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USDA [Department of Agriculture]/AmeriCorps - Clinton Library Copies - Internal Management Memos - 1993 [1]
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348833803
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USDA [Department of Agriculture]/AmeriCorps - Clinton Library Copies - Internal Management Memos - 1993 [1]
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AmeriCorps Files
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FOIA Number: 2013-0661-F
(3)
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Americorps
Series/Staff Member:
General Files
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
24221
FolderID:
Folder Title:
USDA [Department of AgricultureJ/AmeriCorps - Clinton Library Copies - Internal Management
Memos - 1993 [1]
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Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
S
66
1
6
1
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
December
Divider Title:
memo
son ROUL
TO:
SUSAN STROUD
from
FROM:
JOEL BERG
SUBJECT: NOMINEES FOR APPLICATION REVIEW TEAMS
the Rade
Below are the names of people I would like you to consider as members of your
application review teams., They each bring a unique perspective to National Service and they of yc.
have been heavily involved in our USDA program or related efforts.
Honey
Kathryn Gibney
(202) 720-4369
Jim Borland
(202) 690-0469
I
Paula Jones
(202) 720-1853
a
Ron De Munbrun
(202) 542-3339
(a beeper #", dial it and punch the number you want Ron to
call)
Any written communication can be sent these individuals at the following address:
(name of individual)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
AGBOX 1300
Washington, D.C. 20251-1300
Ordervices\corp1
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF AFRICULTORS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
December 30, 1993
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY
From:
Joel Berg, Deputy Director of Public Affairs
Subject:
1890 Institutions and National Service
Of B
In October, I sent a letter to the presidents of 1890 institutions asking them to help
USDA plan national service programs. In November, at the request of Mike Alexander, I
spoke about the issue at the USDA/1890 Task Force meeting in Baton Rouge.
As you will read in the attached four letters, the 1890 institutions have responded with
a great deal of interest, particularly in the proposed rural development team.
Many of our other constituency groups, including environmental, anti-hunger, and rural
development groups, have also expressed a great desire to work with us on national service.
The attached letter from the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank is one example of the impassioned
requests I have received to include groups in our plans.
When we meet in the near future to discuss our long-range national service plans, I can
brief you on how 1890 institutions and key constituency groups can participate in our programs.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
CAROLINA STATE SOUTH UNIVERSITY
South Carolina State University
300 College Street Northeast
ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA 29117
1896
ORANGEBURG
(803) 536-7013 / 7014
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
FAX: (803) 533-3622
November 30, 1993
Mr. Joel Berg
Director of Education
Office of the Secretary
Department of Agriculture
Washington, DC 20250
Dear Mr. Berg:
I am in receipt of your October 14 letter outlining the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's plans which will be incorporated into President Clinton's National Service
initiative. This is truly an exciting effort which we in higher education believe will be
very beneficial for the Nation.
South Carolina State University is anxious and ready to become fully involved in
the efforts you describe. We believe we have much to offer and we are prepared to
assist in this effort in any way possible.
I look forward to our future discussions on this matter.
Yours truly,
Barbara R. Hatton
President
BRH/pm
tsum
Office of Sponsored Research
Tennessee State University
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37209-1561
November 4, 1993
Mr. Joel Berg
Director of Public Relations
Department of Agriculture
Office of the Secretary
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Mr. Berg:
President Hefner recently forwarded your letter of
October 14 to our office for handling and response.
I have been following the progress of President Clinton's
National Service initiatives and welcome the opportunity
to assist our institution in becoming involved either
through the grant application process; and or by working
with you and your office during the planning stage.
The corps you described are needed in Nashville and would
provide an excellent opportunity for Tennessee State
University students to become involved with issues and
and concerns important to us all.
I can be contacted at (615) 320-3610.
Sincerely
Jovita Wells
Grants Analyst/Writer
joel
11/8
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER M/F
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 23806
SINCE 1882
November 4, 1993
Mr. Joel Berg
Director of Public Liaison
Department of Agriculture
Office of the Secretary
Washington, D. C. 20250
Dear Mr. Berg:
Your letter of October 20, 1993, has been forwarded to me by Dr.
Eddie N. Moore, Jr., President of Virginia State University. He
has asked that I serve as the University's contact person in
assisting in the planning and developing of proposals for the
National Service Program. My mailing address is Box 9081, Virginia
State University, Petersburg, VA 23806. Please feel free to
continue to send copies of all correspondences to President Moore.
We are interested in receiving additional information regarding the
National Service Program. The University would like to work
jointly with USDA in developing a proposal which would benefit the
people of the Commonwealth.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
John Lan Lorenza W. Lyons, Dean
School of Agriculture, Science
and Technology
LWL:ja
cc: Dr. Eddie N. Moore, Jr.
"VSU: Education, Research and Community Service in Central and Southside Virginia..."
An Equal Opportunity Employer/Equal Access Institution
STATE
KALCOR
INNERSITY
COMMANY
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
LORMAN, MISSISSIPPI 39096
November 29, 1993
OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
AND PLANNING
Mr. Joel Berg
Public Affairs
United States Department of Agriculture
14th Independent, S.W.
2nd Floor, 213-A
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Mr. Berg:
It was such a treat meeting you at the USDA/1890 Task Force Meeting at Southern
University, Baton Rouge on Thursday, November 18, 1993. We were all impressed with your
sense of commitment and enthusiasm for AMERICORPS/USDA.
The Secretary of Agriculture made an excellent choice in selecting you as Director
of Public Affairs and an advocate for AMERICORPS/USDA.
The mission and thrusts of AMERICORPS are consistent with those of Alcorn State
University. Consequently, we would like to be included in the pilot project with the
Mississippi Delta. I personally would like to be involved in AMERICORPS/USDA. I have
read the Draft Action Plan, October 25, 1993 and found it quite exciting.
The challenges with which we are confronted in rural America require enthusiastic
and articulate advocates such as you if these challenges are to be met successfully. I believe
in your mission, I want to be involved, please count me in. With best wishes for tremendous
success in your endeavors.
Respectfully yours,
Franklin
Vice President for Institutional
Advancement, Planning, and
Research
POST OFFICE BOX 210
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
LORMAN, MISSISSIPPI 39096
TELEPHONE (601) 877-6118
LOS ANGELES
REGIONAL
FOODBANK
A Second Harvest Food Bank
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Honorable
Yvonne Brathwaite Bur
President
Timothy Lappen
December 22, 1993
William A. Carter
Lappen Realty & Investment Corp.
& of Counsel, Jeffer,
Terri B. Childs
Mangels, Butler & Marmaro
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C
Vice President
Don Clinton
Bonnie J. Lewis
Lucky Stores, Inc.
Mr. Joel Berg
Mike & Mary Lou Conn
Office of Public Liaison
Timm Crull
Corporate Secretary
Brian A. Sun
United States Department of Agriculture
The Honorable
O'Neill, Lysaght & Sun
Administration Building 112-A
Francis L. and Kay Dale
Treasurer
Joseph H. Coulombe
14th and Independence Avenues, S.W.
Judi Davidson
Washington, DC 20250
Marvin Davis
Immediate Past President
James F. & Linda Dickas
L. Sherman Telleen
Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc.
Dear Joel:
Wally Fassier
(Retired)
José and Susan Feliciano
Scott J. Adelson
Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin
I don't want to nag you, but I am keenly
Susan Feniger
interested in getting more information about
Robert and Carol Finch
James E. Carter
LA. County Dept. of Parks
& Recreation (Retired)
National Service Corps.
Thomas N. Fuelling
Ambassador John Gavin
Lawrence M. Goodman, Jr.
Don Lee Farms
As you may already know, Martha Diepenbrock of
Yale Gieszl
L.A. Conservation Corps and I are eager to work
Rosey Grier
Robert Held
Held Properties
together on the spread of the excellent urban
Adrienne Hall
R. Scott Jenkins
garden you saw when you visited the Foodbank. I
Mel Harris
Hahn & Hahn
can use National Service Corps people in a number
John M. Heidt
Mark Laret
of other capacities, too.
Tom Lasorda
UCLA Medical Center
Jack Lemmon
Gail Margolis
Where do we sign on?
John and Mary Lithgow
Daniel Freeman Hospitals
Chad Lowe
Herbert Oberman
Los Angeles County Dept. of
Sincerely,
Robert F. Maguire III
ommunity & Senior Citizens Services
Marlee Matlin
Nancy Orkand
Vitex Foods, Inc.
this
Mr. and Mrs. Malcom
McDuffie
Ann Otto
Ed McMahon
Kitchen Decisions
DORIS BLOCH
Jeffrey Miller
Neil Puro
Executive Director
Pacific Coast
Mary Sue Milliken
Feather Cushion Company
Donna Mills
Abel Ramirez
DB/mp
David H. Murdock
The Athenaeum
Edward James Olmos
Edgar Taylor
CC: Martha Diepenbrock, LACC
A. Jerrold Perenchio
Nestlé USA, Inc.
Brock Peters
Irvin Toole, Jr.
Harland Polk
Santa Fe Pacific
Pipelines, Inc.
Dr. George Regas
Henry Salvatori
Rick Tuttle
City Controller
Jay and Linda Sandrich
City of Los Angeles
Stanley K. Sheinbaum
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sidney Sheldon
Doris B. Bloch
Aaron Spelling
Robert Stack
FRIENDS OF THE FOODBANK
Rod Steiger
Steve Allen &
Sally Struthers
Jayne Meadows
Carl Terzian
Edward Asner
Abigail Van Buren
Sheldon I. Ausman
Charles R. Vennel
Eaton Ballard
Phillip L. Williams
William Windom
Tom Bradley
Robert E. and Anne Wyco
Mel Brooks
1734 E. 41st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90058
(213) 234-3030
FAX 234-0943
Adrian Zmed
United States
INFORMATION
Office of
Office of
Washington, D.C.
Department of
Public Affairs
Public Liaison
20250
Agriculture
MEMORANDUM
capy
TO: ASSISTANT SECRETARY JIM LYONS
FROM: JOEL BERG
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC LIAISON
DATE: DECEMBER 22, 1993
I would like to meet with you, at your convenience, to discuss how
to implement USDA plans to incorporate into the President's
national service initiative. The last time that we talked, you
indicated that I should work with the Forest Foundation. Since our
conversation, it has become apparent that the White House envisions
-- and the legislation mandates -- a much larger role for USDA.
Specifically, I would like to discuss:
- how we run the congressionally mandated Public Lands Corps
- how we use the money generated from the Eagle Passport that the
legislation mandates must be earmarked for youth service
- the future of the YCC
- specific roles for the Forest Service and Soil Conservation
Service (I am meeting with Jack Ward Thomas and Paul Johnson within
the next week.)
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
DRAFT
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY/DEPUTY SECRETARY
FROM:
Joel Berg
Director of National Service, Office of Communications
SUBJECT:
FY 96 TEAM USDA National Service Issues
ISSUE:
Per our conversation, at your request I have prepared a status of our TEAM USDA National
Service program. I have also prepared a list of the issues that must be addressed in order to
ensure that we have the structure, personnel and funding in place to ensure that we can
successfully manage the largest national service program in the Federal Government and the
single largest program in the country.
DISCUSSION:
STATUS:
1.
On June 20, Eli Segal, Special Assistant to the President and CEO of the
Corporation for National and Community Service will announce to the
President that TEAM USDA has been awarded $2.6 million dollars in
operational funds and been given 1,200 approved national service positions.
The Corporation has also earmarked $5.6 million dollars to pay the $4,725
post-service education award for each of USDA's approved positions.
2.
The TEAM USDA national service program will represent 60% of the total
projects run by Federal Departments and independent agencies. It also
represents the largest single national service program in the country run by one
organization.
3.
TEAM USDA is beginning the operation of its Summer of Safety program in
the City of Chicago. This program, sponsored by the Corporation for
National and Community Service is being run in partnership with the Chicago
High School of Agricultural Sciences, the Chicago Housing Authority, and the
Department of Justice.
DRAFT
4.
On the basis of an unsolicited proposal from the District of Columbia, TEAM
USDA is supporting a summer program in the District of Columbia that
mirrors the national service model.
ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED:
1.
Sign the Secretary's Memorandum establishing the TEAM USDA National
Service Program.
2.
Require the inclusion of national service initiatives in the Department's FY 96
budget submission.
3.
Approve staffing of the TEAM USDA national service group with detailees
from the Department's agencies.
4.
Approve reimbursement of the TEAM USDA national service group activities
by the served agencies.
5.
Approve establishment of the TEAM USDA national service volunteer corps.
6.
Support establishment of the TEAM USDA national service administrative
taskforce.
7.
Approve national service as an issue for the Departmental Farm Bill Task
Force. This will facilitate identification of ways national service programs
can be used by the Department to achieve Departmental and Administration
objectives.
SUMMARY:
1.
USDA will operate the largest single national service program in the country
in FY 95.
2.
Specific decisions must be made at the Secretarial level to ensure that the
appropriate structure and adequate staffing/funding are in place to successfully
manage the program.
3.
Decision memoranda are being forward to the Secretary to address these
issues.
2
Correspondence
United States
Office of
Office of
Washington, D.C.
Department of
Public Affairs
Public Liaison
20250
Agriculture
December 20, 1993
Dear Friend:
I am writing to invite you to regional workshops that the
Corporation for National and Community Service is sponsoring for
organizations wishing to apply for grants. Along with this letter,
I am faxing a sheet on the Program Application Assistance Workshops
to be held in January in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, Kansas
City, Missouri, and Los Angeles, California.
As you may know, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy plans for the
USDA to incorporate into President Clinton's national service
initiative through the development of three youth service teams: a
Rural Development Team, a Public Lands and Environment Team, and an
Empowerment and Anti-Hunger Team. However, these workshops will
allow your organization to apply directly to the Corporation
without going through USDA.
If you have any questions about these workshops or any other matter
relating to USDA's plans, please do not hesitate to contact me or
Katherine Gibney at 202-720-4623.
Sincerely,
Joel Berg
Director of Public Liaison
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
memo
To:
Susan Stroud
From:
Joel Berg, Ron De Munbrun, USDA
Date:
December 15, 1993
Subject:
Administrative Support for Federal AmeriCorps Projects
Federal departments seeking to implement AmeriCorps programs of their own will face
not only the unique challenges posed by youth service, but must also deal with traditional federal
government problems regarding procurement, budgeting, employee performance evaluations,
accounting, time and attendance of employees, etc. These nuts and bolts administrative issues
will likely pose major hurdles to all federal agencies; even those planning to run only small pilot
projects may have to create administrative units to handle these issues. Yet cabinet secretaries,
most of whom are now going to great pains to publicly explain how they are cutting their
departments and downsizing their bureaucracies, might be hesitant to create such a new
administrative unit within their departments. As an alternative, we suggest that the Corporation
explore the possibility of establishing a central administrative entity to perform these functions
for all federal AmeriCorps projects.
This administrative group could be developed jointly by executive volunteers from the
major corporations and by federal employees. It could be permanently staffed by private
industry volunteers and federal personnel on detail. For instance, C&P Telephone could lend
an executive who is an expert in payroll procedures, IBM could loan an executive who is an
expert in computers, etc. The goal would be to create an administrative unit that would
accomplish several things:
Eliminate bureaucratic stumbling blocks that might prevent departments from
implementing projects or might severely limit their participation;
Serve as a small scale test for re-inventing the way certain functions are performed in the
federal government such as procurement and personnel management;
Reduce the total amount of money spent on project administration across the government
by eliminating duplicate roles or functions in different federal departments;
Allow the Corporation to monitor and ensure the quality of administrative support
provided to all federal projects;
Enable agency national service coordinators to leap-frog over the sometimes stifling
administrative bureaucracies within their own agencies.
In time, the administrative unit may be disbanded once the procedures and necessary
regulations have been formalized and can easily be absorbed by the individual departments.
INTERESTED DEPARTMENT OF EXICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
December 8, 1993
INFORMATIONAL MEMO FOR THE SECRETARY
From:
Joel Berg, Deputy Director of Public Affairs
JB
Subject:
Moving National Service from Planning to Implementation
Eli Segal and the White House continue to recognize USDA as the leading federal agency
in promoting national service (now known as AmeriCorps), which is one of President Clinton's
top personal priorities. Eli was particularly pleased with your article on national service that
appeared in Tikkun magazine (copy attached). Two other publications, the Washington Monthly
and Education Week, have also inquired about our national service activities.
As you announced in your Senate testimony, we are now planning a Rural Development
Team, an Empowerment and Anti-Hunger Team, and a Public Lands and Environment Team.
All three teams will concretely demonstrate your commitment to reinventing government,
boosting the forgotten middle class, and empowering the poor.
In response to a recent decision memo on national service, you indicated that you would
like to discuss the matter with me. In advance of that discussion, this memo will provide you
with more detailed background on exactly what our pilot programs might do, where they might
be located, what benefits they could provide, how much they may cost, and how they might
interact with other USDA human resources programs.
Who Would Participate in AmeriCorps/Teams USDA:
Starting in the Fall of 1994, up to 2,500 diverse participants could serve in 45
AmeriCorps/Team USDA pilot projects in every region of the country. The Empowerment and
Anti-Hunger Team and the Public Lands and Environment Team will allow participants to join
the programs before, during, or after post-secondary education or job training; the Rural
Development Team will be composed mostly of college or professional schools graduates.
Participants in the Empowerment Team and the Environmental Team will earn small living
stipends of around $8,000 per year, while the older and better educated participants in the Rural
Development Team will earn around $15,000 per year. In addition, participants in all three
teams will earn an educational voucher of $4,725, which they may use to pay for college,
vocational school, job training, or graduate school. All participants will also be entitled to
health insurance, as well as child care if they have children. Participants in all three programs
teams will be from diverse racial, social, and economic backgrounds.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
How the Rural Development Team Would Work:
The Rural Development Team would establish regional clusters of "professional" and
"paraprofessional" participants who would be placed in individual communities to help the
communities identify needs and resources necessary for economic well-being. The participants
would have diverse education and training and would be matched up with individual communities
or regions that have specific needs that can be filled by someone with that specific background.
The need to develop new leadership in rural America was a continuing theme of your recent
Rural Development Forum. The USDA Rural Development Team can help redress that need.
We will make a concerted effort to recruit participants who want to return to areas similar to
those in which they were raised. Thus, this program can help begin reversing the "brain drain"
from rural America.
Some possible job descriptions:
1) Assistant State Rural Development Coordinator - Assists USDA State Rural Development
Coordinators in helping boost Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. Collects data,
provides outreach, coordinates community resources, helps develop strategic plans, helps
implement the program, analyzes local data for agencies and organizations so that the needs of
the under-served are considered.
2) Regional Circuit Rider - Works part time in a number of towns in a region. Provides
technical assistance to communities throughout a region in brokering, strategic planning, and
community assessment.
3) Sustainable Agriculture Advisor Works with farmers in the region to help them develop
model sustainable agriculture farms. Directs 4-H volunteers to perform some of the labor
intensive work, such as fence building, needed for successful sustainable farming.
