Editorial
The Dallas Morning News
AmeriCorps future:
Congress should restore full funding
07/17/97
The House has ignored its Appropriations Committee's advice to continue
funding AmeriCorps at its current level. Tuesday, the House voted to cut
AmeriCorps' funding by $200 million for the fiscal year 1998. The House
did the wrong thing.
A Senate subcommittee not only recommended that the Senate continue
funding AmeriCorps, it also suggested increasing funding by $1 million.
It did the right thing.
When the House and the Senate meet to prepare the bill for the president,
the two chambers should restore full funding to AmeriCorps.
AmeriCorps grew out of the National Community Service Act of 1993, which
was strongly backed by President Clinton. This domestic service program
was designed to provide students with funding for college in return for
their community service. Participants receive living allowances of $7,600
a year and an education award of $4,725 to help pay for higher education
or vocational training for their 1,700 hours of service.
AmeriCorps' contribution to our community is invaluable. In Dallas,
AmeriCorps members can be seen renovating low-income housing, helping
children learn to read and assisting the disabled. The 25,000 AmeriCorps
members across the country assisted more than 11.5 million people and
recruited, trained or supervised more than 300,000 volunteers. It's a
good program.
Critics are primarily Republicans out to cut unnecessary programs as they
strive to balance the budget. They say AmeriCorps costs taxpayers too
much.
That isn't the case, though. Researchers have found the cost/benefit
ratios to show taxpayers are getting significant returns on their initial
investment. Among other independent studies, University of Minnesota
researchers reported a $3.90 benefit to taxpayers for every federal
dollar spent on AmeriCorps in Minnesota.
Plus, Americans support AmeriCorps. A Washington Post-ABC News poll found
85 percent of Americans support use of taxpayer dollars to help fund
AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps proved its worthiness when its local nonprofit
agencies raised $91 million in nonfederal funds in their first year, far
exceeding Congress' minimum requirement of $32 million.
AmeriCorps has enhanced the lives of millions of Americans in its short
tenure. Now it's time for Congress to do the right thing by continuing to
fund the program.
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