>I think it would be better to give incentives to do it than to make it >mandatory. I think national service of some kind is a good idea, but >some kids may be ready at 15 and others at 19. It has to be useful >service, otherwise it is merely bad custodial care for teenagers. > >I also like the idea of making it not just something that teenagers >do. Plenty of brainpower is currently wasting away in the minds of >senior citizens who eke out a pension working at McDonald's. If you >could provide a small stipend to remove the financial disincentive, a >lot of them would probably love to help. Grandmas running daycares and >maybe grandpa helping out a mentoring program for at-risk youth. > >America wastes a lot of its human resources right now.
How about something like this, have vouchers for 6 months at the person's college or university of their choice (within limits of course) for every year of voluntary public service after highschool. This could be the military, the equivalent of the CCC of the New Deal, working in poor rural or urban areas doing community work etc. The students would be given housing and paid a stipend. As for the seniors, something like free health care for x number of hours per week worked in community projects, daycare etc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:279494 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