4) Natural Resource Specialist Under the direction of a Soil Conservation Service professional
employee, the team member would work in low-income and socially disadvantaged areas to
assistant in the acceleration of watershed protection, work with field engineers in the design and
layout of community projects, and work with the local Resource Conservation & Development
(RC&D) Coordinator for economic development for disadvantaged groups.
5) Recreation Specialist The team member would provide technical assistance for all activities
relating to recreation and tourism, including coordinating efforts among all government agencies,
furnishing recreation planning and design, and collecting and disseminating information on what
alternatives will best fit local needs.
6) Regional 4-H Youth Development Coordinator The team member would work with county
Extension agents and 4-H coordinators to manage local students involved in youth service.
3
How the Empowerment and Anti-Hunger Team Would Work:
Participants would work in brigades of ten in urban and rural areas to help low-income
families and individuals move towards self-sufficiency. The main focus of the team would be
fighting domestic hunger. Team members could help individuals apply for food stamps, Women,
Infants, and Children, and the school breakfast program; overhaul their diets; learn to prevent
foodborne illnesses; and obtain the expanded Earned Income Tax Credits, microenterprise loans,
and help from community development banks. In short, this team would help put into effect the
entire empowerment agenda promoted by you and President Clinton.
Some possible tasks:
1) Providing Outreach/access services - The team member would educate eligible people about
program availability and helping make benefits accessible. Outreach workers would inform
target populations about program availability. Drivers would take people to social welfare
offices to help eligible people apply for and receive program benefits. Delivery aides would help
deliver program benefits to homebound elderly, physically disadvantaged, and homeless people.
Bilingual aides would provide program information, help with applications, and perform other
tasks to help to non-English-speaking citizens. Service facilitators would follow-up with people
who don't keep appointments and direct people to related services.
2) Bolstering the infrastructure - The team member would provide the human capital necessary
to deliver the programs. Food handlers would stock, warehouse, manage, and distribute food
products. Day care workers would provide child/adult care services to allow eligible people to
apply for and receive program benefits. Bilingual case assistants would help case manager with
non-English-speaking clients. Nutrition assistants would help with nutrition education and
cooking demonstrations. WIC office staff would be assigned to support duties at WIC clinics
in order to boost state participation in the WIC program. Team members can also help staff
homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and food banks.
3) Boosting innovative new empowerment programs - The team members would go door-to-door
in neighborhoods dispensing information on a wide array of empowerment initiatives for which
that neighborhood's residents might be eligible. The information distributed would be holistic,
tying together our nutrition, anti-hunger, welfare reform, and food safety initiatives. We can also
experiment with innovative approaches such as "healthy baby festivals," where we attract crowds
with music and food and then provide nutrition education and anti-hunger services. Team
members could help families obtain the newly expanded Earned Income Tax Credit, aid
individuals in securing microenterprise loans to start small businesses, assist poor urban
communities in developing urban gardens in which they can grow their own food, inform
families on how to apply for loans from community development banks, work with families to
develop savings plans as part of assets development programs. Indian reservations could be
encouraged to grow foods that could be sold to USDA commodity programs and then provided
to the reservation through various USDA feeding programs.
4
How the Public Lands and Environment Team Would Work:
Participants would work in brigades of ten in both urban and rural components.
Participants could renovate urban and rural parks, plant trees, perform conservation work in
national forests, teach environmental education, promote urban farming, test water quality, boost
sustainable agriculture, clean-up rivers and lakes, help families weatherize their homes, instruct
the public on how to dispose of household chemicals, and restore wetlands. Many of the
participants in our rural programs will be housed on national forests and will perform work
mostly on the forests, thereby meeting the congressional mandate that USDA manage a Public
Lands Corps.
Some possible tasks:
1. Conservation work on national forests and parks - Team members can also engage in some
of the following types of work, which are already performed by participants in the Youth
Conservation Corps (YCC) that is now run by the Forest Service: trail maintenance, recreation
management, fish and wildlife management, timber management, facility construction and
maintenance, water and soil work, range and forage management, administration, and research.
2. Disaster relief and Recovery - Existing youth corps have played a vital role in the recovery
of the flooded Midwest. For most disasters, team members could provide physical labor so
critical to short-term clean-up, as well as human services needed for long-term recovery. They
could also assist in some of the long-term infrastructure repair such as levee re-building.
3. Tree planting - As part of the Clinton Administration's initiative to combat global
warming, the team members could play a lead role in tremendously expanding the number of
trees planted annually in urban and rural areas throughout America.
4. Urban Conservation Projects - Team members can repair facilities in public parks, paint
murals, fix playgrounds and other facilities at public schools, run recycling programs, and run
urban farming programs in which low-income individuals grow their own food.
5. Wetlands Restoration - The Interior Department and EPA have expressed interest in jointly
running programs to restore large wetlands ecosystems, such as the Everglades.
6. Urban Farming Projects - Team members could help low-income urban residents to grow
their own food. We could possibly run such a program at public housing complexes in tandem
with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. We could possibly run a citywide
program in Chicago in tandem with the Chicago high school of agriculture.
7. Sustainable Agriculture - Team members could work under the direction of Extension agents
or other sustainable agriculture experts to help local farmers complete some of the labor-
intensive work, such as building fences, needed to implement a sustainable agriculture plan.
5
Where USDA Pilot Programs May be Located:
We will make every effort to locate our pilot projects in Empowerment Zones and
Enterprise Communities. Pilot programs could also be specifically targeted at rural communities
facing short-term job dislocations because of NAFTA, the Northwest Forest Plan, or military
base closings or defense plant shut-downs.
Some of the following regions or states that we are considering for Rural Development
Teams: the Mississippi Delta, the Texas/Mexico Border, Maine, Kansas, the Pacific Northwest,
Oklahoma, North Dakota, Southern Illinois, Tennessee, Four Corners (Arizona, Colorado, Utah,
New Mexico), Alaska, Appalachia, and Northern California.
Some of the sites we are considering for the Empowerment and Anti-Hunger Team
include: Washington, D.C, Vermont, Appalachia, Los Angeles, the Mississippi Delta, New
York City, Chicago, Jackson, Mississippi, and Boston.
Some of the sites we are considering for Public Lands and Environment Teams include:
The Pacific Northwest, Southern Florida, Kansas, Los Angeles, the Hudson River Valley, The
Mississippi Delta, West Virginia, Maine, the New Jersey Coast, and Washington State.
What AmeriCorps/Team USDA Could Accomplish For You and the President:
Americorps/Team USDA programs will provide a quick, dramatic, and visible vehicle with
which you and President Clinton can demonstrate your success in reinventing government.
Furthermore, we have the ability to place pilot projects almost immediately in critical states and
regions. Not only will these projects perform work that is critical to the communities in which
they are placed, but they will also provide thousands of families with significant monetary
awards -- thousands of young people will receive a full year of employment in addition to an
almost $5,000 scholarship. These programs will likely be highly popular and obtain frequent
and favorable national and local media attention.
Our programs will:
* Reunite the interests of the middle class and the poor by allowing young people from all types
of families to earn their way through post-secondary education.
* Prove that groups of socio-economically diverse young people can work together.
*
Provide valuable service to the community by systematically filling unmet social needs.
Also, many key USDA constituency groups, particularly anti-hunger, environmental, and
rural development groups, are very excited about working with our department on AmeriCorps.
6
What Institutional Support Is Needed to Run AmeriCorps/USDA:
Secretary Babbitt has recently directed his staff to create an Office of National Service
at Interior. I strongly believe that, if we are to run our own AmeriCorps programs as a Team
USDA project that cuts across traditional USDA agency lines, we need to create our own office
of national service. This new office could either remain tied to public affairs by being placed
in the new Office of Communications or it could be created as a free-standing entity that reports
directly to the Secretary and would be administered under the umbrella of Executive Operations.
We would call it the USDA "Center" for National Service so that you technically would not be
creating a new agency at the same time you are trying to reduce our agencies from 43 to 30.
I would recommend the new center function until October 1, 1994 with employees
detailed from various USDA agencies. I would further recommend that the FY 95 budget
includes line item funding for the new center. To begin with the center would need seven
employees: a Director, a Communications Coordinator, an Administrative Coordinator, a Pilot
Project Coordinator, a Recruitment and Training Coordinator, a Private Fundraising
Coordinator, and an Office Manager/Support Staff.
All Under and Assistant Secretaries and Agency Administrators in relevant areas would
have to give their full support and cooperation. The Office of Budget and Program Analysis,
the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Personnel will all have to play critical roles in
helping the national service center cut through the bureaucracy and red tape to make the
AmeriCorps/Team USDA programs a success.
What Funding Is Needed To Support These Programs:
If most participants in the Environmental Team are residential, then our estimated cost
is about $20,000 per server. Thus a pilot program with 1,000 servers would cost $20 million.
This would allow us ten rural sites of 50 each, and five urban sites of 100 each.
If we roughly estimate that each server in the non-residential Empowerment and Anti-
Hunger Team will cost $15,000 per year, then 1,000 participants would cost $15 million. That
would fund twenty sites, half-urban and half-rural, with 50 participants at each site.
If we roughly estimate that each server in the Rural Development Team will cost
approximately $30,000 per year, accounting for their higher pay, then 400 servers would cost
$10 million. That would fund ten state programs with 40 participants each.
The total for all three proposals is $45 million. We could potentially meet this target
with a combination of Corporation for National Service Funds, Golden Eagle Passport funds,
USDA program funds, and private and non-profit funds.
7
Potential sources of funds:
The National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 sets-aside $18 million for the
management of AmeriCorps programs run by federal agencies. There is an additional pot of
money to pay for the educational benefits of the participants in federal programs. I estimate,
roughly, that USDA will receive between $2 million - $5 million.
We already have a significant source of additional funding for a Public Lands Corps this
year. The FY 94 budget passed by Congress authorizes the Forest Service to begin collecting
fees at certain sites and to also jointly sell Golden Eagle Passports in conjunction with the
Department of Interior. The proceeds of all non-federal sales of the passports --- also recently
authorized by Congress -- will go to conservation corps activities run by Interior and
Agriculture, to be divided up in proportion to the total amount of revenue each Department
generates from entrance fees. The National Recreation Association estimates that this fund could
generate an estimated $50 million for youth service in FY 94, of which a minimum of about
$2.5 million would go to USDA. We could possibly negotiate with Interior to receive a much
larger percentage of their $50 million in passport fees.
The White House also intends us to fund our programs through specific line item requests
in the USDA FY 95 budget. I have asked the White House to designate a contact at OMB with
whom we can work on placing such line item proposals in the final budget the President
presents. Many USDA agencies already fund projects similar to those that will be conducted
by our AmeriCorps Teams; in many cases, our AmeriCorps teams will be able to perform the
same projects much more cost effectively. We could possibly fund our environmental programs
through the Forest Service and SCS. We could fund our sustainable agriculture projects through
ARS and ACRS. We could possibly fund our anti-hunger programs through FNS and our
nutrition programs through HNIS and the Extension Service. We could possibly fund our rural
development programs through RDA, REA, FmHA, and the Forest Service.
We will also attempt to raise money through private corporations, non-profit
organizations, and charitable organizations. The National Forest Foundation could also help us
raise private money, although most of members of the board are still Republicans appointed by
Secretary Madigan.
I would also like to raise money from USDA employees. I have requested the White
House to ask the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to allow agencies to raise money
from their employees, outside of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), to help fund their own
AmeriCorps programs. I would like to help create a "National Federal Employee Serve-A-
Thon" in which federal employees perform a day of community service on a designated Saturday
in order to raise money for agency AmeriCorps projects. At USDA alone, if every employee
raised just $10 from family and friends, we could collect over $10 million for our AmeriCorps
programs.
8
How AmeriCorps Might Interact with USDA Human Resources Programs:
Recently, Rocky Solas, a regional coordinator for the Forest Service human resources
programs, came to Washington to meet with Mike Alexander and myself. Rocky passionately
argued human resource programs needed to be coordinated department-wide throughout USDA.
He pointed out that the Forest Service runs Job Corps and JTPA programs, that the Extension
Service runs youth-at-risk programs, and that FNS has large responsibility for incorporating job
training under welfare reform, yet none of these programs are coordinated centrally by any
entity at USDA. He argued that either USDA could coordinate our human resource programs
centrally in order to improve them, or they would be stripped from USDA -- a possibility hinted
at by the Vice-President's reinventing government report. Not surprisingly, Rocky volunteered
himself for a detail to work on coordinating these programs. Mike Alexander and I agreed that
such a function could eventually be placed in the USDA national service office, expanding its
name and mission to the USDA Center for National Service and Youth Development.
I look forward to discussing these matters with you shortly.
To:
Eli Segal, Peter Edelman, Susan Stroud
From:
Joel Berg
Date:
December 6, 1993
Subject:
Making AmeriCorps Work in Federal Agencies
With less than 10 months before federal agencies are expected to start
running at least $18 million worth of Americorps programs, none of the agencies,
including USDA, are fully prepared to take on this huge management task.
I would to suggest a series of actions that the Corporation for National and
Community Service could take to help federal agencies become full actors in
running AmeriCorps programs.
Communicate How Important National Service Is To The President - Secretary
Espy and Chief of Staff Ron Blackley are both very supportive of national service,
yet it is still sometimes difficult for me to obtain all the institutional backing I need
from USDA assistant secretaries and agency administrators. I know that my
counterparts at other agencies with less Secretarial support are having even
greater difficulty. Some ways to help:
* Request that the President speak about the importance of agency national
service initiatives at future cabinet meetings.
* Ask the President to issue an executive order outlining how agencies should
participate in AmeriCorps. The order should require each agency to set up offices
of national service run by full-time coordinators. (Many agency coordinators are
now able to devote only a small portion of their time to national service.)
* Request that the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs explain to all agency
Chiefs of Staffs that requests from the Corporation have the same weight as
requests from the health care war room or (formerly) the NAFTA war room.
* Ensure that all members of the White House staff continually communicate
internally and externally that AmeriCorps is a top priority of the President. In the
past, certain members of the White House staff have told agency public
information officers that national service events were "off message."
* Request that cabinet members visit pilot youth service sites across the nation
and discuss national service in their speeches. All Cabinet members should be
expected to visit at least two "Summer of Service" sites this year.
2
Provide Agencies With Personnel Help - Most political appointees working on
national service in the agencies have a great deal of experience related to the work
of their agency, but virtually no experience working in national service. (I, of
course, started in the complete reverse position -- knowing a great deal about
national service but not a damn thing about agriculture.) My peers need help with
the service side of their agencies' proposals. I would recommend that the White
House place one Schedule c political appointee with some background in youth
service at each cabinet department. Former youth corps team leaders or service-
learning coordinators would be perfect; they could enter the departments as mid-
level "special assistants" or "staff assistants" at grades 7-13. Most Departments
still have a few slots such as these open. These appointees would report to the
higher-ranking departmental national service coordinators and provide them with
invaluable nuts and bolts experience.
Provide The Agencies With A Clear Set Of Philosophical Guidelines -
Long before the Corporation issues its specific, technical regulations for federal
agencies to follow in submitting their proposals, each of the agency national
service coordinators needs to obtain a better understanding of the President's
vision of both the political and public policy underpinnings of national service. The
agencies should be asked to create programs that will:
* Promote opportunity, responsibility, and community
*
Reinvent government by creating non-bureaucratic, results-oriented, management
structures
*
Reunite the interests of the middle class and the poor by allowing young people
from all types of families to earn their way through post-secondary education
* Be fully diverse by race, class, and gender
*
Provide critical service to the community by systematically meeting social needs
*
Allow young people to perform service either before, during, or after receiving
post-secondary education or job training
* Forge links to other key Administration initiatives such as youth apprenticeship,
empowerment zones, and welfare reform
*
Provide an expanded infrastructure considerably larger than the capacity of
existing service organizations
*
Expand the available number of slots dramatically within three years
3
Prepare Agency Bureaucracies To Plan And Run AmeriCorps Projects - As soon as
possible, the Corporation should set up a legal briefing on the National and
Community Service Act for representatives from the offices of general counsel at
each federal agency. The Corporation should also provide briefings for the budget
staff at each agency immediately, so that AmeriCorps requests can be included in
each agency's FY95 submissions to OMB. Personnel and administrative staff at
each agency should also be briefed by the Corporation.
Provide Assistance From OMB - I would highly recommend that Leon Panetta
assign a trusted member of his staff to work with all agencies on developing their
AmeriCorps budget requests. If it is your intention for agencies to have money
included in their budgets to supplement the $18 million to be distributed by the
Corporation, then OMB must play an integral role in this process. This work must
be completed soon in order to include the requests in the President's annual budget
message to Congress.
Help Federal Agencies Raise Private Money - The head of private and non-profit
fundraising for the Corporation should work with the agencies to develop joint
Corporation-agency fundraising plans for each agency AmeriCorps program.
Allow Agencies To Raise Money From Federal Employees - Request that the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM) allow agencies to raise money from their
employees, outside of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), to help fund their
own AmeriCorps programs. Create a "National Federal Employee Serve-A-Thon" in
which federal employees perform a day of community service on a designated
Saturday in order to raise money for agency AmeriCorps projects. At USDA alone,
if every employee raised $100 from family and friends, we could collect $10
million for our AmeriCorps programs.
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF VERICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
DECEMBER 6, 1993
TO:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY JIM LYONS
FROM:
JOEL BERG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS JB
SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTING THE PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL SERVICE INITIATIVE
I would like to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss how to
implement Secretary Espy's desire for USDA to be a lead agency in
advancing the President's national service initiative. As you may
know, the Secretary has directed me to coordinate departmental
initiatives in this area. While the National Forest Foundation's
pilot projects are an important step in the right direction, the
White House expects us -- and the legislation mandates --- that USDA
have a much larger role in directly managing service programs.
I would like to brief you generally on the National Service Trust Act
and specifically on the Public Lands Corps that USDA is expected to
run. Additionally, I would like to brief you on the Congressional
mandate that 100% of the revenue raised by the non-federal sales of
Golden Eagle Passports be used for youth service programs. I will be
briefing Chief Thomas on these matters Thursday and will attempt to
meet with Chief-Designate Johnson in the near future.
I would also value your feedback in the following areas:
- How the Forest Service will work with the Department of Interior
to implement the congressionally mandated Public Lands Corps.
- How the Soil Conservation Service may be able to help implement
our broader USDA Environmental Corps.
- How both NRE agencies may be able to implement the USDA Rural
Development Corps.
- How the Forest Service's existing Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)
will interact with the President's new program.
- How a portion of money generated from the non-federal sale of
Golden Eagle Passports may be used by individual ranger districts.
I look forward to discussing these and other matters with you in
the near future.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
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To: Bill Galston
From: Joel Berg
Date: November 30, 1992
RE: Probable Opposition of Loan Guarantee Agencies to National Service
Student loan agencies which exist in most of the fifty states -- have shrewdly sought
to shield themselves from elimination. According to one Congressional aide familiar with this
issue, the agencies frequently place university presidents and other prominent individuals on their
governing boards and reward them with trips around the country to attend conferences. These
agencies clearly will not allow themselves to be eliminated with a big fight. Still, in Re-
Authorizing the Higher Education Act this year, Congress passed a small Direct Loan
Demonstration Program to test the idea of the government giving loans directly to students and
thus eliminating intermediary agencies.
