Volunteerism’s Grinch

Don’t expect Rep. Dick Armey to get all warm and fuzzy about what President Bush described as “the gathering momentum of millions of acts of service and decency and kindness.” In last month’s State of the Union address, Bush proposed to dramatically expand the budget for AmeriCorps--which he would place under the new umbrella group USA Freedom Corps and use, in part, for homeland security purposes. He also suggested that all Americans contribute at least 4,000 hours over their lifetimes.

But Armey will have none of that. Asked by reporters how he would fulfill that obligation, the House majority leader, a Texas Republican who will retire at the end of this session of Congress, joked that he intends to play a lot of poker instead.

“I think the conceptual framework of AmeriCorps is obnoxious,” Armey scoffed last week when asked about Bush’s proposal. He and other congressional Republicans have tried for years to kill AmeriCorps, which has engaged some 50,000 Americans, mostly young people, to teach, build housing, clean up rivers and streams and help victims of natural disasters. Now, with the Republican president embracing the national service program created by President Clinton, it’s clear that more than just party politics is involved.

What is it about AmeriCorps--and its cousin, the Senior Corps--that sticks in the craw? Armey and some other Republicans object to what they see as government-supervised charity. In the case of AmeriCorps particularly, they see red over taxpayer stipends to so-called “volunteers” who work wherever a government bureaucrat sends them--to poor communities, usually. AmeriCorps members typically earn $9,300 for a 10-month stint, plus a $4,700 scholarship if they complete the term.

How many Americans could afford to commit that much time without any compensation?

Fortunately, most Americans, whose hearts are bigger than Dick Armey’s, think this money is well spent. The president wants to fund an additional 25,000 AmeriCorps members and to expand the Senior Corps by 100,000 volunteers, up from the current 500,000. Senior Corps volunteers serve as foster grandparents or companions for frail adults, or they put their old job skills to work. AmeriCorps and the Senior Corps, as well as the Peace Corps, appeal to Americans across the political spectrum and have made a real difference to individuals and communities nationwide.

These national service agencies are not the only way Americans can help improve their schools and neighborhoods. Religious institutions, youth groups and thousands of private service organizations all welcome any volunteer, even one with only a few hours to spare. But that’s no excuse for Congress not to approve Bush’s proposals to expand worthy programs.