Congressman Walter Jones:

 

Reading parts of your recent Mother Jones story has prompted this writing.  Thank you for writing letters to the families of each lost soldier.  It is easy to understand why you can only do 4-5 at a time.

I have left voice mail messages with Josh Bowlen regarding People’s Lobby’s (PLI) citizen-initiated World Service Corps proposed congressional legislation.  Hopefully you will have a chance to consider the legislation and then cosponsor, or at least, support it.  PLI is working diligently to enact this bipartisan legislation.  It is, however, having problems presenting to Republican groups, who say only registered Republicans can speak to them.  Consequently, finding Congressional supporters and potential cosponsors has become more difficult on the GOP side.  Would you seriously study the proposals and inform us whether you might be a supporter or cosponsor? 

What is the World Service Corps?

If the citizen-initiated congressional World Service Corps (WSC) proposals were passed into law in the upcoming year, then seven years from now one million additional Americans would voluntarily serve their nation at home or abroad in their choice of the: Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, etc.

Upon completion of service, volunteers would receive:

·         Two years of community college plus two years of state college tuition (apx. $15,000 in 2004 dollars), or

·         An equivalent amount paid into a Medical Savings or IRA account, or

·         That amount donated to relatives (or community scholarship foundations) for educational costs or to pay down college or governmental loans.

When passed, the WSC legislation would be among the most significant legislation – and most inspiring programs -- passed in decades.  It will:

¨      Build a peaceful, productive army, slightly smaller than our military army, that the 21st century needs to nation build and erase ignorant stereotypes that lead to costly war and terrorism.‘

¨      Reduce the burden placed on our overburden, brave soldiers, as well as the hatred fired at them.

¨      Call on wealthy individuals and corporations to share in the cost (See Financing section of WSC proposal) of building an army of nation building Americans and rebuilding our world image.

What the WSC would do

Implementing the WSC into law strengthens America at home and abroad by:

·         Winning international hearts and minds and, in doing so, reducing how often our soldiers must go into harm’s way.

·         Improving living conditions at home and abroad.

·         Giving those who serve a solid, real life education in the classroom of the world on how the world works.

·         Raising America’s understanding of international communities and their understanding of us, thereby providing better means of dealing with the world.

·         Meshing opportunity and responsibility between the WSC volunteers and those with whom they work and serve.

·         Building an army of can-do Americans to handle hurricanes, earthquakes, and other disasters.

·         Strengthening national pride, cohesion and character, and it does this without,

·         Creating a vast new bureaucracy but instead by strengthening existing governmental and non-governmental agencies with serving Americans.

 

Details and the full bills are at the web site:  www.WorldServiceCorps.us.

The key WSC proposed bill is at http://www.worldservicecorps.us/world%20service%20resolution%20bill%202yr%20volun.htm.

Some publications on the WSC are at

http://www.worldservicecorps.us/coverage.htm.

Comcast Local Edition televised 5-minute interviews at

http://www.worldservicecorps.us/television_radio.htm.

Sponsor of the WSC legislation is People’s Lobby (501c4) and People’s Lobby Educational Foundation (501c3 pending) at

www.PeoplesLobby.us.

 

   In 1989, I campaigned to obtain a Buck Trust Grant (Marin County, California) to establish an American Soviet Peace Corps.  Inspired largely by my Peace Corps service, the campaign and writings prompted then Congresswoman Boxer to introduce my proposal as House Resolution 1807 in the 101st Congress.  http://www.worldservicecorps.us/hr1807congress%2031289.htm  When the Soviet Union fell apart, HR1807 fell to the wayside. 

   Back then, observable nuclear weapons laid in silos controlled by relatively thoughtful governmental leaders, operating out of marbled and relatively civilized capital corridors, endangered the world.  Today, a dangerously growing number of undetectable leather soled delivery systems, ignitable by uneducated souls lead by crazed zealots operating from dank caves, drive today’s critical need for a World Service Corps. 

   With 40 bipartisan cosponsors, the WSC proposals have a decent shot at passing in this Congress.  After considering the WSC proposals, I will again call Josh and you and hope you will conclude that the WSC proposals could benefit America’s future and help build Republican support for it.

   Thanks for your time.  I hope you are able to read this during one of your Saturday letter writing breaks.  My phone and email are below.