Many Members of Congress -- including Senator Bradley of New Jersey and
Congressman Petri of Wisconsin -- have introduced measures that would couple direct lending
with an income-dependent repayment mechanism. These bills would eliminate Sallie Mae and
state guarantee agencies. On February of this year, the Postsecondary Education Subcommittee
of the House Education and Labor Committee held hearings on two bills that would promote the
direct lending of income-contingent loans. The testimony against this bill by lending agencies
should provide a good idea of their likely reaction to BC's National Service Trust Fund.
Senator Paul Simon, in testifying before the committee on behalf of his proposed bill,
provided a succinct summary of the motives of the guarantee agencies:
"You're going to hear from, as I understand it, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency. Lending agencies that come here and others that do good work and they have done
good work, just as Sallie Mae has done good work. But sometimes agencies get interested in
perpetuating themselves rather than the service they were originally designed to do. And when
anyone makes any money out of the present system, take it with a grain of salt. It's like the
tobacco institute people who come in and tell you, 'We have research and it shows cigarettes
won't do any harm.' You have to consider the source."
Simon's comments evoked a strong response from Jerry David, Vice President for
Research and Policy Analysis for the Pennsylvania Higher Education Agency, who strongly
denied any self-interest in maintaining the status quo:
"We don't grow tobacco. I make that comment because Senator Simon indicated that
sometimes agencies such as ourselves have a vested interest that clouds our testimony. I would
like to say that we have calculated that if there were a direct lending program, as proposed in
either the House or Senate versions, that our agency would make more money than we make
right now. So, it isn't a monetary or financial issue with us Trying to ease repayment
burdens is laudable. However, I think some compelling evidence indicates that undergraduate
Stafford loans are not skyrocketing. Because loan debts are not rising to levels that are
burdensome for the majority of undergraduates, and because existing repayment burdens are not
distributed evenly among all student groups, offering income contingent loan programs to
everyone may be unnecessary and unwise.
I'm generally opposed to income- contingent loan programs. The basic problem I have
with them is that borrowers do not and cannot know how much it will cost to repay their loans
when they accept them. If they cannot know this, then they cannot know how much their
education will actually cost. If they cannot know what their education will actually cost, then
they can't make intelligent and informed cost benefit analysis. They cannot access the relative
value of attending institutions of widely different costs because they cannot compare the net cost;
that is, the cost after financial aid of the alternative choices. I think virtually all income-
contingent loan programs allow, if not encourage, borrowers to incur larger debts than fixed
payment programs.
The two proposals would discriminate against women and minorities and borrowers who
entered lower paying professions, such as teachers and the ministry."
To back up his heart-stirring defense of women and minorities, Davis' written testimony
provided countless charts and graphs intended to prove that the direct lending/income contingent
proposals would terribly harm most students.
In a prepared statement submitted for the hearing, Joseph Russo of the Coalition of High
Education Assistance Organizations also vigorously opposed the bill, saying that the loan system
would suffer by eliminating the "competitive based market" ensured by the lending institutions
that belong to his organization. In effect, Russo said, left to its own devices, the federal
government would deliver these services even more poorly than do his organizations. He
claimed many institutions of higher learning would not be able to afford to make direct loans,
that changes in the programs would require even more paperwork, and that sufficient data does
not exist to determine whether the recommended changes would work. He then admitted that
the current student loan program provides the "ugly picture of fraud, abuse, scam, high attrition
financial insolvency, and outrageous default rates." To stem these abuses, he called for tough
new standards to insure integrity. He said the new standards should be created by "the current
basic partnership of players."
It is likely that these groups will have a similar, "circle the wagons" response, to any
serious reform initiative put forward by BC.
To: Bill Galston
From: Joel Berg
Date: November 30, 1992
Re: Opposition of Teachers and Public Employee Unions to Nunn-McCurdy Bill
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
AFSCME President Gerald McEntee testified before the House Education and
Labor Committee to personally express his union's strong reservations with the Nunn-
McCurdy bill.
Likewise, Stanley Hill, an AFSCME International Vice President, testified before
the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources on April 21, 1989. He said:
"We are gratified to see in the current dialogue about national service a renewed
appreciation the value of community service. It is time to turn away from the self-
centeredness of the last decade and to rediscover the virtues of civic responsibility
toward our neighbors and community. Nonetheless, we urge you to proceed cautiously
with community service legislation
The apparent appeal of using a community service program to meet unmet social
needs is obvious. Over the last eight years, federal aid to state and local governments
declined by 45 percent in 1982 dollars. On its face, it seems convenient to provide a
labor pool of young people for community service programs while simultaneously
achieving other policy objectives such as conditioning federal aid on community service,
providing job training for the disadvantaged and creating opportunities for young people
of different backgrounds to learn from each other by working together.
However, it must be emphasized that these objectives cannot be comfortably and
successfully combined if the primary goal and major effect of community service is to
fulfill unmet public needs with unpaid workers or workers who receive a minimal
stipend without regular employee status. It is not realistic to expect untrained,
transient workers to provide the same quality of public service provided by trained
employees working in a stable employment environment.
In addition, a large scale, federally financed community service program will
almost certainly displace many entry level jobs in the state and local government and
non-profit sectors if it creates unlimited service positions in local agencies. While
national service proponents insist, and sincerely intend, that volunteers would only do
work no one else is doing, there inevitably would be a very strong incentive, given the
problems faced by state and local governments, to cut back on employed positions and
use volunteers to meet local needs. Indeed, we believe there is very strong potential for
displacement of lower-wage, lower-skilled entry jobs.
The implications of job displacement go beyond what some might characterize as
the special interest concerns of a union representing public and non-profit workers. The
AFSCME Research Department completed a study which we are releasing today to the
Committee graphically showing which demographic groups would be most adversely
affected by a large-scale community service program. (The 43-age study is attached).
While S.3 (the Nunn-McCurdy Bill) does include some provisions to protect
current workers, these provisions are considerably weaker than those contained in
Senator Kennedy's proposal, S. 650 and S. 322, introduced by Senator Christopher
Dodd. We are attaching a description of the provisions we believe are necessary for any
such volunteer service program.
However, we must emphasize that stronger anti-displacement provisions will not
by themselves prevent displacement Even if the structure of S. 3 were revised, the
sheer size of the program would create pressures to displace existing jobs. States would
have to create at least 600,000 positions, all of them lacking employment status and
benefits from the participants.
Moreover, the legislation's requirement that most federal educational assistance
be linked to civilian or military service would result in low-income students (who may
be in most need of assistance to gain access to post-secondary education) feeling forced
into service or being penalized for not being able to service. This clearly raises a conflict
with the traditional American values of access to and equal opportunity to post-
secondary education. It also ignores a democratic society's need to a well educated and
trained citizenry."
Based on their previous position, AFSCME might even oppose national
service legislation that contained the strongest possible anti-displacement
language. The union fears that any program that create hundreds of
thousands of new service slots will threaten the jobs of public employees.
National Education Association
In an April 21, 1989 hearing on the Nunn-McCurdy Bill before the Senate Labor
and Human Resources Committee, the NEA was represented by Loan Horne, Parent
Involvement Coordinator of the Tacoma, Washington, Public Schools, who said:
"NEA supports the further exploration of national service concepts that would
enhance, rather than replace, the current federal postsecondary student aid effort.
However, NEA strongly opposes any attempt to rework existing federal student aid
programs into a system of incentives for military or other national service.
Making national service a quid pro quo for federal postsecondary student aid
would undermine equal education opportunity for students from low- and lower middle-
income families. It would be a radical departure from the philosophy that has guided
our nation to compel our nation's young people to participate in public service projects.
It would create serious obstacles to meeting manpower needs in the military service.
And, according to the American Council on Education, it would cost as much as $50
billion per year to serve the same number of students currently receiving federal
student aid. Finally, by definition, mandatory national service would be
counterproductive to reinvigorating the spirit of volunteerism."
Preferring to rely on a high-minded defense of equal opportunity in education,
Horne doesn't even mention the union's fears of school employees being displaced.
American Federation of Teachers
Albert Shanker, President of AFT, testified on the Nunn-McCurdy Bill before the
House Education and Labor Committee on June 28, 1989, saying:
"While the AFT strongly supports the concept of national nd community service,
we empathetically oppose any program that would condition student eligibility for
financial assistance on the performance of community, national, or military service.
Further, we must be careful not to create any program which would, in effect, displace
low-wage and low-skilled workers. Community service should complement the work of
regular public service employees. Any initiative must avoid displacement of existing
workers.
The AFT is troubled by the Citizenship and national Service Act introduced by
Representative McCurdy and Senator Nunn. That bill would cash out existing federal
student assistance programs and make national service the sole basis on which students
would qualify for federal financial assistance. Rather than serve as a beacon for young
people to contribute to their community, this approach could reduce education
opportunities instead of increasing them. The AFT supported the GI bill for Vietnam
Veterans and the new GI bill recently enacted by Congress. Our union believes that the
nation should reward those who have served in the military and in civilian capacity for
their contribution. However, cashing out critical student assistance programs in order
to pay for past service is a flawed approach.
While we commend Representative McCurdy and Senator Nunn for helping to
bring this issue to national attention, we oppose dismantling a proven system of support
for students in higher education. The new G.I. bill, existing student aid programs, and
new assistance from community service all should have a place in the array of programs
that service or nation's education, military and service needs."
AFT Director of legislation Gregory Humphrey offered almost identical testimony
before the Senate labor and Human Resources Committee on April 21, 1989.
Support of All Groups For Compromise National Service Bill
Almost every major educational and labor group, including AFSCME, AFT, and
NEA, eventually supported S.1430, the National and Community Service Act. This
compromise bill funded Bush's Points of Light Initiative, promoted Volunteerism in
Schools, funded existing youth corps, and created a small pilot program to test the
concept of providing student aid in exchange for work in full-time community service.
To: The Transition Team National Service Working Group
From: Joel Berg, (202) 483-8513
Date: November 20, 1992
RE: MAKING NATIONAL SERVICE WORK
Given my three years of experience researching national service for the
Progressive Policy Institute and selling national service to the public on the Clinton
Campaign, I offer the following principles with which to transform the idea into reality:
1) A full-scale program should be started in 1993; we should not settle
for small-scale pilot projects. As evidenced by his comments at his first press
conference as President-Elect, BC understands that national service offers the single
most-promising vehicle to demonstrate that he is serious about fundamentally
changing America. Throughout both the primary and general election campaigns,
BC's mention of national service provided the loudest and most consistant applause
on the stump. After election day, over a dozen Kansas students called our Wichita
office to inquire how they could join the Clinton national service program. The public
wants action now. Moreover, the current student aid system is failing so miserably that
a drastic overhaul is needed immediately. We already have enough sucessful pilot
programs -- such as Boston's City Year -- to draw from in creating a national program.
JFK created the Peace Corps within a few months of taking office BC should do the
same for national service.
2) The National Service Trust Fund should simplify -- not complicate --
the process by which students receive federal financial aid. Currently,
students and families face a bewildering array of federal aid programs, including two
grant programs, four loan programs, and the work-study program. The complexity of
applying for these programs is one of the causes of declining college enrollment
among low-income students. The National Service Trust Fund should create one
simple application process through which every American can join in a pact of
reciprocal obligation with the government to obtain aid for post-secondary education.
The program should place power and choice in the hands of students and their
families, not in the hands of college administrators and Washington bureaucrats.
3) The aid package provided by the Trust Fund must be generous
enough that students have a real financial incentive to participate in the
program. Some surveys have indicated that over 80% of students in post-secondary
education programs now work either full or part-time while attending school. Unless
the program provides youth both generous vouchers to attend post-secondary
institutions and reasonable stipends during the time they are performing service, many
will simply opt to stick with the inadequate status quo.
The package offered by national service should greatly exceed the amount of
both student aid and cash students could obtain on their own if they received aid from
current programs and simultaneously worked at $5/hour jobs. The package must be
large enough to pay for the bulk of educational expenses and both public and private
institutions. To reduce the program's overall costs, it will probaby have to be adopted
in tandem with some sort of cost-control program for all public and private post-
secondary institutions that obtain federal aid.
4) A central goal of the program should be including youths from all
socio-economic groups. Only a universal program will attract wide-spread public
support and serve as a major instrument of healing America's vast racial and social
rifts. Constant care in both design and implementation must insure that National
Service does not become the prime dominion of the upper middle class, as did the
Peace Corps, or of the lower classes, as do most existing community service corps. BC
should use his bully pulpit to call all youths into service. To attract non-college bound
youths, the program should provide young people with a choice of funding their
vocational education or the start-up of their own small business. To attract middle- and
upper-income students, the program should work closely with the nation's most
prestigious colleges to make sure they give national service veterans preference in
their undergraduate and graduate admissions processes.
5) The program should stress the importance of the services perfomed
by the youths rather than the benefits to be enjoyed by the individual
servers. Charlie Moskos has pointed out that the purpose of our military is to defend
America, not to mature young men and women; likewise, the primary purpose of
national service should be to fulfill unmet social needs, not to just make young people
feel good about themselves. In fact, young people will gain the most self-esteem if they
actually perform duties that are of vital use to their communities. The program must be
structured carefully to provide services that would otherwise not be provided. Special
care must be given not to displace current municipal employees.
6) The program should differentiate itself clearly from the "Points of
Light" by focusng on highly visible and structured projects requiring full-
time, long-term, compensated work with concrete results -- not just the
occasional and haphazard volunteer efforts of altruistic individuals. The
program's projects should be as visable in each community as were the W.P.A.
projects of the New Deal.
7) The program's administrative structure should be de-centralized and
entrepreneurial and NOT become another costly Washington
bureacracy. The program will be BC's best change to showcase "reinventing
government" principles in action. It should have a minimal Washington staff. It should
leverage state, local and private funds. It should reward enterprising states,
communities, or individuals that come up with successful new ideas. It should treat
students and families as consumers in figuring out the simpliest way to pay for college.
To:
Eli Segal, Peter Edelman, Susan Stroud
From:
Joel Berg
Date:
November 30, 1993
Subject:
Making AmeriCorps Work in Federal Agencies
With less than 10 months before federal agencies are expected to start
running at least $18 million worth of Americorps programs, none of the agencies,
including USDA, are fully prepared to take on this huge management task.
I would to suggest a series of actions that the Corporation for National and
Community Service could take to help federal agencies become full actors in
running AmeriCorps programs.
Communicate How Important National Service Is To The President - Secretary
Espy and Chief of Staff Ron Blackley are both very supportive of national service,
yet it is still sometimes difficult for me to obtain all the institutional backing I need
from USDA assistant secretaries and agency administrators. I know that my
counterparts at other agencies with less Secretarial support are having even
greater difficulty. Some ways to help:
* Request that the President speak about the importance of agency national
service initiatives at future cabinet meetings.
* Ask the President to issue an executive order outlining how agencies should
participate in AmeriCorps. The order should require each agency to set up offices
of national service run by full-time coordinators. (Many agency coordinators are
now able to devote only a small portion of their time to national service.)
* Request that the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs explain to all agency
Chiefs of Staffs that requests from the Corporation have the same weight as
requests from the health care war room or (formerly) the NAFTA war room.
E
Insure that all members of the White House staff continually communicate
internally and externally that AmeriCorps is a top priority of the President. In the
past, certain members of the White House staff have told agency public
information officers that national service events were "off message."
*
Request that cabinet members visit pilot youth service sites across the nation
and discuss national service in their speeches. All Cabinet members should be
expected to visit at least two "Summer of Service" sites this year.
2
Provide Agencies With Personnel Help - Most political appointees working on
national service in the agencies have a great deal of experience related to the work
of their agency, but virtually no experience working in national service. (I, of
course, started in the complete reverse position -- knowing a great deal about
national service but not a damn thing about agriculture.) My peers need help with
the service side of their agencies' proposals. I would recommend that the White
House place one Schedule c political appointee with some background in youth
service at each cabinet department. Former youth corps team leaders or service-
learning coordinators would be perfect; they could enter the departments as mid-
level "special assistants" or "staff assistants" at grades 7-13. Most Departments
still have a few slots such as these open. These appointees would report to the
higher-ranking departmental national service coordinators and provide them with
invaluable nuts and bolts experience.
Provide The Agencies With A Clear Set Of Philosophical Guidelines -
Long before the Corporation issues its specific, technical regulations for federal
agencies to follow in submitting their proposals, each of the agency national
service coordinators needs to obtain a better understanding of the President's
vision of both the political and public policy underpinnings of national service. The
agencies should be asked to create programs that will:
*
Promote opportunity, responsibility, and community
*
Reinvent government by creating non-bureaucratic, results-oriented, management
structures
*
Reunite the interests of the middle class and the poor by allowing young people
from all types of families to earn their way through post-secondary education
*
Be fully diverse by race, class, and gender
*
Provide critical service to the community by systematically meeting social needs
*
Allow young people to perform service either before, during, or after receiving
post-secondary education or job training
*
Forge links to other key Administration initiatives such as youth apprenticeship,
empowerment zones, and welfare reform
*
Provide an expanded infrastructure considerably larger than the capacity of
existing service organizations
*
Expand the available number of slots dramatically within three years
3
Prepare Agency Bureaucracies To Plan And Run AmeriCorps Projects - As soon as
possible, the Corporation should set up a legal briefing on the National and
Community Service Act for representatives from the offices of general counsel at
each federal agency. The Corporation should also provide briefings for the budget
staff at each agency immediately, so that AmeriCorps requests can be included in
each agency's FY95 submissions to OMB. Personnel and administrative staff at
each agency should also be briefed by the Corporation.
Provide Assistance From OMB - I would highly recommend that Leon Panetta
assign a trusted member of his staff to work with all agencies on developing their
AmeriCorps budget requests. If it is your intention for agencies to have money
included in their budgets to supplement the $18 million to be distributed by the
Corporation, then OMB must play an integral role in this process. This work must
be completed soon in order to include the requests in the President's annual budget
message to Congress.
Help Federal Agencies Raise Private Money - The head of private and non-profit
fundraising for the Corporation should work with the agencies to develop joint
Corporation-agency fundraising plans for each agency AmeriCorps program.
Allow Agencies To Raise Money From Federal Employees - Request that the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM) allow agencies to raise money from their
employees, outside of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), to help fund their
own AmeriCorps programs. Create a "National Federal Employee Serve-A-Thon" in
which federal employees perform a day of community service on a designated
Saturday in order to raise money for agency AmeriCorps projects. At USDA alone,
if every employee raised $100 from family and friends, we could collect $10
million for our AmeriCorps programs.
UNITED DEPARTMENT OP AFRICULTORS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
November 11, 1993
To: Dr. Leodry Williams, Acting Administrator, Extension Service
From: Joel Berg, Director, Office of Public Liaison
If
Subject: Request from the Kansas Governor's Office
The Governor's Office of the State of Kansas has requested
that we assign a full-time Extension Agent to work on the
Kickapoo Reservation in Northeast Kansas with the Kickapoo Youth
Conservation Corps.
