Peace Corps Axed.

[1sahorn]

7300 Peace Corps Volunteers fired; sent home in the teeth of grinding financial times with no jobs or readjustment allowances.

Certain political faction(s) have tried to s#!tcan Peace Corps since its inception. Steven Miller smiles.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

At a cost to the USA of about $56k per volunteer per year according to Brookings, I suspect we can do without the program. I think, however, those sent home should get some "readjustment allowance", perhaps 4 weeks pay or so.

 

[1sahorn]

At a cost to the USA of about $56k per volunteer per year according to Brookings, I suspect we can do without the program. I think, however, those sent home should get some "readjustment allowance", perhaps 4 weeks pay or so.

 

[1sahorn]

The average Peace Corps Volunteer's salary/stipend is approximately $320 per month (slightly more than double than when I served). If you count every nickel attributed to Peace Corps including travel, training, in country administrative staff, D.C. administrative staff, congressional secretaries' pro rata income plus his/her printer paper & ink cartirdges, etc. you might be able to stretch individual volunteer cost to $55,600. Certainly the individual Volunteer doesn't receive a minor fraction of that. If you consider that Peace Corps serves as training ground for a significant percentage of staff for State Dept Foriegn Service, USAID, US Dept of At (yes, At Dept), etc., the actual value of service provided increases significantly.

I know former PCV's who think it's a waste of money. I guess the value is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I believe it to be a worthwhile cost and one that returns incalulable benefits including international good will and the personal benefits to those who serve.

Your opinion is just as valid as mine. I would hope people don't establish their opinions based solely on a dollar amount assigned by Brookings.

 

[1sahorn]

At

I hate auto correct.

AS Dept of "Ag"

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

The Brookings article was thorough and balanced, though the author definitely wrote from the perspective that the program was not as valuable as you posit. I have no personal animus towards the Peace Corps, but I do believe we need to cut many, many government programs at the Federal level, starting with Medicare and Soc Sec to try to get closer to a balanced budget.

 

[1sahorn]

The Brookings article was thorough and balanced, though the author definitely wrote from the perspective that the program was not as valuable as you posit. I have no personal animus towards the Peace Corps, but I do believe we need to cut many, many government programs at the Federal level, starting with Medicare and Soc Sec to try to get closer to a balanced budget.

I guess our personal biases are revealed.

Though I disagree with the need or disirability, this plays into the current Administration's stated intent to deconstruct government.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Not necessarily deconstruct government. I don't see any anarchist tendency in this administration, and I don't have any either. Be careful to distinguish between the various levels of government, as I do wholeheartedly desire to see more power shifted away from the feds and back to the states.

 

[1sahorn]

Not necessarily deconstruct government. I don't see any anarchist tendency in this administration, and I don't have any either. Be careful to distinguish between the various levels of government, as I do wholeheartedly desire to see more power shifted away from the feds and back to the states.

Stephen Bannon, then White House Chief Strategist said Trump would keep his promise to "deconstruct government". His words, not mine. And though they may not officially be an anarchist, Steven Miller and Bannon certainly smell close.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

And I know Bannon was referring to government at the Federal level, even if he didn't specifically state such.