House Budget Cuts Would Have Big Impacts in RI
Monday, February 14, 2011
The $74 billion in budget cuts House Republicans proposed includes the elimination of AmeriCorps, an idea that could potentially devastate dozens of Rhode Island community organizations and cost the state more than 500 jobs.
AmeriCorps is a federally funded national service program that serves as the umbrella organization for thousands of nonprofits, public agencies and faith-based and community groups in every state. Its members are recruited to serve as full-time volunteers at near-minimum wage for a period of one year, addressing issues relating to poverty, education, the environment, public safety and disaster relief and preparedness. Upon completion, graduates receive an education award of $5,350 that can be used to further their education or pay back existing student loans.
Some of the more well-known local programs that would be impacted by cuts to AmeriCorps include City Year, YouthBuild, Ready to Learn Providence and the Ocean State Environmental Education Collaborative, which is affiliated with Save the Bay.
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Just two years ago, when President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, national service had bipartisan support and AmeriCorps launched a plan to dramatically increase its volunteer base. But Bernie Beaudreau, the Executive Director of Serve Rhode Island, which oversees many of the state’s AmeriCorps programs, said anything is possible in the current climate.
“It’s a terrible idea, but I think this could pass the House,” Beaudreau said. “Hopefully the Senate will figure it out. I don’t think we can take anything for granted in this environment. We have to go into overdrive.”
Beaudreau said AmeriCorps programs have been indispensable to Rhode Island for the past 16 years.
“Since 1995, Rhode Island has had 3,511 AmeriCorps members totaling over 4 million hours of service,” he said. “That’s over $60 million in service impact for the state. Corps members also have a tremendous impact on school children, especially in the after school hours.”
In a statement to GoLocalProv, Congressman David Cicilline criticized the Republicans’ proposed cuts.
“The Republican leadership has set the wrong priorities and is pushing an irresponsible and dangerous spending bill. It threatens jobs, undercuts American innovation, and jeopardizes investments in rebuilding America. We have to be serious and smart about how we address America’s budget challenges. I am committed to cutting spending and reducing our deficit but not at the expense of losing jobs, educating our kids, and keeping our communities safe.”
Putting Students At Risk
City Year Executive Director Jennie Johnson said cutting AmeriCorps would have a negative impact on the middle school students her program serves.
“Over the last 18 years, City Year Rhode Island has infused our schools and community with more than 1,000 AmeriCorps members - committed young people who want to serve their country and provide educational support to the children of Providence,” Johnson said.
City Year is a nationally acclaimed program with branches set up all over the country, including Providence. The organization attempts to address the national dropout crisis by having its AmeriCorps members serve as tutors, mentors and role models to struggling students.
“If Congress eliminates AmeriCorps, more than 1,100 high-risk middle school students in this city will no longer receive the targeted interventions in literacy, math, attendance and classroom behavior that our corps member provide in partnership with schools and community partners,” Johnson said. “And another 1,300 will not benefit from our school-wide programs, such as attendance incentives, service projects, and family engagement activities.”
Deeply Flawed
FreedomWorks, a right wing nonprofit group chaired by former Senate Majority Leader Dick Armey, is one of the leading critics of the AmeriCorps program. In a report released last month, the group included AmeriCorps in a 20-point list of cuts that would save the country $3.5 trillion over the next decade.
“Since its creation in 1993, AmeriCorps has remained a deeply flawed program rife with significant mismanagement and cost overruns. While AmeriCorps is often touted as a volunteer program, this is misleading. All individuals are paid with taxpayer dollars to “volunteer” for government-approved service programs,” the report said.
But not all cuts are good cuts according to Johnson, who said AmeriCorps creates jobs. She also made it clear that the majority of her program’s funding comes from outside donors, not the government.
“For every federal dollar we receive through AmeriCorps, we match it 2 to 1 in private-sector contributions. National service programs provide jobs when unemployment is at its worst, as well as desperately-needed social services to our neighbors,” Johnson said. “Particularly in this economy, it would be devastating to see Rhode Island lose jobs, dedicated servant leaders and, of course, the financial investment that national service programs provide to our community.”
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