In August, I visited the reservation and met with the
Director of and participants in the youth corps. The corps,
which is funded by the federal Corporation for National and
Community Service, performs a wide variety of human service and
environmental tasks on the reservation. Since the reservation
was hit badly by the flooding, the corps will focus most of its
activities in the near-term on flood relief. At the time of my
visit, the Director requested help from an Extension Agent who
could provide technical assistance to the corps' farming and tree
planting programs. I concluded from my visit that the Corps was
desperately in need of such technical assistance.
Given Secretary's Espy commitment that USDA will be as
responsive as possible to helping flood relief efforts, and given
President Clinton's passionate support for youth service efforts
such as the Kickapoo Youth Service Corps, I would hope we could
use some of the flood relief money allocated to the Kansas
Extension Service to fund one full-time Extension Agent on the
reservation.
Please contact me if you have any questions about how we
might be able to fulfill this request from the State of Kansas.
CC. Steve Mullen, 4-H Youth Program
Dr. Richard Wootton, Associate Director, Extension Service
Oleta Fitzgerald, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ron Blackley, Chief of Staff
Susan Stroud, Corporation for National and Community Service
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF EXICULTORE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
THE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
November 11, 1993
To: Dr. Leodry Williams, Acting Administrator, Extension Service
From: Joel Berg, Director, Office of Public Liaison
IR
Subject: Request from the Kansas Governor's Office
The Governor's Office of the State of Kansas has requested
that we assign a full-time Extension Agent to work on the
Kickapoo Reservation in Northeast Kansas with the Kickapoo Youth
Conservation Corps.
In August, I visited the reservation and met with the
Director of and participants in the youth corps. The corps,
which is funded by the federal Corporation for National and
Community Service, performs a wide variety of human service and
environmental tasks on the reservation. Since the reservation
was hit badly by the flooding, the corps will focus most of its
activities in the near-term on flood relief. At the time of my
visit, the Director requested help from an Extension Agent who
could provide technical assistance to the corps' farming and tree
planting programs. I concluded from my visit that the Corps was
desperately in need of such technical assistance.
Given Secretary's Espy commitment that USDA will be as
responsive as possible to helping flood relief efforts, and given
President Clinton's passionate support for youth service efforts
such as the Kickapoo Youth Service Corps, I would hope we could
use some of the flood relief money allocated to the Kansas
Extension Service to fund one full-time Extension Agent on the
reservation.
Please contact me if you have any questions about how we
might be able to fulfill this request from the State of Kansas.
CC. Steve Mullen, 4-H Youth Program
Dr. Richard Wootton, Associate Director, Extension Service
Oleta Fitzgerald, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ron Blackley, Chief of Staff
Susan Stroud, Corporation for National and Community Service
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
November 2, 1993
To:
Ron Blackley, Eloise Thomas
From:
Joel Berg
Subject:
Meeting With the Secretary on National Service
On September 30, in response to a decision memo I wrote to him on national service,
Secretary Espy indicated that he would like to personally discuss the matter with me.
The national service proposals I am developing for the Department would engage
thousands of participants would require the active cooperation of at least four under and
assistant secretaries and at least ten agency administrators.
Thus, our national service programs are a major undertaking which I will need to
discuss directly with the Secretary before finalizing details.
Secretary Espy has agreed to the broad objectives of the three national service
programs we will run, but I need his specific direction on a few key matters:
Management Structure: Would this initiative be managed by a new USDA cross-agency
management team or would parts of it be managed by different, existing USDA agencies?
Budget: How much of the initiative will be funded by the new Corporation for National and
Community Service and how much of it will be paid for from USDA program funds?
Working With Other Cabinet Agencies: Should we sign cooperative agreements with the
Departments of Interior, Commerce, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development,
as well as with the Environmental Protection Agency, to help us fund and run these
programs?
Siting of Pilot Projects: In what states, cities, and regions should we place our pilot
projects?
The above matters need to be resolved before we can proceed much more concretely.
Additionally, there is a possibility that President Clinton will bring up the topic of
national service at an upcoming Cabinet meeting. I would like to brief the Secretary before
then, so that he can knowledgeably explain to the President and his Cabinet colleagues how
USDA is leading the federal government in advancing the President's program.
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
October
Divider Title:
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
MEMORANDUM
TO:
GALEN BRIDGE, . ACTING CHIEF
SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE
720-4531
FROM:
JOEL BERG, DIRECTOR IB
OFFICE OF PUBLIC LIAISON
DATE:
OCTOBER 22, 1993
RE:
YOUTH SERVICE AND FLOOD RELIEF
Secretary Espy has directed me to coordinate interactions between
youth service corps and USDA agencies involved in flood relief.
There are a wide variety of flood-relief activities that youth
conservation corps could potentially perform under contract from
SCS, such as removing debris from streams and drainage systems,
protecting and restoring levees, and placing or removing sandbags.
As you can see from the attached project contract in which the
Wisconsin Conservation Corps was paid by a local conservation
department to build streambank fencing, some corps already perform
work remarkably similar to work supervised by SCS. Typically, the
corps perform the projects for far less money than would private
contractors.
I would like to schedule a meeting with you and/or the appropriate
SCS senior staff to discuss whether some of flood-relief work you
contract out could be performed by conservation corps in the flood
states. My assistant, Katherine Gibney, will call your office next
week to request an appointment.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
WISCONSIN CONSERVATION CORPS
PROJECT CONTRACT
Program Revenue Contract # 176-1
ATTACHMENT A
In addition to agreeing to all of the provisions of the original project contract, the Waupaca
County Land Conservation Department agrees to reimburse the WCC for labor on the
following work activities at the rates listed:
1.
Streambank fencing at $2.00 per rod for 1 strand electric wire. $3.00 per rod for
2 strand barbed wire, $4.00 per rod for 3 strand barbed wire, and $5.00 per rod
for 4 strand barbed wire.
Total reimbursement will be based on the units of work completed as reported by the WCC
crew leader. WCC will bill the Waupaca County Land Conservation Department quarterly
based on the crew leader reports. Payment will be due 30 days after the invoice date.
For the Wisconsin Conservation Corps Board
1. Topf Wells
Executive Director
Wellella Signature 7/1/91 Date
2.
Board Secretary
Signature Date
For the Waupaca County Land Conservation Department
1. Bruce Bushweiler, County Conservationist Riuce But 5-17-91
Type Name and Title
Signature
Date
2.
Type Name and Title
Signature
Date
progmrev
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AMERICORPS
TEAM USDA
TO: KATE FRUCHER
FROM: JOEL BERG
DATE: OCTOBER 19, 1993
RE: 1) LEGAL BRIEFING FOR AG OFFICIALS
2) PRIVATE FUNDING
At the last interagency meeting, you agreed that your office would
hold a legal briefing for general counsel and budget officials in
Cabinet agencies. It would be extremely helpful for us if this
briefing could be scheduled within the next two weeks.
In addition, as we discussed, I would like to meet with the new
Corporation officials who will be raising private funds.
Thanks in advance for your help.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
Correspondene
UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
October 14, 1993
Dr. David B. Henson
President
Alabama A&M University
P.O. Box 285
Normal, Alabama 357632
Dear President Henson:
As you may know, the National Service Trust Act of 1993 was
recently signed into law by President Clinton after it passed both
Houses of Congress by wide margins. Enclosed is a summary of the
new law.
USDA is now developing exciting plans to incorporate into the
President's initiative. Secretary Espy has asked me to write to
the Presidents of 1890 Colleges and Universities to offer your
institution the opportunity to play a major role in planning and
managing these programs.
Your institution can potentially be involved in one of two
ways: by applying to the new Corporation for National Service for
a grant that would go directly to your institution; or, by working
jointly with USDA to develop one of our three proposed corps. In
either case, my office will provide your institution with any
technical assistance and guidance you deem necessary.
On June 11, Secretary Espy testified before the U.S. Senate
Committee on Labor and Human Resources and outlined both the civic
philosophy behind the President's program and the concrete ways in
which our Department will participate. A copy of that testimony is
enclosed.
As you will read in the testimony, the Secretary has directed
the Department to develop three specific proposals: a rural
development corps, an anti-hunger and empowerment corps, and an
environmental corps.
The Rural Development Corps would establish regional clusters
of "professional" and "paraprofessional" participants who could
assist communities in identifying needs and resources necessary for
economic well-being. The participants would have diverse education
and training and would be matched up with individual communities or
regions that have specific needs that can be filled by someone with
that specific background. This Corps could consist of participants
both older and more highly-educated than the other two corps, and
could directly lead to permanent careers in rural development.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
2
The National Empowerment and Anti-Hunger Corps members could
work in urban and rural areas to help low-income families and
individuals move towards self-sufficiency. The main focus of the
Corps could be fighting domestic hunger. Corps members would help
individuals apply for food stamps, WIC, and the school breakfast
program; overhaul their diets; and learn to prevent food-borne
illnesses. Corps members could also help implement the
Administration's innovative anti-poverty empowerment agenda of
expanded Earned Income Tax Credits, assets development programs,
microenterprise loans, and community development banks.
The National Environmental Corps would have both urban and
rural components. Participants would renovate urban and rural
parks, plant trees, perform conservation work in national forests,
teach environmental education, promote urban farming, test water
quality, boost sustainable agriculture, clean-up rivers and lakes,
help families weatherize their homes, instruct the public on how to
dispose of household chemicals, and restore wetlands.
I am honored that Secretary Espy has asked me to head up our
national service planning efforts. I will be contacting your
office in the near future to discuss this matter further. In the
meantime, do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 720-4623.
The President's new initiative will allow your students to
boost their personal upward mobility at the same time they serve
their community. Secretary Espy is very enthusiastic about the
prospect of working with you to make this program a success.
Sincerely,
Joel Joel Berg
Director of Public Liaison
Correspondence
UNITED DEPARTMENT O
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Duplicate
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
October 14, 1993
Dr. Julius W. Becton, Jr.
President
P.O. Box 188
Prairie View, TX 77446
Dear President Becton, Jr.:
As you may know, the National Service Trust Act of 1993 was
recently signed into law by President Clinton after it passed both
Houses of Congress by wide margins. Enclosed is a summary of the
new law.
USDA is now developing exciting plans to incorporate into the
President's initiative. Secretary Espy has asked me to write to
the Presidents of 1890 Colleges and Universities to offer your
institution the opportunity to play a major role in planning and
managing these programs.
Your institution can potentially be involved in one of two
ways: by applying to the new Corporation for National Service for
a grant that would go directly to your institution; or, by working
jointly with USDA to develop one of our three proposed corps. In
either case, my office will provide your institution with any
technical assistance and guidance you deem necessary.
On June 11, Secretary Espy testified before the U.S. Senate
Committee on Labor and Human Resources and outlined both the civic
philosophy behind the President's program and the concrete ways in
which our Department will participate. A copy of that testimony is
enclosed.
As you will read in the testimony, the Secretary has directed
the Department to develop three specific proposals: a rural
development corps, an anti-hunger and empowerment corps, and an
environmental corps.
The Rural Development Corps would establish regional clusters
of "professional" and "paraprofessional" participants who could
assist communities in identifying needs and resources necessary for
economic well-being. The participants would have diverse education
and training and would be matched up with individual communities or
regions that have specific needs that can be filled by someone with
that specific background. This Corps could consist of participants
both older and more highly-educated than the other two corps, and
could directly lead to permanent careers in rural development.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
2
The National Empowerment and Anti-Hunger Corps members could
work in urban and rural areas to help low-income families and
individuals move towards self-sufficiency. The main focus of the
Corps could be fighting domestic hunger. Corps members would help
individuals apply for food stamps, WIC, and the school breakfast
program; overhaul their diets; and learn to prevent food-borne
illnesses. Corps members could also help implement the
Administration's innovative anti-poverty empowerment agenda of
expanded Earned Income Tax Credits, assets development programs,
microenterprise loans, and community development banks.
The National Environmental Corps would have both urban and
rural components. Participants would renovate urban and rural
parks, plant trees, perform conservation work in national forests,
teach environmental education, promote urban farming, test water
quality, boost sustainable agriculture, clean-up rivers and lakes,
help families weatherize their homes, instruct the public on how to
dispose of household chemicals, and restore wetlands.
I am honored that Secretary Espy has asked me to head up our
national service planning efforts. I will be contacting your
office in the near future to discuss this matter further. In the
meantime, do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 720-4623.
The President's new initiative will allow your students to
boost their personal upward mobility at the same time they serve
their community. Secretary Espy is very enthusiastic about the
prospect of working with you to make this program a success.
Sincerely,
Joel Berg Beng
Director of Public Liaison
TO: RON BLACKLEY
FROM: JOEL BERG
DATE: OCTOBER 13, 1993
RE: RESPONSE TO ELI SEGAL AND CHRISTINE VARNEY
Here is the draft response to the memorandum from Eli Segal and
Christine Varney. The White House would like you to send it to
Peter Edelman at (fax) 456-6420. In addition, for political
reasons, you should also send a copy to Christine Varney. Also,
you might want to suggest to Christine or Steve Silverman that the
President mention USDA's national service efforts in a Cabinet
meeting.
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
October 13, 1993
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Eli Segal
Christine Varney
Peter Edelman
FROM:
Ron Blackley, Chief of Staff, Department of Agriculture
SUBJECT: USDA Actions to Bolster the President's National Service Initiative
The following is in response to your memo of October 7, 1993. As you will read,
USDA has done more than any other Cabinet Department to promote the President's national
service initiative.
1) How USDA plans to be involved with the national service program as we move forward.
Creating and Running Programs of Our Own:
Secretary Espy has directed Joel Berg, the Director of the USDA Office of Public
Liaison, to prepare proposals for three USDA-run youth service corps to submit to the new
Corporation for National Service: a Rural Development Corps, an Environmental Corps, and
an Anti-Hunger/Empowerment Corps.
The Rural Development Corps would establish regional clusters of "professional" and
"paraprofessional" participants who could assist communities in identifying needs and resources
necessary for economic well-being. The participants would have diverse education and training
and would be matched up with individual communities or regions that have specific needs that
can be filled by someone with that specific background.
The National Environmental Corps would have both urban and rural components.
Participants would renovate urban and rural parks, plant trees, perform conservation work in
national forests, teach environmental education, promote urban farming, test water quality, boost
sustainable agriculture, clean-up rivers and lakes, help families weatherize their homes, instruct
the public on how to dispose of household chemicals, and restore wetlands.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
2
In the Anti-Hunger/Empowerment Corps, participants would work in urban and rural
areas to help low-income families and individuals move towards self-sufficiency. The main focus
of the corps would be fighting domestic hunger. Corps members would help individuals apply
for food stamps, WIC, and the school breakfast program; overhaul their diets; learn to prevent
foodborne illnesses; and obtain the expanded Earned Income Tax Credits, microenterprise loans,
and help from community development banks. In short, this corps would help put into effect
the entire empowerment agenda promoted by President Clinton and Secretary Espy.
Helping Constituency Groups Participate in the Program
USDA will provide significant information and technical assistance to the wide range of
our constituency groups -- including environmental, consumer, farming, higher education,
minority, rural development, agribusiness, and nutrition groups -- to help them apply for funds
from the Corporation for National Service or otherwise become involved in the President's
initiative.
USDA will also develop curriculums in key areas -- such as nutrition, the environment,
and rural development -- for external groups that are planning to run national service programs
related to these areas.
Expanding Our Employee Volunteer Program
USDA will be expanding our programs which allow USDA employees to volunteer in
their community. First, we will be increasing the number of USDA employees in Washington,
D.C. who tutor students at the Van Ness Elementary School in Southeast. In the near future,
we will be taking steps to encourage USDA employees throughout the country to expand their
community service efforts.
2) What USDA has done up to this point to help the Office of National Service implement
the program.
Secretary Espy has PERSONALLY taken the following actions:
a) Given a major speech at Howard University on national service in which he compared the
importance of the President's program to the importance of the original Civil Rights movement.
b) Directed USDA Director of Public Liaison Joel Berg to develop concrete national service
proposals for the Department and to expand employee volunteer efforts.
3
c) Testified before the Senate Labor and Human Resource Committee in support of the
Administration's bill, outlining both the bill's civic philosophy and the Department's plans to
incorporate into the President's initiative.
d) Visited the Van Ness Elementary School in Southeast Washington to meet with students who
have been tutored by USDA employee volunteers at the school.
e) Sent a letter to the Commission on National and Community Service expressing his personal
support, as well as significant institutional backing, for youth service projects undertaken by the
Extension Service.
f) Discussed national service with the Presidents of historically Black land grant institutions.
g) Discussed the proposed USDA Anti-Hunger/Empowerment Corps during a USDA Hunger
Forum which garnered national attention.
h) Directed Joel Berg to travel to all nine of the flood-affected states in the Midwest to
coordinate USDA disaster relief projects with state conservation corps and other youth service
programs.
i) Directed the USDA Extension Service to use 10% of flood relief funds for the Midwest on
youth service projects.
j) Attended a reception on behalf of USDA employees who tutor at a local school.
k) Highlighted the proposed USDA Rural Development Corps at the National Rural
Development Forum he sponsored.
With Secretary Espy's full support, Joel Berg has taken the following actions:
a) Created four working groups of USDA employees from a wide range of agencies to oversee
the development of three national service corps.
b) Detailed a career USDA employee -- who is a former Peace Corps volunteer -- to work full-
time on planning USDA national service projects.
c) Met privately with counterparts from the Departments of Interior, Energy, Education, the
Environmental Protection Agency, and Peace Corps to discuss how our departments can work
together on national service projects.
d) Spoke to over a dozen meetings of various interest groups to explain the President's initiative.
4
e) Mailed information on the President's initiative to hundreds of environmental, consumer,
farming, higher education, minority, rural development, agribusiness, and nutrition groups. Has
begun following up this mailing with phone calls and individual meetings.
f) Travelled to all nine of the flood-affected states in the Midwest to bring together all youth
service specialists involved in flood relief.
g) Publicized Extension Service pilot projects recently funded by the Commission on National
and Community Service; paid particular attention to publicizing programs in Kansas.
h) Explained the President's initiative to television, radio, and print reporters, as well as
newspaper editorial writers, throughout the flood-affected Midwest.
i) Worked with the Extension Service to spend 10% of their flood relief funds on youth service
projects.
j) Visited the National Forest Foundation pilot program in Oregon and offered full institutional
support for the project.
k) Attended every meeting of the Commission on National and Community Service on behalf
of Secretary Espy.
I) Began working with Peace Corps officials to develop a concept paper on how former Peace
Corps volunteers may be utilized in various volunteer capacities with Agriculture's three
corps.
m) Worked with the Department of Education to help plan utilization of work-study funds for
flood-relief community service.
3) A tentative work plan outlining the steps USDA will take over the next months to develop
concrete proposals and ultimately implement them.
