually it's between him and me. This time however, I feel it important to congratulate congress and especially Congressman Mark Kirk for holding fast to support the increase in the size of the FY2010 Peace Corps budget.
Presidents Clinton and Bush and now President Obama pledged in past presidential campaigns to increase the size of the Peace Corps. These promises went unfulfilled and it seems that President Obama was on the same path. For the past 15 years requests to join the Peace Corps could not be supported because past administrations failed to live up to their pledges. Congress, this time, won't let it happen again. It added an additional 90 million dollars so that the Obama promise can be met. The total 2010 budget for the Peace Corps is now expected to be about 450 million dollars, or to put it in perspective, about the cost of 2 F-22 fighter aircraft. This amount of money for such a key part of the US foreign policy represents a fraction of a percent of the total Federal budget.
At the end of this month, I will be hosting a reunion of my PC group. As I think back on what we were paid for our service, Peace Corps has to be one of the most cost effective programs the U.S. government operates. Indeed, it gives many of us who served great pride knowing that some of the projects we worked on are, after 40 years, still part of the fabric of the country we served. General James M. Gavin, when he heard of Kennedy's Peace Corps idea, stated that "... young Americans should be given the chance to do something more ennobling than watching over other countries in a military uniform..." The Peace Corps with Congressman Kirk's support will provide this opportunity.
John Paskevicz
Arlington Heights
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: July, 2009; Congress; Speaking Out; Budget; Expansion; Appropriations; Illinois
When this story was posted in August 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Daily Herald
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Congress; Speaking Out; Budget; Expansion; Appropriations
PCOL44304
85