bottom up change

Barack Obama and family at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, 11/27/08

So far, the debate about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan has taken a top-down approach to the recession, focusing on what President-elect Obama and the Congress are going to do.  There’s a Goldilocks dilemma that has developed. On the one side are liberal critics like Paul Krugman who think Obama’s plans are “too cold”.  Krugman presented another critique of Obama’s current stimulus package in the New York Times on Monday, arguing that he needs to scrap his tax cuts for businesses and spend more money on long term public investments. On the other side are conservative critics who think Obama’s economic stimulus is too “hot” on public spending.

When he takes office, President Obama is going to pass the stimulus package that he wants. With 59 Democrats in the Senate, the Republicans just don’t have the power to stop this train. The big question that nobody knows the answer to is: will it work? Since we don’t know the answer to that question, and maybe we can’t, perhaps we should also be asking ourselves a different question: what can Americans do ourselves to help make it work?

We all remember that after 9/11, many people were ready to do something to help the country, but we didn’t know exactly how we could help. Bush’s advice to go shopping wasn’t completely idiotic: spending helps stimulate the economy, and the economy was struggling badly after 9/11. But what George W. Bush did not do is call Americans to service–community service or military service.

President Obama should use the economic crisis as an opportunity to correct George W. Bush’s mistake by launching an ambitious call to national service very soon after he takes office. I’ve already written a little bit about what appears to be tiny signs that he’s moving in this direction with Renew America Together.  And during the campaign, he promised to expand the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and other service programs to encourage young people in particular to serve. He also developed proposals for an American Opportunity Tax Credit, which would be a refundable credit covering the first $4,000 of college if students commit to 100 hours of community service. I don’t believe that’s enough of a credit, but it’s a start.

One thing that people can do to get the ball rolling is sign up for a volunteer shift on Martin Luther King, Jr. day using the database of service projects at Renew America Together. The Transition team seems to be using this day as a prototype of things to come.

Now, I’m not a model of volunteerism and service by any means so I don’t want to sound preachy. Volunteering is tough. What I’m saying is that it will take presidential leadership to make volunteering a little easier and more attractive. But there are cool volunteer opportunities out there that can make a big difference.

One great volunteer opportunity that I highly recommend is volunteer tax preparation at VITA sites.  These are IRS-funded tax programs that have sprung up all around the country. The IRS and non-profit agencies train volunteers in basic tax prep so they can provide free tax services to people who earn a low income and get ripped off by H&R Block. This is a very good way to help people without a lot of money keep extra cash since Block can charge $200 or more for people making less than $20,000 a year. People without a lot of money will likely spend extra cash on necessities in their communities. Also, you work closely with many other volunteers, so it’s a great way to meet new people. The tax prep, while basic, is challenging enough to make the work interesting. It’s your way to help stimulate the economy, in addition to shopping.

For more information about a VITA program in your area, visit the National Community Tax Coalition. Many tax programs are missing there, unfortunately. You can probably find a free tax program near you by Googling VITA or EITC and a major city near you. If you’re not finding anything but would like to volunteer, shoot me an email.

I would like to see Colin Powell’s image restored. It was tough to see him become the character witness for George Bush’s dishonest march to war with Iraq. Powell’s Meet the Press appearance during the campaign did a lot to help me respect the guy again.  Then there’s his intriguing appearance today at the unveiling of the Renew America Together Initiative.  How awesome would it be for Obama to tap Powell as the public face of his new service agenda? I would like to see that, though I know not everyone would.

Other than that, I didn’t see the press conference so I still don’t have many details about this new initiative. Anyone else know what it’s all about?

A new website was just posted on the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) site which focuses on service: Renew America Together.  Check out the sight and consider signing up for a volunteer project in your community on January 19 as a way to celebrate MLK Jr. Day.

It is interesting that an entirely new website with a .org ending has been created to help people get organized around service.  Does this mean that a separate service organization will be created to work with the Obama administration?  We shall see.  One thing is for sure: Obama has the potential to take national service to an entirely new level during his administration and change the way young people especially view volunteerism.  I hope he takes service as seriously as President as he did as a candidate.