By November 30, 1993: Detail staff or obtain full-time help from appropriate agencies to serve
on a USDA working group to hammer out specific details of each corps proposal
By December 15, 1993: Identify possible pilot project locations and partnerships
By January 15, 1994: Sign memorandums of understanding with other federal agencies
By January 25, 1994: Submit preliminary proposal to the Corporation
5
By February 1, 1994: Work with USDA Budget Office to develop potential-line item budget
requests for FY95 budget
By April 1994: Interview and place pilot project personnel
By May 1994: Recruitment of participants for Fall programs begins
By June 1994: Start Summer training for project managers and crew leaders
By September 1, 1994: Begin pilot projects
By October 1, 1994: Have President Clinton and Secretary Espy begin to visit pilot locations
and take credit for their success
16:14
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Phone: (202) 456-6444
Fax: (202) 456-6420
TO: JOEL BERG
ORGANIZATION: DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
FAX: # 720-5043
PHONE#: 720-4623
FROM: KATE FRUCHER
DATE: 1.0$
NUMBER OF PAGES (including cover sheet) : 3
COMMENTS: THIS MAS BEEN SENT TO ALL CHIEFS OF STAFF BY CHRISTINE VARNEY.
just WANTED To AIVE you A HEADS-UP. THE REPORT SHOULD BE BRIEF-- AS you
KNOW, MUCH OF THE GROUNDWORK HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED ALREADY. PLEASE FEEL FREE
To CALL ME IF you HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. REMINDER: INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP
MEETING WILL BE ,IELD WED, OCT 13TH AT 3:00 IN O.E.OB
If you have any problems with the fax transmission, please call
(202) 456-6444.
The document accompanying this facsimile transmittal sheet is
intended only for the use of the individual or the entity to whom
it is addressed. This message contains information which may be
privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under
applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the
intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that any disclosure, dissemination, copying or
distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the
contents of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you
have received this information in error, please notify us
immediately at (202)456-6444.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 7, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL CHIEFS OF STAFF
FROM:
Christine Varney
Eli Segal EL
SUBJECT: Report on Departments' Involvement with National Service
When the President signed the National and Community Service
Trust Act of 1993 into law on the South Lawn of the White House a
few weeks ago, he directed the Cabinet and heads of federal
agencies to "redouble their efforts to use service -- community
grass-roots service -- to accomplish their fundamental missions. "
This is not the first time the President has expressed his
interest in involving departments in national service. He has
mentioned it in Cabinet meetings, conducted an inventory of all
existing department-sponsored service programs, and, last spring,
asked Peter Edelman to chair an Interagency Working Group on
National Service.
As Eli Segal, Assistant to the President and Director of the
White House Office of National Service, begins to implement this
new program, we now ask that you turn from generating ideas to
creating concrete proposals. Grants may be available to
departments from the new Corporation for National and Community
Service, on a competitive basis, as early as next spring.
At this crucial point, Eli has asked that each department submit
a brief report by Friday, October 15th, updating his office on
the following issues:
(1) How your department plans to be involved with the national
service program as we move forward.
Among other things, this may mean adding service components
to existing programs or developing new service initiatives
altogether either using the department's own funds or by
applying to the new Corporation for grants; helping with
outreach efforts by informing potential grantees about the
program; including discussions of service in speeches and
op-eds; expanding opportunities for employee volunteerism
and finding other ways to promote the ethic of service
throughout the federal government.
10/08/93
16:15
202 456 6632
NATIONAL SERUICE
1.
003
(2) what your department has done up to this point to help the
Office of National service implement the program.
Please briefly describe any significant events like internal
staff meetings, meetings with other department staff to
begin to build partnerships around certain issues, meetings
with outside constituents, or mentions of national service
in speeches or department newsletters which have occured
over the past few months. We would like to document them.
(3) A tentative work plan outlining the steps your department
will take over the next few months to develop concrete
proposals and ultimately to implement them. Steps rate Per
by see.
Please fax responses to Peter Edelman or Kate Frucher at the
Step Dhil for Due Ben
White House Office of National Service (202) 456-6420. If you have
any questions, feel free to Peter at (202)690-8157 or Kate at
(202) 456-6444.
We recognize that most departments have been working with the
Office of National Service on many facets of this initiative for
a number of months. We greatly appreciate your efforts and
enthusiasm and look forward to continuing to work with you on
this exciting new program.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
UNITED AGICULTURE 1 STATES SUNITED STATES do DEPARTMENT
October 15, 1993
DATE:
CHRISTINE VARNEY
SENT TO:
PHONE #:
FAX #:
456-2983
NUMBER OF PAGES SENT:
6
(excluding cover sheet)
RON BLACKLEY
FROM:
PHONE #: 202-720-3631
FAX #:
202-720-5437
COMMENTS:
COPY SENT TO PETER EDELMAN
CONFIDENTIAL
DETERMINED TO BE AN
To:
Ron Blackley
ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
INITIALS: SML DATE: 4/26/2023
From:
Joel Berg
2013-0661 F Segment 3
Date:
October 1, 1993
Subject:
The Extension Service and Flood Relief
I have received proposals from the Extension Service indicating that they are planning
to spend the flood relief money you set-aide for youth service in a manner that contradicts not
only your intent, but their own stated intent.
As you will read from the attached proposals, they plan to mostly run programs which
serve young people, NOT ones in which young people serve their community. In fact, eight of
the nine proposals are labeled "youth development," not youth service. Only the Wisconsin and
Iowa proposals constitute actual youth service. In the rest of the proposals, real youth service -
- if mentioned at all -- is nothing more than an afterthought.
Some examples of what the Extension Service wants to do with the flood money you set-
aside for youth service:
* Print "four thousand copies of four issues of the When Rural Problems Come to School
Newsletter" to be distributed to teachers.
*
Create a "stress camp" for youth (ages 13 through 17) to provide alternative behaviors and
actions as they relate to stress." The camp will run a "Adventure Course to emphasize self
esteem..." and an "Outdoor Education" program to "present information in environmental
programming and will discuss weather cycles and how this impacts natural resources and
personal stewardship."
*
Run an after school program "dealing with stress, self esteem, and communication skills."
*
Manage a program to "integrate local mental health professionals and local educators" to
"combine therapeutic and education programs."
* Use "impromptu theater techniques" to "enhance coping techniques in dealing with stress."
Imagine this headline story in the Kansas City Star: "USDA Doesn't
Have Enough Money To Save Farmers Or Waive State Matching
Requirements, But Finds Enough Money To Fund Day Camps and Theater
Workshops."
In our recent meeting with Mitchell Geasler, he gave us the attached document in which
the Extension Service proposed using 10% of their funds for six different types of youth service
projects. Five of the six proposed types of projects were real community service, and only one
was focused on stress reduction. Yet almost all the new proposals focus ONLY on stress
reduction. In other words, the Extension Service not only ignored your directive, but they
failed to even carry out their own proposal.
I have strong reason to believe that the stress reduction proposals were planned by the
Extension Service long before we even began discussion about how to use the money for your
service. In response to your directive, they seem to have done little more than re-name old
proposals.
MY PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE:
Use most of the 10% of the Midwest funds -- $290,000 -- to manage the Department
of Education's program to have THOUSANDS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS PERFORM
MONTHS WORTH OF SERIOUS FLOOD CLEAN-UP WORK.
The White House is very excited by this prospect. We could potentially have thousands
of young people working within a few weeks. Imagine President Clinton and Secretary visiting
a site during Thanksgiving to work alongside youths wearing "AMERICORPS/TEAM USDA"
tee-shirts and serving turkey dinners to families homeless because of the flood.
I would urge you to make a high-ranking Extension Service employee personally
responsible for the success of this project. This person should be knowledgeable of, and excited
by, youth service. Dr. Alma Hobbs would be a perfect choice, who should soon be free from
her National Performance Review duties.
current
EXTENSION FLOOD RELIEF/YOUTH SERVICE PROPOSALS
STATE: WI
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Natural Disaster Recovery Assistance Program
For Wisconsin
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH INVOLVEMENT:
identifying involvius ways of
4-H and Youth state specialists and county agents will train volunteers, coordinate
local community efforts in identification involvement of youth in local community
service projects and programs to assist families and citizens recovery.
Okoak
Youth opportunities in partnership with adults and peers in community service
programs will provide experience in responding to disasters, assessing damage, and
assisting those affected. The following programs involve adults and pears
Agent and specialist teams will provide training, coordination and support for
community-based youth and community service programs developed at the local level.
Local volunteers will be trained in community service projects identified in their
communities.
Specialists and agents will provide leadership in coordinating and training additional
volunteers, local school personnel and other community groups to develop local peer
support groups and programs for youth to assist them in dealing with family and
personal stress and anxiety.
STATE: MN
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Minnesota Flood Plan
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
The University of Minnesota Extension Service (MES) will implement a newsletter,
stress relief curriculum, and reducing youth violence through mentoring componentS.
Four thousand copies of the four issues of the When Rural Problems Come to School
Newsletter will be published during the school year for school educators. Publication
topics will include stress management, self respect, communication and peer listening
skills, an update on the disaster, and how teachers can help identify students and
families that need assistance. Each newsletter will contain two classroom activities.
A stress relief curriculum will target preschool through sixth grade youth and will teach
positive coping skills for dealing with stress or changes in their lives. Stress Relief is a
primary prevention program to provide training, consultation, and education resources
in stress management education for day care, Head Start, and public school teachers for
ages 3 through grade 6. The demonstration project has been developed by the
Preschool Stress Relief Program group in Atlanta, Georgia. Partners include regional
offices of the Department of Education, Early Childhood education (ECFE), and
Partners in Prevention. Others will be added.
The goal of the reducing youth violence through mentoring component is to reduce
criminal activity and negative behavior, including substance use/abuse, through
positive role modeling provided by volunteering mentors. Outcomes include increased
self esteem in youth and mentors, improved quality of life for the youth and the
mentors, increased academic performance, decision making skills and community
involvement of the youth, and decreased incidence and impact of negative behaviors
by high risk youth. MES will partner with the Southwest Minnesota Education
Collaboration to act as a resource center for local mentoring efforts, assisting with
recruitment, screening, and training of the volunteer mentors, establishing connections
between current mentoring activities.
STATE: NE
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Flood Recovery Assistance
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
A stress camp will be conducted for youth (ages 13 through 17) to provide alternative
behaviors and actions as they learn to relate to stress. Programming will consist of
three major program blocks: 1) Adventure Course to emphasize self esteem and build
team work skills; 2) Stress Connection exercises to provide youth with alternative
behaviors, coping, strategies and communications and skills for dealing with feelings
of hopelessness; and 3) Outdoor education will present information in environmental
programming and will discuss weather cycles and how this impacts natural resources
and personal stewardship.
facilities at
Youth will also receive training and will be encouraged to participate in community
service programs to reconstruct damages to parks, recreation facilities, and
fairgrounds. Youth and volunteer leaders will plan and prepare a mini-grant proposal
to cleanup and repair local and community damage. we A review committee will evaluate
the proposals and allocate the resources on a selection basis. When possible,
matching dollars on a local OF community basis will be encouraged. Service to
community, service learning and "Community Pride" are methods currently utilized in
4-H Youth Development programming.
STATE: IL
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Illinois Flood Recovery Centers
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
Four flood response centers will provide special programs for youth. These programs
include the opportunity for youth involvement in recovery activities and providing
assistance with child care, educational activities before and after school programs, and
weekend recreation programs for children of adults involved in flood related activities.
Before and after school youth programs will be established at no fewer than one site
in each of the flood control center areas. The programs will utilize existing youth-at-
risk curricula and curriculum developed by Extension specialists and educators. A
major portion of the curriculum dealing with stress, self esteem, and communication
skills will be featured in the programs. The Youth Helper Training Program will utilize
existing materials including "Tackling Tough Stuff", "Circle of Support", "Youth in
Action", and "Positive Peer Power". Sponsored activities will include opportunities for
youth to become involved in flood damage clean-up and repair and other flood
recovery projects.
Teams of youth volunteers will be recruited from area schools and the collegiate ranks.
Each team will be screened and instructed on proper use of the curricula and
supporting activities. The teams will be supervised by a Volunteer Coordinator at each
site.
STATE: IA
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: lowa Extension Flood Recovery Assistance Centers
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
Project objectives include a youth service corps, in-service education for school
personnel and others to help understand and reduce stress,-and-efforts to involve
youth as partners in flood recovery efforts.
Youth ages 14 to 19 will be selected to participate in a youth service corps. Youth will
be paid for work on trails and other repair projects at the flood damaged lowa 4-H
Education and Natural Resources Center. Youth will receive training throughout the
work experience, including: life skills, safe and wise use of equipment and materials in
reconstruction projects, understanding ecological principles, lowa woodland, prairie
and riparian environments, interrelationships between living things and the
responsibility for the integrity of many of those relationships, basic first aid, CPR, and
an appreciation of work relationships with peers and supervisors.
4
To address stress and youth depression, Extension specialists will provide training on
understanding and coping with youth depression to school teachers, 4-H leaders,
school officials, service organizations, and others who interact with youth. Peer
support groups will be developed in at least one community in each of the eight
Extension Flood Recovery Assistance Centers.
lowa State University Extension youth field specialists will assist communities in
identifying and developing local flood recovery projects that will involve youth as
partners with adults. Project proposals will be reviewed by a central committee, with
at least one project per Flood Recovery Assistance Center selected. Work to carry
out projects will be done by youth and adult volunteers.
*STATE: MO
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Missouri Flood Education Program
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
Educational programs will be implemented to address family and youth stress. This
effort will integrate local mental health professionals and local educators to provide
long term, interagency programming that combines therapeutic and education
programs. Programs will include child and parent education, strategies addressed to
children in school, child care systems and families, and information for employers.
Community service perogramming will mobilize youth and adult volunteers, support
existing volunteer systems involved in efforts to assist families and youth experiencing
stress. Adult and youth representatives will be included in planning and implementing
this component.
*STATE: ND
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Flood Recovery Assistance Program
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
An objective of this project is to provide opportunities for youth volunteers to work as
a team to assist in their community. Interested youth will be encouraged to partner
with adults in the local communities to organize and conduct work projects to help
restore community familities or proviate property damaged by flooding. They will also
plan and conduct other programs where youth can volunteer to work in teams or
individually to assist other youth and adults in their communities who have been
adversely affected by the flooding. The youth volunteer programs will be designed to
meet specific needs of individual communities.
*STATE: SD
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Project Rebound
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
A school program using impromptu theater techniques will be developed to target 3 to
6 grade youth to develop an awareness and enhance their coping techniques in
dealing with stress. The program will be presented to the target audience through
school assembly programs.
Referral information on "Project Recovery" will be left with the youth, classroom
teachers and school personnel. Classroom teachers will be surveyed to determined
the 3 to 6 grade youths increased awareness in stress management and coping
techniques.
Classroom teachers and school personnel will be queried as to number of participating
youth who request referral information on "Project Recovery", which is the title for the
FEMA sponsored program providing counseling for impacted farm and agribusiness
families.
STATE: KS
TITLE OF PROPOSAL: Kansas EFRAC Draft Proposal
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
No input on youth program focus.
original
Phoposal
EXTENSION SERVICE
SCOPE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
Recognizing the strengths of the youth program, Extension can team youth and adults
to provide community service that helps alleviate some of the consequences from the
floods. This program will provide youth an opportunity to partner with adults to build on
their strengths and make a difference in their communities. A variety of programs will
include: (1) development of teams of youth and adults who can assist communities in
identifying and organizing work projects; (2) development of teams of youth trained to
discuss stress, depression and concerns related to their family and the flood and to
conduct forums/meetings with youth and adults; (3) mobilizing teams of youth volunteers
to assist the elderly with clean-up and removal of flood debris; (4) training for teens to
provide childcare/recreation programs for children of parents involved in flood related
activities; (5) development of teams of youth trained to help with structural repair of
homes; businesses; and (6) assessment and implementation of larger short-term projects
when a large number of youth can focus on one project that can be completed in a short
time and other projects that meet community needs. The size and scope of projects will
vary based on community needs and could include both volunteer and stipend programs
for youth involvement.
It is expected that States will use between 5 and 10 percent of allocated funds to conduct
these efforts. This will allow for a program level of approximately $200,000.
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
digitization capabilities, we are sometimes unable to adequately
scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
September
Divider Title:
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF VERICULTURA
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
September 22, 1993
Dear Friend:
As you may know, President Clinton signed the National
Service Trust Act of 1993 into law on September 21 at the White
House. The bill passed the Senate by a wide margin with broad
bipartisan support on September 8, and earlier, had similarly
passed the House.
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy recently announced
exciting plans for the USDA to incorporate into President
Clinton's national service initiative. Our community service
programs will promote many of your organization's goals, but I
thought you might be especially interested to know of our efforts
to reduce hunger and bolster nutrition education.
On June 11, Secretary Espy testified before the U.S. Senate
Committee on Labor and Human Resources and outlined both the
civic philosophy behind the President's program and the concrete
ways in which our Department will participate. A copy of the
testimony is enclosed.
As you will read in the testimony, Secretary Espy has
directed the Department to develop three specific proposals: a
rural development corps, an empowerment and anti-hunger corps,
and an environmental corps.
The National Empowerment and Anti-Hunger Corps members could
work in urban and rural areas to help low-income families and
individuals move towards self-sufficiency. The main focus of the
Corps could be fighting domestic hunger. Corps members would
help individuals apply for food stamps, WIC, and the school
breakfast program; overhaul their diets; and learn to prevent
food-borne illnesses. Corps members could also help implement
the Administration's innovative anti-poverty empowerment agenda
of expanded Earned Income Tax Credits, assets development
programs, microenterprise loans, and community development banks.
The National Environmental Youth Corps, possibly managed in
conjunction with the Interior Department and the Environmental
Protection Agency, would have urban and rural components. Corps
members could work on such projects as protecting our national
forests and national, state, and municipal parks, promoting urban
gardening, developing rural recreation areas, and teaching
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
(2)
environmentally safe sustainable agriculture techniques.
The National Rural Development Corps could establish teams
of "professional" and "paraprofessional" members who could assist
communities in identifying needs and resources necessary for
economic well-being. The Corps members could assist communities
in locating financial resources, preparing proposals, designing
educational programs, and implementing strategies necessary for
revitalization. This Corps could consist of participants both
older and more highly educated than the other two Corps, and
could directly lead to permanent careers in rural development.
I am proud that the Secretary has asked me to head up
planning these efforts. My office will be contacting you in the
near future to discuss how we can work together with your
organization to implement any or all of these proposals.
Additionally, if your organization wants to make an independent
proposal on its own to be potentially funded by the President's
initiative, we can offer you substantial technical assistance.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about this or any
other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me at 202-720-
4623.
Joel Sincerely, Berg Berg
Director of Public Liaison
Questions on Pub land Corps
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Federally Operated
level be able To perform
project work 01 all public
lands (State, Muni, Non Profit (Hospitak
etc) equally E interchangechly?
as well as Fed lands.
a) What if we get pattnership
$ from The STaTe/Local/Prive
level ? will ThaT enable
This Type of Flexibility? ?
b) How does The NTE 75%
Fed# share affect partnering
where a Fed operated program
wishes To work with a STaTe
operated program which IS
funded through PLC ?
does The Fed 8 change
'color' when IT is accepted
by The STaTe
nos
&
MEMORANDUM:
JAMES GILLILAND
GENERAL COUNSEL
FROM:
JOEL BERG
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC LIAISON/NATIONAL SERVICE
DATE:
SEPTEMBER 20, 1993
RE:
NATIONAL SERVICE LAW AND USDA SERVICE PROGRAMS
I am enclosing copies of two documents: H.R. 2010, the National
Service Trust Act of 1993, and the Draft Action Plan for the
USDA/National Service Programs that I have been developing on
behalf of Secretary Espy.
The legislation directs USDA to create a public lands corps;
additionally it gives all federal agencies the ability to apply for
funds to run new national service programs. Still, I have a few
questions, which I have listed below, for which I need your legal
guidance. If you are unable to answer my questions from reading the
statute alone, I might be able to schedule a meeting between your
office and someone at the White House who help drafted the Bill.
In addition, could you review the documents and advise me on the
following issues:
GENERAL
What legal steps would we need to take to meet the Secretary's
pledge that USDA will establish three national service corps: an
environmental corps, an empowerment and anti-hunger corps, and a
rural development corps, as proposed in the Draft Action Plan.
FUNDRAISING
1) What restrictions might there be on myself or members of the
USDA national service management team raising private funds?
2) Specifically, can we raise monies from "prohibited sources?"
3) Can we use funds privately raised to supplement the amount of
the educational voucher given to those who complete a year of
community service?
4) Do we need special permission from the CFC to raise money from
our employees?
(more)
(2)
BUDGET
1) Our intention is to ask for funds in line items in the 1995
budget. However, we will have relatively small planning and start-
up costs before October 1, 1994. How can we pay for these costs
out of the program funds of various agencies?
ENVIRONMENTAL CORPS
Does the USDA environmental corps proposal meet the legislative
requirements of the public lands corps?
Working through the Forest Service and the Soil Conservation
Service, what would be the process of doing work on private lands?
RURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPS
Does the rural development corps we propose meet the requirements
of the professional corps and/or the rural development program
outlined in the bill?
CC: Stephen Dewhurst
"neversted
brief
all
MEMORANDUM:
JAMES GILLILAND
OGCs a in group.
GENERAL COUNSEL
FROM:
JOEL BERG
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC LIAISON/NATIONAL SERVICE
DATE:
SEPTEMBER 20, 1993
RE:
NATIONAL SERVICE LAW AND USDA SERVICE PROGRAMS
I am enclosing copies of two documents: H.R. 2010, the National
Service Trust Act of 1993, and the Draft Action Plan for the
USDA/National Service Programs that I have been developing on
behalf of Secretary Espy.
The legislation directs USDA to create a public lands corps;
additionally it gives all federal agencies the ability to apply for
funds to run new national service programs. Still, I have a few
questions, which I have listed below, for which I need your legal
guidance. If you are unable to answer my questions from reading the
statute alone, I might be able to schedule a meeting between your
office and someone at the White House who help drafted the Bill.
In addition, could you review the documents and advise me on the
following issues:
GENERAL
What legal steps would we need to take to meet the Secretary's
pledge that USDA will establish three national service corps: an
environmental corps, an empowerment and anti-hunger corps, and a
rural development corps, as proposed in the Draft Action Plan.
FUNDRAISING
1) What restrictions might there be on myself or members of the
USDA national service management team raising private funds?
2) Specifically, can we raise monies from "prohibited sources?"
3) Can we use funds privately raised to supplement the amount of
the educational voucher given to those who complete a year of
community service?
4) Do we need special permission from the CFC to raise money from
our employees?
(more)
(2)
budget
1) Our intention is to ask for funds in line items in the 1995
budget. However, we will have relatively small planning and start-
up costs before October 1, 1994. How can we pay for these costs
out of the program funds of various agencies?
ENVIRONMENTAL CORPS
Does the USDA environmental corps proposal meet the legislative
requirements of the public lands corps?
Working through the Forest Service and the Soil Conservation
Service, what would be the process of doing work on private lands?
RURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPS
Does the rural development corps we propose meet the requirements
of the professional corps and/or the rural development program
outlined in the bill?
It would be most helpful if I could have your responses to these
questions in writing. Thanks in advance for your help.
CC: Stephen Dewhurst
PRESERVATION
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
September 20, 1993
DECISION MEMO FOR THE SECRETARY
From:
Joel Berg, Deputy Director of Public Affairs
adB
Through:
Ali Webb, Director of Public Affairs
Subject:
Next Steps for National Service at USDA
ISSUE:
As you know, the National Service Trust Act will be signed by President Clinton tomorrow.
While slightly scaled-down in cost and size, the final law basically resembles the broad outlines of
the national service program that Clinton proposed during the campaign. It is a major victory for
both President Clinton and the "New Democrat" politics championed by the DLC.
The House version of the bill contained an amendment by Congressman George Miller mandating
that USDA run an environmental corps on public lands. Since you had previously testified in the
Senate about your intention for USDA to run precisely such a program, we strongly supported the
amendment and it was included in the final conference bill.
As a direct consequence of your vocal public support for national service, I have been able to
obtain strong backing for our long-term planning efforts from most USDA agencies. The White
House has continually recognized USDA as the leading Cabinet department in promoting the
initiative, which is one of the President's top priorities.
USDA is also playing a major role in coordinating flood relief efforts tied to youth service. Ron
brokered a compromise between myself and the Extension Service wherein a minimum of 10% of
the disaster relief money spent by the Extension Service in the Midwest -- a minimum of $290,000
-- will be used for 4-H youth service projects. Additionally, John Maynor and I are working
closely with Secretary of Education Riley's office to determine what role we can have in helping
manage a program authorized by the disaster bill that will allow up to $8 million in work-study
funds to be used for Midwest college students involved in community flood relief projects.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
2
With regard to our long-term, non-flood related planning, we have made great progress. I have
informally solicited help from over 30 different USDA employees in 10 different agencies.
However, now that the bill has become law, I believe we should institutionalize our planning group
into a cross-agency management team, which will eventually run our Anti-Hunger, Nutrition, and
Empowerment Corps, our Rural Development Corps, and our Environmental Corps.
In order to properly run a complex and challenging new program, I believe we need to build a
management team comprised of some of the most talented and highly motivated employees from a
wide range of USDA agencies. My goal is to make the assignment to the national service
management team one of the most prestigious and sought-after jobs in the Department. With your
continued support, national service will be a flagship project demonstrating the effectiveness of
your "Team USDA."
DECISION # 1:
I recommend detailing six career employees from various USDA agencies to work full-time on
developing our national service initiatives. I recommend selecting the detailees after conducting a
Department-wide search open to all USDA employees. I recommend that at least three of the six
employees will have program experience in nutrition, rural development, and natural resources. I
further recommend that you direct the Assistant Secretary for Administration to find office space
for at least nine employees to work together. (The six detailees, my assistant, and two full-time,
non-paid interns.)
Agree
Date
Disagree
Discuss with me
DECISION # 2:
I recommend that, by either meeting or memo, you communicate to your Sub-Cabinet and the
relevant Agency Administrators that national service is an important priority for both the President
and yourself. I recommend that you ask them to give full support for non-reimbursable details for
the six employees mentioned above.
Agree to do in a meeting
Date
Agree to do by memo
Disagree
Discuss with me
To: Secretary Espy
From: Joel Berg
Date: September 17, 1993
Re: Your Press Conference with Fellow Cabinet Secretaries
In your 2:30 p.m. press conference today with fellow African-
American Cabinet Secretaries, you might want to point to national
service as one of the key Clinton initiatives of benefit to the
African-American community.
The bill will be signed into law by President Clinton next
Tuesday morning.
Some points:
* USDA's programs that are being developed as part of the
President's initiative -- a Rural Development Corps, an Anti-Hunger
and Empowerment Corps, and an Environmental Corps (with both urban
and rural components) --- will all have direct benefits to African-
Americans.
* All our programs will be developed in close consultation with the
1890 institutions.
* The National Service Trust Fund will provide a much-needed
additional source of college aide for African-American youth.
* Many of the people who benefit from the projects performed by
national service in urban and rural areas will be African-American.
*
National service will bring together Americans from all races.
B: EJelmin
1
To: Peter Edelman
From: Joel Berg, Katherine Gibney
Date: September 16, 1993
Re: Responses to Your September 14 Request
I. Program Ideas
Secretary Espy has directed me to develop three different
proposals for incorporation into the President's national service
program: a National Empowerment (Nutrition and Anti-Hunger) Corps,
a National Environmental Corps, and a National Rural Development
Corps. We hope that all three proposals can be funded by a
combination of Corporation for National Service funds, USDA program
funds, and private contributions. We could potentially run the
Empowerment Corps in conjunction with HHS and HUD; we could
potentially run the Environmental Corps in conjunction with
Interior, EPA, Energy, and Commerce.
(Late today I will fax you updated "action plans" for the
above three corps.)
A national service component should be an integral part of all the
Administration's major initiatives:
Heath Care - The USDA Empowerment Corps could play a role in
implementing pilot nutrition programs that should be part of our
overall health care reform efforts. The Empowerment Corps could
also target the infant mortality problem by sponsoring "healthy
baby festivals" in which youth servers would coordinate community
or block parties that would -- amid festive music and food --
provide baby weighings, information on USDA feeding programs, and
general health advice and referrals. The Empowerment Corps could
also be used to develop the state infrastructure needed to meet the
President's goal of fully funding WIC.
Other service programs could aid HHS in administering its
immunization program. Other programs could have young people
provide necessities to shut-in senior citizens so that they do not
have to enter nursing homes.
The Commission on National and Community Service has just made
a major grant to the Kansas Cooperative Extension Service for a
rural health care delivery project. Emergency medical services and
Extension Service 4-H offices in several southeastern Kansas
counties will establish service corps that train "first responder"
volunteers who provide initial medical care before emergency
vehicles arrive. Participants also will manage health education
and immunization programs.
2
Welfare Reform- The USDA Empowerment Corps could also be tied to
pilot projects in assets development, microenterprise, and
electronic benefits transfer.
The USDA Environmental Corps could help welfare recipients in
both rural and urban areas grow their own food.
The USDA Rural Development Corps could be used to help design
pilot job training programs in distressed rural areas.
School-to-Work - As you know, the national service legislation
makes it clear that the educational vouchers can be used to pay for
apprenticeship programs. As much as possible, we should fund
national service projects in the same communities that we fund
apprenticeship projects; eventually, all American young people who
don't want to go to college should be able to "graduate" from
service programs and enter apprenticeship programs. Additionally,
participants in advanced stages of apprenticeship programs should
be able to train youth corps participants in specific skills; for
instance, a participant in an electronics training program could
train youth corps members to do basic re-wiring in flood damaged
homes.
Dislocations From NAFTA, Forest Plan, and Defense Conversion -The
USDA Rural Development Corps could be specifically targeted at
rural at communities facing short-term job dislocations because of
NAFTA, the Northwest Forest Plan, or military base closings or
defense plant shut-downs.
II. Policy Questions
How can the Corporation properly assure a proper balance between
state and federal roles?
I believe strongly that the federal government should play the
lead role in creating one national IDENTITY for national service.
Currently, the general public has virtually no knowledge of
existing programs or the Clinton national service initiative.
There should be one national logo on all materials, a national
uniform, nationally consistent training materials, etc.
Additionally, each service project should have a permanent,
large, and highly visible billboard next to it displaying the
national logo and explaining that the project was funded as part of
the federal national service initiative. In smaller print, the
billboards should have the name of every corps member who worked on
that particular project.
3
The federal government should set concrete goals based on the
one clear and consistent philosophy of service. Then it should
empower the states to use the full force of their creativity to
devise the widest array of service programs to meet those goals and
carry out that philosophy.
How can the Corporation build strong partnerships with states and
still retain sufficient control over quality?
The Corporation should devise a set of perhaps ten basic rules
firm rules -- in addition to requirements in the law -- for
awarding grants. The rules can either be in formal regulations or
in the informal practice of the Corporation, but should NEVER be
broken. Some suggestions:
1) No program shall be funded if the socio-economic composition of
its participants is not at least roughly similar to socio-economic
composition to the metropolitan area or rural region in which that
program is situated. No program should be funded if it does not
include a representative mix of both white and non-white youth.
2) All programs funded must focus primarily on meeting on unmet
human needs.
3) No program should be funded if the proposal can not name a
specific set of projects that will be performed to benefit the host
community.
4) No program should be funded if the work to be performed by
participants will DUPLICATE (instead of SUPPLEMENT) work already
performed by government employees or community volunteers.
5) No program should be funded if the proposal specifies that the
participants will be engaged in controversial advocacy work such as
organizing rent strikes, religious proselytizing, or union
organizing.
6) All programs funded should contain a civic education component.
7) No program should be funded if it is not willing to take all
required actions to continually reinforce its ties to the larger
national program.
8) No program should be funded if it does not have in place a
proven management team with experience in youth service.
9) All programs funded should have specific plans for future
expansion.
10) No inadequate proposal should be funded as a result of
political pressure.
4
After a short yet clear set of concrete rules are set, the states
should be set free to run any types of programs that fit both the
laws and the rules.
Are there examples of effective "state commission type entities?
What are the lessons we can learn from them?
The Cooperative Extension Service, the Forest Service, and the
Rural Development Administration of the USDA each operate programs
with decentralized state structures parallel to the Corporation's
plans for program administration.
The experience with the USDA programs indicates that building
a strong partnership with states will require an excellent state
intelligence network -- mechanisms for gathering necessary
information -- and personnel within the Corporation in Washington
with adequate knowledge about the state. The quality of resources
will differ with each state and our intelligence should include
should be used to decide which information should be funnelled into
federal planning. Building coalitions with state and local
organizations also will be vital.
Our programs have shown us that establishing standards, a clear
definition of mutually agreed upon objectives, and an effective
system of monitoring will provide the greatest assurance of quality
control. The greater the involvement and autonomy on the local
level, the more successful the partnership. Empowerment, along
with an excellent system of monitoring and evaluation, are good
substitutes for excessive control from the top. Electronic
communication system between the state and local level and the
Corporation also helps. The monitoring and evaluation should be
constant and feedback immediate, with a wide sharing of lessons.
With regard to effective "state commission type entities,' the
Cooperative Extension Service operates as a federal, state, and
local program through five Commissions on Organization and Policy,
national boards with at least three members elected from the local
area. The Forest Service has numerous cooperative programs
throughout the country with state and local partners. These
councils, commissions, and alliances grow out of local people
organizing coalitions because of a local need. In general, a
Forest Service employee sits on these commissions as a liaison
only, with no voting power. About three years ago, the Rural
Development Administration established State Rural Development
Councils, partnerships with state agencies, local government, and
the private sector.
The USDA agencies have found that seed money and technical
assistance buy leverage and goes a lot way towards developing
cooperation. Negotiating should be in a sense of cooperation and
partnership and should not appear to be regulating.
5
What are the most effective types of leverage?
As discussed above, I believe it is critical to set clear
quality standards up front and refuse so much as a cent of funding
to any program that does not meet those standards. We should be
adamant about not funding programs that are not socio-economically
diverse. The Summer of Service was not as strict as it should have
been in this regard.
Technical assistance and training will also be critical. The
Corporation should pay for successful national service
practitioners -- such as City Year veterans -- to visit with new
project designers before, during, and after the start-up phase of
each program. A few issues will require the most technical
assistance:
-- assuring diversity
-- obtaining private and non-profit funding
-- selecting and managing service projects
-- motivating and/or disciplining participants
-- creating a civic education curriculum
The federal government should also continually monitor state
programs. If they stop meeting any requirement of the law or
regulation, if a correction can not be negotiated immediately, the
funding should be pulled. It will be better to make a few internal
enemies, than allow any potential public embarrassments to
continue.
How can the Corporation evaluate and monitor programs?
Federal and monitoring evaluation should continue throughout
the year. Evaluation should NOT be primarily based on piles of
reports and studies, but on the first-hand observations of a roving
group of federal evaluators conducting surprise spot checks of
service projects.
How can the Corporation best use technology to enhance the overall
program?
The Cooperative Extension service has an excellent computer
network that ties together all its federal, state, and county
offices through Internet. The Cooperative Extension Service also
has an excellent network of satellite down-link facilities that can
receive signals from the USDA headquarters in Washington as well as
elsewhere.
6
We hope that all the participants in the USDA Rural
Development Corps will be connected by a computer network that will
allow them to share a common date-base of rural development
knowledge, E-Mail messages to each other, and tap into Internet.
Ultimately, I would recommend tying all programs funded by the
Corporation into one computer network. The Corporation should then
produce daily "talker points" or one page newslettersthat is sent
to all programs and distributed at the morning corps meetings to
all service participants. The daily updates should take about
developments in the national program, as well as highlight a
different local program, each day; such a daily communication
should help build the identity of the national program. These
daily updates can also be faxed or E-mailed to the media.
III. Outreach
USDA has already mailed information about the National Service
Act to hundreds of our constituency groups in farming and
agribusiness, consumer and nutrition, environment and natural
resources, rural development, and higher education.
We hope to meet collectively and individually with many of
these groups in the days and weeks ahead. We would be pleased to
coordinate these meetings with the White house and/or the
Corporation.
Later in the process, we intend to provide detailed
information and technical assistance to any of pour constituency
groups that want to apply for funds. We also intend to help
develop environmental curriculums and nutrition and anti-hunger
curriculums to make available for any groups that want to run
programs in either of those areas.
We should all conduct outreach through the widest range of
delivery mechanisms: personal briefings, satellite teleconferences,
mailings, events, conference calls, the news media, and public
service announcements.
MEMORANDUM TO SECRETARY ESPY
FROM: KATHERINE GIBNEY
OFFICE OF PUBLIC LIAISON
DATE: SEPTEMBER 13, 1993
RE: VISIT OF UKRAINIANS TO USDA ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1933
The 50 Ukrainians that you will greet during the 10:30 a.m.
press opportunity on the patio Tuesday, September 14, are on their
way to the Midwest to help with flood relief,
The flood effort is an act of appreciation on the part of the
Ukrainians, who hosted 100 Iowa farmers, agronomists, and
technicians last spring. The Americans planted 500,000 acres of
corn in the Eastern European country as part of Operation Farm
Ukraine, a U.S./Ukrainian business venture and people-to-people
exchange designed to foster goodwill between the two countries.
(Joel Berg represented you in Chicago at a sendoff press conference
for the Americans when they went to Ukraine.)
The Ukrainians saw news reports of the flood devastation.
Since they had no other resources, the Ukrainians felt the only
thing they could offer in return was their labor. Because it is
the harvest season in Ukraine, the group consists primarily of
neighbors of the farmers who hosted the Americans.
Some of the Ukrainian farmers and skilled workers --
carpenters, plumbers, electricians, heavy equipment operators, and
mechanics -- will live with farmers in communities in Iowa,
Illinois, and Missouri. In St. Charles, Missouri, Ukrainian
mechanics will help repair equipment submerged in flood waters.
The visitors will assist with farm, field, greenhouse, and machine
shed cleanup and fence repair in Carthage, Illinois, and Van Buren
County, Iowa. In Chelsea, Iowa, and at Iowa State University in
Ames, the Ukrainians will cleanup and repair public buildings,
Sponsors of Operation Farm Ukraine include Trans-Chemical
Corporation of Miami, Florida, ICI Seeds of Des Moines, Citibank,
J. I. Case, John Deere and Company, and Zemlya and Lyudi, A
Ukrainian firm and designated representative of the Ukraine
Ministry of Agriculture. Financing for the project has been
guaranteed by the Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
The project's public/private partnership is an excellent
example of the principles of reinventing government. The people-to-
people exchange and the flood-relief work represent the best of the
concept of national service.
To: Kate Frucher
From: Joel Berg
Date: September 9, 1993
Re: Invites for the Bill Signing
Thanks for the invite to the bill signing. If Secretary Espy is
in town, I will try to get him to attend. Also, I would appreciate it
if I could bring my national service assistant, Katherine Gibney, who
is also a former Peace Corps volunteer.
Per our discussion, below are a list of some DLC-types who were
involved in the issue from the beginning and should be irvited. Many
of the names will be obvious, but I just want to help you make sure no
one important slips through the cracks:
Senator Sam Nunn
Senator Chuck Robb
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Senator John Glenn
Rep. John Lewis
Rep. Barbara Kennelly
Rep. Dave McCurdy
Rep. Tim Penny
Professor Charles Moskos - Wrote proposal that became basis of
Clinton plan; BC once promised to invite him to the bill signing
Al From - Democratic Leadership Council President
Will Marshall - Progressive Policy Institute President, who wrote
book "Citizenship and National Service"
Donald Eberly - head of National Service Secretariat
Joe Duffy - Now Director of USIA; was one of few university
presidents to support original national service proposal
Kathy O'Brien (aide to Sam Nunn)
Julie Murphy (former aide to Sam Nunn -helped write 1990 bill)
Alden Schacher (former aide to Dave McCurdy)
Also, if you have extra room, it would be great if I could bring
the 25 career employees who are members of my USDA service task force.
They are working very hard and receive virtually no perks.
To: Ali Webb
From: Joel Berg
Date: September 7, 1993
Re: USDA References (Or Non-References) in NPR Report
p iii. - "We examined every cabinet department and 10 agencies.
At two departments, Defense and Health and Human Services, our
work paralleled other large-scale reviews." USDA is NOT
mentioned as a cabinet agency undergoing major internal reform.
p.1 - "A century after industry replaced farming as America's
principal business, the Agriculture Department still operates
more than 12,000 field offices, an average of nearly 4 for every
county in the nation -- rural, urban, or suburban, The federal
government seems unable to abandon the obsolete."
p. 5 - The report praises the Eastern Region of the Forest
Service as an example of government that works. "At the Forest
Service, we found a pilot project in the 22-state Eastern Region
that increased productivity by 15 percent in just 2 years. "
p. 11 - The Forest Service is used to demonstrate
overregulation.
p. 18 - The report details a difference of opinion between a
national forest and its regional office.
p. 53 - The report recommends establishing ecosystems management
policies across government
p. 59 - The report recommends allowing private and non-profit
contractors to bid for the right to run Job Corps centers now run
by Agriculture and Interior.
p. 75 - Secretary Espy is praised for working with department
heads on to devise performance agreement.s
p. 95 - The report describes recommended USDA field office
closings.
p. 101- The report recommends moving FSIS to FDA.
P. 103 - The report recommends eliminated honey and wool and
mohair subsidies.
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
TO: GREGORY MATYSIK, DAVID RUNNING
FROM: JOEL BERG, USDA NATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
RE: DECISION ON 4-H FUNDS FOR FLOOD RELIEF
USDA Chief of Staff Ron Blackley, Extension Service Associate
Administrator Mitchell Geasler, and I worked out an agreement wherein a
minimum of 10% of the funds sent to the Extension Service for Midwest flood
relief will be used specifically for youth service projects.
Below are the individual state allocations:
State Allocation Total Flood Allocation 4-H Youth Service Allocation
Illinois
$240,000
$24,000
Iowa
$600,000
$60,000
Kansas
$300,000
$30,000
Missouri
$550,000
$55,000
Minnesota
$300,000
$30,000
OPTIONAL FORM 99 (7-90)
FAX TRANSMITTAL
# of pages
2
To Grey Matypik
Fax # Running
Dept David Agency
Phone From Jrel Bery # 728-4623
Fax #
NSN 608 263-7969 7540-01-317-7368 5099-101
720-5043
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
UNITED ABICULTURE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENTS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250-1300
TO: GERIALDINE BOSCH, 4-H NORTH DAKOTA
FROM: JOEL BERG, USDA NATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
RE: DECISION ON 4-H FUNDS FOR FLOOD RELIEF
USDA Chief of Staff Ron Blackley, Extension Service Associate
Administrator Mitchell Geasler, and I worked out an agreement wherein a
minimum of 10% of the funds sent to the Extension Service for Midwest flood
relief will be used specifically for youth service projects.
Below are the individual state allocations:
State Allocation Total Flood Allocation 4-H Youth Service Allocation
Illinois
$240,000
$24,000
Iowa
$600,000
$60,000
Kansas
$300,000
$30,000
Missouri
$550,000
$55,000
Minnesota
$300,000
$30,000
AN equal OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
GREATMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
TO: RICHARD BYRNE, 4-H MINNESOTA
FROM: JOEL BERG, USDA NATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
RE: DECISION ON 4-H FUNDS FOR FLOOD RELIEF
USDA Chief of Staff Ron Blackley, Extension Service Associate
Administrator Mitchell Geasler, and I worked out an agreement wherein a
minimum of 10% of the funds sent to the Extension Service for Midwest flood
relief will be used specifically for youth service projects.
Below are the individual state allocations:
State Allocation Total Flood Allocation 4-H Youth Service Allocation
Illinois
$240,000
$24,000
Iowa
$600,000
$60,000
Kansas
$300,000
$30,000
Missouri
$550,000
$55,000
Minnesota
$300,000
$30,000
OPTIONAL FORM 99 (7-90)
]
FAX TRANSMITTAL
# of pages
Dept./Agency
To Rechard Byrne Richard Byrne
Phone From JackBerg 2
Director, 4.H Carler
Fax #
Fax #
720-4623
612-625-1731
720.5043
NSN 7540-01-317-7368
5099-101
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
AN equal OPPORTUNITY EMPLUTER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
(2)
Nebraska
$240,000
$24,000
North Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
South Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
Wisconsin
$190,000
$19,000
Each of the nine state Cooperative Extension directors will be asked to
produce a written plan to use this money for flood relief projects utilizing youth
volunteers.
Some ideas on how states can use the money:
1) Hire additional Extension staff to serve as 4-H volunteer coordinators.
2) Hire additional Extension staff to work full-time with existing youth service
programs run by states, localities, Indian tribes, or non-profit agencies.
3) Pay for a VISTA participant to coordinate 4-H youth or work with other
Extension programs. (Each VISTA participant would cost us $12,800 for one year
of work).
4) Purchase materials for 4-H volunteers to use in flood relief, such as gloves, boots,
dry-wall, seeds, shovels, etc.
5) Fund coordinators to manage volunteers at each state Extension flood relief
center.
The White House is very interested in making sure that our 4-H projects work
very closely with youth service corps involved in flood relief. Yet it is NOT our
intent to mandate a specific youth service approach from Washington. Rather, it
is our intention to foster an entrepreneurial spirit that will allow the 4-H leaders in
the flooded states to work individually and collectively to develop varied approaches
they believe will help solve the unique problems of their states.
I look forward to working with you and the Washington office of the
Extension Service on implementing this critical program.
Thank you once again for your leadership in promoting youth service.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
UNITED ADICULTURE UNITED STATES
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
TO: DR. C.R. SALMON, 4-H KANSAS
FROM: JOEL BERG, USDA NATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
RE: DECISION ON 4-H FUNDS FOR FLOOD RELIEF
USDA Chief of Staff Ron Blackley, Extension Service Associate
Administrator Mitchell Geasler, and I worked out an agreement wherein a
minimum of 10% of the funds sent to the Extension Service for Midwest flood
relief will be used specifically for youth service projects.
Below are the individual state allocations:
State Allocation Total Flood Allocation 4-H Youth Service Allocation
Illinois
$240,000
$24,000
Iowa
$600,000
$60,000
Kansas
$300,000
$30,000
Missouri
$550,000
$55,000
Minnesota
$300,000
$30,000
OPTIONAL FORM 99 (7-90)
FAX TRANSMITTAL
2
To Dr. C. R.Salmon
Dept./Agency
Juel Phone # # Berg of pages
asst. Dir 4-14
Fax #
Fax 720-4623 #
NSN 913 532 -6487 7540-01-317-7368
720-5043
5099-101
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
AN EQUAL OPPOR
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
(2)
Nebraska
$240,000
$24,000
North Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
South Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
Wisconsin
$190,000
$19,000
Each of the nine state Cooperative Extension directors will be asked to
produce a written plan to use this money for flood relief projects utilizing youth
volunteers.
Some ideas on how states can use the money:
1) Hire additional Extension staff to serve as 4-H volunteer coordinators.
2) Hire additional Extension staff to work full-time with existing youth service
programs run by states, localities, Indian tribes, or non-profit agencies.
3) Pay for a VISTA participant to coordinate 4-H youth or work with other
Extension programs. (Each VISTA participant would cost us $12,800 for one year
of work).
4) Purchase materials for 4-H volunteers to use in flood relief, such as gloves, boots,
dry-wall, seeds, shovels, etc.
5) Fund coordinators to manage volunteers at each state Extension flood relief.
center.
The White House is very interested in making sure that our 4-H projects work
very closely with youth service corps involved in flood relief. Yet it is NOT our
intent to mandate a specific youth service approach from Washington. Rather, it
is our intention to foster an entrepreneurial spirit that will allow the 4-H leaders in
the flooded states to work individually and collectively to develop varied approaches
they believe will help solve the unique problems of their states.
I look forward to working with you and the Washington office of the
Extension Service on implementing this critical program.
Thank you once again for your leadership in promoting youth service.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
UNITED AGICULTURES UNITED STATES
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
TO: BOB DAVIS, 4-H SOUTH DAKOTA
FROM: JOEL BERG, USDA NATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
RE: DECISION ON 4-H FUNDS FOR FLOOD RELIEF
USDA Chief of Staff Ron Blackley, Extension Service Associate
Administrator Mitchell Geasler, and I worked out an agreement wherein a
minimum of 10% of the funds sent to the Extension Service for Midwest flood
relief will be used specifically for youth service projects.
Below are the individual state allocations:
State Allocation Total Flood Allocation 4-H Youth Service Allocation
Illinois
$240,000
$24,000
Iowa
$600,000
$60,000
Kansas
$300,000
$30,000
Missouri
$550,000
$55,000
Minnesota
$300,000
$30,000
OPTIONAL FORM 99 (7-90)
-
FAX TRANSMITTAL
# of pages
2
To Bob Davis
From Joel Berg
Dept. 4-1+ Agency
Phone 720-4623
Fax 605 688-4939
Fax #
GENERAL 720-5043 SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NSN 7540-01-317-7368
5099-101
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNI
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
TO: DR. WILLIAM CALDWELL, 4-H NEBRASKA
FROM: JOEL BERG, USDA NATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
RE: DECISION ON 4-H FUNDS FOR FLOOD RELIEF
USDA Chief of Staff Ron Blackley, Extension Service Associate
Administrator Mitchell Geasler, and I worked out an agreement wherein a
minimum of 10% of the funds sent to the Extension Service for Midwest flood
relief will be used specifically for youth service projects.
Below are the individual state allocations:
State Allocation Total Flood Allocation 4-H Youth Service Allocation
Illinois
$240,000
$24,000
Iowa
$600,000
$60,000
Kansas
$300,000
$30,000
Missouri
$550,000
$55,000
Minnesota
$300,000
$30,000
OPTIONAL FORM 99 (7-90)
FAX TRANSMITTAL
# of pages
2
To Dr.W. Caldwelf
From Joel Berg
Dept Agency
4-H
Phone # 720-4623
Fax 402 472-9024 5099-101
Fax # 720-5043
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NSN 7540-01-317-7368
AN equal OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
(2)
Nebraska
$240,000
$24,000
North Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
South Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
Wisconsin
$190,000
$19,000
Each of the nine state Cooperative Extension directors will be asked to
produce a written plan to use this money for flood relief projects utilizing youth
volunteers.
Some ideas on how states can use the money:
1) Hire additional Extension staff to serve as 4-H volunteer coordinators.
2) Hire additional Extension staff to work full-time with existing youth service
programs run by states, localities, Indian tribes, or non-profit agencies.
3) Pay for a VISTA participant to coordinate 4-H youth or work with other
Extension programs. (Each VISTA participant would cost us $12,800 for one year
of work).
4) Purchase materials for 4-H volunteers to use in flood relief, such as gloves, boots,
dry-wall, seeds, shovels, etc.
5) Fund coordinators to manage volunteers at each state Extension flood relief
center.
The White House is very interested in making sure that our 4-H projects work
very closely with youth service corps involved in flood relief. Yet it is NOT our
intent to mandate a specific youth service approach from Washington. Rather, it
is our intention to foster an entrepreneurial spirit that will allow the 4-H leaders in
the flooded states to work individually and collectively to develop varied approaches
they believe will help solve the unique problems of their states.
I look forward to working with you and the Washington office of the
Extension Service on implementing this critical program.
Thank you once again for your leadership in promoting youth service.
TO: GERRY WESTWOOD, MISSOURI 4-H
FROM: JOEL BERG, USDA NATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATOR
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1993
RE: DECISION ON 4-H FUNDS FOR FLOOD RELIEF
Thank you for your helpful advice on how youth service projects may be incorporated
into the entire work of the Extension Service.
USDA Chief of Staff Ron Blackley, Extension Service Associate Administrator Mitchell
Geasler, and I worked out an agreement wherein a minimum of 10% of the funds sent to the
Extension Service for Midwest flood relief will be used specifically for youth service projects.
Below are the individual state allocations:
State
Total Flood Relief Allocation
4-H Youth Service Allocation
Illinois
$240,000
$24,000
Iowa
$600,000
$60,000
Kansas
$300,000
$30,000
Minnesota
$300,000
$30,000
Nebraska
$240,000
$24,000
North Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
South Dakota
$240,000
$24,000
Wisconsin
$190,000
$19,000
(2)
Each of the nine state Cooperative Extension directors will be asked to produce a written
plan to use this money for flood relief projects utilizing youth volunteers.
Some ideas on how states can use the money:
1) Hire additional Extension staff to serve as 4-H volunteer coordinators.
2) Hire additional Extension staff to work full-time with existing youth service programs run
by states, localities, Indian tribes, or non-profit agencies.
3) Pay for a VISTA participant to coordinate 4-H youth or work with other Extension
programs. (Each VISTA participant would cost us $12,800 for one year of work).
4) Purchase materials for 4-H volunteers to use in flood relief, such as gloves, boots, dry-wall,
seeds, shovels, etc.
5) Use as overhead for Washington coordination of 4-H flood relief efforts and for production
of printed materials for use in all of the nine flood-affected states.
6) Fund coordinators to manage volunteers at each state Extension flood relief center.
The White House is very interested in making sure that our 4-H projects work very
closely with youth service corps involved in flood relief. Yet it is NOT our intent to
mandate a specific youth service approach from Washington. Rather, it is our intention to
foster an entrepreneurial spirit that will allow the 4-H leaders in the floode states to work
individually and collectively to develop varied approaches they believe will help solve the
unique problems of their states.
I look forward to working with you and the Washington office of the Extension Service
on implementing this critical program.
Thank you once again for your leadership in promoting youth service.
Fax
UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTO INFORMATIRE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20250-1300
NSN 7540-01-317-7368 456-6420
5099-101
Dept. White House
To Susan Stroud
FAX TRANSMITTAL
OPTIONAL FORM 99 (7-90)
MEMORANDUM
#
TO: ALEXIS HERMAN
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF PUBLIC LIAISON
SUSAN STROUD
OFFICE OF NATIONAL SERVICE
DB
FROM: JOEL BERG
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
720-4623
From Juel Berg
# of pages
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 1993
RE: NATIONAL SERVICE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRESIDENT
I am writing to suggest a brief visit/photo opportunity with the
President on September 14 with 50 Ukrainians who have volunteered
to come live with farmers in four Midwest communities to assist
with flood cleanup.
The visit grew out of Project Farm Ukraine sponsored by several
agricultural-related companies which sent 100 Americans to Ukraine
last May to help farmers with spring planting. The project is a
model of a volunteer exchange program. I attended a press
conference with these 100 Americans at a Ukrainian/American center
in Chicago before they left for the Ukraine. The event received
highly favorable local publicity.
Such exchanges will help build goodwill with the emerging
democracies of Eastern Europe. A visit with the President could be
tied into the concept of community service. It also could emphasis
his speedy response and compassion to those devastated by the
flood.
Furthermore, by marketing this event to selected ethnic newspapers,
we could bolster the President's political support among
Americans of European descent.
USDA will welcome the Ukrainians with a reception, to be scheduled
in accordance with a White House event. The Department also is
planning to assist the Ukrainians by coordinating with our agencies
in the flood area and by helping with public relations and the
obtaining of visas.
Thanks for your consideration of this matter.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
Clinton Presidential Records
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August
Divider Title:
MEMORANDUM
TO: JOEL BERG
FROM: KATHERINE GIBNEY
RE: PROPOSAL FOR THE USDA/WORKING GROUP
DATE: AUGUST 31, 1993
While you were gone, I met with Ruth McWilliams and Susan
ODell. As you will recall, I had a lengthy conversation with them
after the last Rural Development Task Force meeting about their
concerns about the task force. I asked if they would meet with me
to discuss these issues in depth.
They feel there are no clear cut objectives or process, that
we discuss issues previously addressed at other meetings, that the
meetings are inefficient, that the meetings nor the program are
focused, the membership is transient, and that the members do not
see the program as theirs, i.e. there is no team spirit. Ruth and
Susan think that some members are there only to promote their own
agencies and are trying to get their own agendas on the table, or
attend because it is politic to participate. Representation from
affected agencies is uneven and there are too many members to
really accomplish anything.
Ruth and Susan said they were extremely frustrated, that what
we are creating is no different from other new programs initiated
in the past. Some quotes: "No one feels responsible for anything
when they leave the room. "We are not creating Team USDA. We are
trying to fit what we are doing into what exists. " "We need clarity
in the vision to get other people aligned. " "What we want from the
group is a good staff." "We have to look at ourselves as a staff,
independent of what agency you work for.' "How do you move people
from their own agenda to own the vision?"
Frankly, I agree with their assessment. They had some
excellent suggestions and together we came up with some plans which
I am concretizing in this proposal. I told them that my analysis
is that we are where we are supposed to be. Each task force has
met several times and the natural leaders are beginning to surface
-- that their taking the initiative to express their concerns was
proof of this. As for the membership of the task forces, I feel
that the openness and fluidity has been advantageous up to now. (I
pointed out to Susan that we would not have discovered her if there
had been an-invitation-only membership.) However, from their
concerns, it is obvious to me that it is time to shore up the
membership of at least the overall working group.
With the bill about to be passed, I think we are at an
excellent transition point to drop back and regroup. I feel that
I would personally like to provide more leadership with regard to
the task forces and am ready to do so.
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF AFRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250-1300
MEMORANDUM
TO: DENNIS KAPLAN, CHIEF
BUDGET CONTROL & ANALYSIS DIVISION
FROM: JOEL BERG B
RE: FLOOD RELIEF MONIES AND YOUTH SERVICE CORPS
DATE: AUGUST 30, 1993
As you know, the Extension Service was allocated $3.5 million in
the dire supplemental for flood relief. The Secretary has requested
that up to $1.2 million be potentially used for assisting 4-H
volunteer flood relief projects.
I am meeting today at 3 p.m. with R.D. Plowman, the Acting
Assistant Secretary for Science and Education. Before the meeting,
I would like to know if we may use any of these congressionally
appropriated funds for any or all of the following purposes:
*to hire additional Extension staff to serve as 4-H volunteer
coordinators;
*to hire additional Extension staff to work fulltime with
existing youth service programs run by states, localities, Indian
tribes, or non-profit agencies;
*purchase materials for 4-H volunteers to use in flood
relief, such as gloves, boots, dry-wall, seed, shovels, etc.;
*use for overhead in Washington coordination of 4-H flood
relief efforts and for production of printed materials for use in
all of the nine flood-affected states.
I am attaching a copy of a proposal that would combine some of the
types of work we would fund. Could you possibly review this from
a budget standpoint before my 3 p.m. meeting today? Also, who
should I have review it from a legal standpoint in the Office of
General Counsel?
Thanks in advance for your help.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
PRINTED ON RECLAIMED MATERIALS
To: Bob Nash
From: Joel Berg
Date: August 14, 1993
Re: National Service and the Rural Development Forum
As we have previously discussed, I have been chairing a task force
comprised of a wide range of USDA employees from RDA, REA, ASCS,
Forest Service, FMHA, and Extension Service to help us develop a USDA
Rural Development Corps to incorporate into the President's national service
initiative.
At your suggestion, we have begun preliminary planning about how we
might place our participants in the offices of rural development districts.
Please read the attached draft plan whenever you have time.
It would be extremely helpful to our efforts if you could somehow
include in your upcoming forum a brief discussion of how national service
might boost rural development.
Also, at your convenience, I would appreciate it if you could meet with
our national service task force to discuss this matter.
Draft August 14, 1993
Rural Development Corps
The Department of Agriculture would establish a corps of
"professional" and "paraprofessional" participants could assist
communities in identifying needs and resources necessary for
economic well being. The participants would have diverse
education and training and would be matched up with individual
communities or regions that have specific needs that can be
filled by someone with that specific background.
We make a concerted effort to recruit participants who want
to return to their home-town or areas similar to those in which
they were raised. Thus, this program can help begin reversing
the "brain drain" from rural America.
This group of individuals would be able to assist
communities of all sizes facing economic recovery and local
leadership development issues to plan and prioritize efforts
combining formal and non formal education to work locally. The
corps would then assist the community in locating financial
resources, preparing proposals, designing educational programs,
and implementing strategies necessary for revitalization. The
entire focus would be on the community generating its own vision
for the future and the USDA corps assisting them in creating and
attaining that vision.
Individuals will be placed in communities where their
particular talents can be best utilized. Experts in tourism will
be matched up with communities that want to develop their
tourism. Experts in grant writing will be matched up with
communities that need grant writing. Experts in attracting small
businesses will be matched up with communities that want to
attract more small business. Etc. General planners would also
be matched up with communities that need to develop overall
economic plans.
This corps, consisting of participants older and more highly
educated than the other two corps, could be funded by a special
section of the Administration's proposed bill that would fund
special professional corps such as "Teachers Corps" or "Police
Corps.
"
The increased economic viability of our rural communities
and small towns could be a major outcome. With the assistance of
the corps, communities would be better able to develop a sound
economic base that will take them into the next century. A core
of community leaders for the future would be developed. Planning
and implementing long-range strategies could result in increased
environmentally sound agricultural production, a viable
pollution- free light industry, and increased local tourism.
k. Partnerships
Possible partnerships include:
Monday Management Group (17 federal agencies involved in rural
development)
National Association of Counties
National Association of Development Organizations
National Governors Organization
National Association of Towns and Townships
State Rural Development Councils
State Economic Development Councils or Agencies
Local Planning and Development entities both private and public
National Association of State Foresters
Department of Defense Agencies, including the Army Corps of
Engineers, 1890's, land-grant, and historically Hispanic colleges
1. Creating and maintaining diversity
How do we ensure that this program is managed by a diverse
team and includes a diverse set of participants each and every
year?
m. Special training and supervision issues
Participants of this program would hold either Bachelor's
degrees or graduate degrees and use the benefits to pay back
student loans. Unfortunately, only two graduate schools in the
country now specifically teach rural development; perhaps we
could form partnerships with others to do so. Participants could
also be trained in public administration, civil engineering, or
agricultural science. The participants would need to spend a
period of training before being assigned to the local districts.
They would then live and work in the communities for which they
are providing the assistance.
n. Timeline
We need to develop a solid, day-to-day set of goals, for
specific steps in creating and running this corps.
b. How the corps will work with existing programs
Most states have local Planning and Development Districts
which provide for the overall strategic and project planning
efforts for a multi-jurisdictional area. Some of these cover
several counties, and some cover multiple communities within a
county or township. They are staffed by local citizens and all
have one thing in common: they are understaffed.
Bob Nash, our Undersecretary for Small Community and Rural
Development, has suggested strongly that our corps participants
be physically located within the offices of local districts, so
that they work with the districts and do not pose the threat of
competition over turf.
We must still answer how this program will specifically
interact with existing programs and the ambitious new rural
development initiatives being planned by the Administration.
C. Outreach needed for stakeholders
We need a strategy for reaching out to the local planning
districts, the state districts, and political and community
leaders throughout rural America.
d. Residential or non-residential
Should this program have any residential, dorm-like
component? Should the participants be required to live in the
community in which they are working?
e. Sizes and sites of pilot projects
Where should the pilot projects be situated and how large
should they be?
Thirty-two states currently have economic development
councils or rural development councils so early pilot programs
would be easy. Pilot programs could quickly be established in
five areas of our country:
Oregon and Washington
Four Corners: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona
Tennessee and Kentucky
East Texas and Louisiana
North Carolina, Texas, Missouri
The Mississippi Delta
These areas already have an existing multi-agency
coordination group functioning well and communities that are in
dire need of assistance.
f. Growth scenarios
Where, and how quickly, should the program grow? Should we
grow by expanding our pilot projects or by creating new ones?
g. Management structure needed
What new or existing office or offices at USDA will manage
the program?
h. Staff needed
The Rural Development Corps should have a Director, who
reports directly to the head of USDA national service programs.
The Director of the Rural Development Corps should have deputies
in charge of the following areas:
Recruitment
Training
Internal Communications
Day-to-Day Project Management
Intergovernmental, Congressional, and Public Affairs
USDA Inter-Agency Coordination
Fundraising, Grants, and Development
Monitoring and Evaluation
i. Costs
How much will the program cost to start and then run? What
will be the total cost and how much per server? Will we pay the
entire salary of the participants or only part?
Each participant will need access to a computer network in
order to communicate with each other via an easy-to-use e-mail,
access a USDA rural development database, and access INTERNET.
If we pay each server a base salary (in addition to their
loan forgiveness) of $15,000 per year, we can roughly estimate
that each server in the Rural Development Corps will cost
$30,000 per yea. Then 400 servers would cost $10 million. That
would fund ten state programs with 40 participants each.
j. Funding sources
What non-profit groups, corporations, individuals, and/or
foundations might be willing to help fund this?
01-07-1994 10:28
6064928
CORP.NAT'L_SERV
P.02/02
806-15-1993 10:34 FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 12, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR CABINET SECRETARIES
FROM:
MACK McLARTY
ELI SECAL
SUBJECT: Budgetary Support for National Service
Congressional consideration of National Service legislation is now nearing
conclusion. The President expects to sign the National and Community Service Trust
Act of 1993 into law in early September.
The support and active assistance of your department is critical : we are to
create quality placements for more than 20,000 Americans this coming year. With
your help, many of these participants will become engaged in service activities which
directly advance the missions of your departments.
Some federal agencies are already engaged in using full-time volunteers to
deliver their programs across the country. For example, the Department of Defense
supports Summer of Service and VISTA Summer Associate volunteers serving in
communities impacted by base closure and realignment of military facilities. The
Department of Health and Human Services involves Foster Grandparents in Head
Start programs in a number of communities. Many other agencies, including the
Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the
Department of Interior are currently considering new or expanded efforts.
In addition to these ongoing efforts, National Service is a cost effective way of
dealing with many national emergencies. With the assistance of the Department of
Agriculture and Federal Emergency Management Agency, for example, additional
service volunteers have already begun assisting communities rebuilding after the
Midwestern floods.
As you develop your operating plans for FY 1994 and your budget requests for
FY 1995, we ask that you identify areas where National Service volunteers can be
effectively used to deliver the Administration's programs. Over the months to come,
we will be discussing these matters with you in greater depth. As you know, this
effort is the main agenda item for the inter-departmental working group chaired by
Peter Edelman. Please call on Peter to meet with your senior staff if you would like
to discuss this initiative in greater detail.
SCS
Ro Ren Wazgone
I recomend that wee the Beretary
3tille asks they direct the Extension
TO: OLETA FITZGERALD
Service to set -aside
KEITH COLLINS
FROM: JOEL BERG
on 4-H youth service programs
DATE: AUGUST 11, 1993
One third of their Q 3.5
RE: MISSOURI 4-H GRANT PROPOSAL TO FUND YOUTH CORPS TO ASSIST IN
FLOOD RELIEF
outob that maan we bund the
I would like to recommend that the attached grant proposal from the Missouri 4-H Youth
Development Program be funded from the $3.5 million authorized for the Extension Service
in the dire supplemental.
The grant proposes a two-phase program. During phase one, 50 flood recovery teams of 12
youth and two adult coordinators will work in rural counties from September through
December. They will work with senior citizens in home and yard cleanup, create safe,
nurturing places for youth ages 5-12 displaced and disoriented because of the flood, and
remove sandbags and other flood retaining structures after the water has receded. Phase
two will operate from January through June, providing manpower for more long term
reconstruction activities and laying the foundation for establishing an ongoing, volunteer,
youth service corporation through rural Missouri. Three older youth from the 25 Missouri
counties will be hired to form a core team to manage volunteer youth teams during this
phase.
Missouri Extension, which will recruit, train, manage, and coordinate the project, is currently
requesting $661,440 for phase one. Except for an urban youth corps and a fledgling
conservation corps, Missouri has had no youth service corps.
I think this proposal has a lot of merit for providing necessary flood assistance immediately,
and for creating a more sustainable mechanism for ongoing youth corps.
I also would like to recommend that one-third of the $3.5 million, minus the monies to fund
this Missouri project, be used to fund youth corps in the other flood states to assist in
-about 1.5 millum Projects involved in flood and retief
mathon been glood relited funds for 4H youth service
cleanup and other relief activities.
Thanks for your consideration.
TO:
OLETA FITZGERALD
KEITH COLLINS
FROM: JOEL BERG
DATE: AUGUST 11, 1993
RE: SETTING ASIDE EXTENSION SERVICE FLOOD FUNDS FOR YOUTH SERVICE
As we discussed, I recommend that the Secretary direct the Extension Service to set-aside $1.2
million -- totaling about one third of Extension Service's $3.5 million flood-relief appropriation -
- to fund 4-H youth service programs involved in flood relief.
Out of that money, I would recommend that we fund the attached $661,400 grant proposal from
the Missouri 4-H Youth Development Program. I recommend funding Missouri at such a high
level because it doesn't have a large, previously existing youth service corps that will receive
youth service funds from other parts of the flood-relief package. Iowa, Wisconsin, and
Minnesota have such existing corps that will likely receive other funding.
The grant proposes a two-phase program. During phase one, 50 flood recovery teams of 12
youth and two adult coordinators would work in rural counties from September through
December. They would work with senior citizens in home and yard cleanup, create safe,
nurturing places for youth ages 5-12, displaced and disoriented because of the flood, and remove
sandbags and other flood retaining structures after the water has receded. Phase two would
operate from January through June, providing manpower for more long-term reconstruction
activities and laying the foundation for establishing an ongoing, volunteer youth service
corporation through rural Missouri. Three older youth from the 25 Missouri counties would be
hired to form a core team to manage volunteer youth teams.
I would suggest we spread the remaining $538,600 among 4-H programs in the other eight flood
affected states. In Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, I would work hard to coordinate our 4-H
programs with the funded youth corps.
In addition, the Secretary has just expressed an interest in visiting a youth service corps/
4-H project in the flood area next week. If we agree to release Extension Service funds for
some youth service projects immediately, then the Secretary could combine his site visit
with a funding announcement.
Thanks for your consideration.
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
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marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a tabbed divider. Given our
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scan such dividers. The title from the original document is
indicated below.
July
Divider Title:
United States
Office of
Office of
Department of
Washington, D.C.
the Secretary
Public Affairs
20250
Agriculture
July 23, 1993
DECISION MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY
FROM:
Joel Berg, Deputy Director of Public Affairs
JB
THROUGH: Ali Webb, Director of Public Affairs an
SUBJECT: Letter Supporting Forest Service Grant Application
As you may know, your previous letter of support for USDA-related projects to the
Commission on National and Community Service helped the Extension Service obtain
more than $1.6 million in grants from the Commission.
I would like to request that the you sign the attached letter encouraging the approval of
a joint Washington State/Oregon/Forest Service grant application for the Northwest
Service Academy 1993-94 under Subtitle D of the National and Community Service Act
of 1990.
The Forest Service is a major partner and will run the programs on a day-to-day basis.
The Secretary's endorsement could be important in the grant being funded. We could
also issue a press release after its approval, indicating your support. Mr. Jetie Wilds of
the Forest Service has approved the letter, as has Michael Kelly of the Office of General
Counsel.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Secretary sign the attached letter to the Commission on
National and Community Service in support of a Washington State/Oregon/Forest Service
grant application.
Approve
Date
Disapprove
Discuss with me
UNITED UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
July 23, 1993
Mr. Thomas Ehrlich, Chairman
Commission on National and Community Service
529 14th Street Northwest, Suite 452
Washington, D.C. 20045
Dear Mr. Ehrlich:
I am writing to express my support for the joint Washington
State/Oregon grant application for the Northwest Service Academy
1993-94 under Subtitle D of the National and Community Service Act
of 1990.
As you may know, I am committed to national service and recently
testified before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee in
support of the President's National Service Trust Act of 1993. The
Northwest Service Academy is an excellent example of the concepts
of citizen service: innovative, intergenerational, and culturally
diverse. I want to commend those who created this proposal. I am
particularly proud that the Department of Agriculture's Forest
Service is a partner in this plan.
I pledge the full support of not only the Forest Service, but all
relevant offices of my Department that can help the Academy advance
President Clinton's national service initiative. Contact USDA's
national service coordinator, Joel Berg, at 202 720-4623, if you
have further questions about how my Department can assist this
project.
Again, I heartily endorse this grant application and would
appreciate your full consideration.
Sincerely,
Mike Espy
Secretary
Department of Agriculture
cc: Ms. Catherine Milton, Mr. Michael Camunez
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
To:
Ron
From:
Joel
Date:
Extension Service's Latest Response on Flood Relief
The latest response from the Extension Service differs only cosmetically from the
previous proposals that I criticized. It seems like most of the state proposals simply moved the
youth service lines from the end to the beginning of each proposal.
With the exception of Iowa, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, the state proposals
still focus on providing service to young people, not on young people providing
service to their community.
The reason for this confusion is clear: Johnsrud's September 9 letter asks states to require
that at least 10 percent of the funds "be used for youth programs that provide community
services and other recovery assistance." The proposals almost all provide "other recovery
assistance," not youth service.
State by state analysis:
Illinois: Almost no change from previous proposal. Youth will provide service mostly to other
youth, while service to the community as a whole is only mentioned vaguely in one sentence.
No specifics are given as to how many volunteers will participate.
Iowa: Somewhat more developed and refined than previous proposal. This proposal does
recommend real community service and is clearly the best thought-out and planned. However,
most of the service performed will be focused on repairing a 4-H center; in other words, the
youth will again be working on projects that mostly benefit other youth. Additionally, some of
the money will still be spent on training teachers to deal with student stress -- hardly youth
service.
Kansas: No Kansas proposal had been submitted previously. This proposal's one paragraph
description seems to meet our goals, but a much more detailed plan is needed.
Minnesota: The new proposal is even less substantive than the previous one. The proposal seeks
to teach "health promoting choices," as well as to make sure "citizens of all ages are energized
and ready to assume community leadership." Absolutely no specific mention of community
service is included, so I can only assume that they still want to use the money for a newsletter
and a stress reduction curriculum.
2
Missouri: No change at all from previous proposal. Focus continues to be on reducing family
and youth stress, not on community service. The short section on volunteer activities gives no
specifics on what activities volunteers might perform or how many volunteers might be involved.
Nebraska: The order of the "stress camp" and "community service" proposals are simply flipped
from the previous proposals to put community service on top. No specifics are given as to how
many volunteers will participate. The focus of the proposal still seems to be on a "stress camp"
that will provide an "Adventure Course," "Stress Connection," and "Outdoor Education."
North Dakota: Like Iowa's proposal, this proposal does focus on real community service. Yet
there are no details on what kind of service will be performed and how many volunteers will
perform it.
South Dakota: This proposal is virtually unchanged from the previous proposal. The proposal
would still present assemblies using theater techniques. In order words, young people would
put on shows for other young people instead of cleaning up their communities. Actual
community service is not mentioned at all.
Wisconsin: Like Iowa's and North Dakota's proposals, this proposal does focus on real
community service. Yet there are no details on what kind of service will be performed and how
many volunteers will perform it.
The White House Office of National Service agrees with me that these
proposals need improvement.
United States
Office of
AGRICULTURE
Office of
Department of
Washington, D.C.
Public Affairs
Public Liaison
20250
Agriculture
TO: ELOISE THOMAS
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO SECRETARY ESPY
FROM: JOEL BERG JB
DIRECTOR, PUBLIC LIAISON
DATE: JULY 22, 1993
RE: APPOINTMENT WITH SECRETARY ESPY FOR DONALD KENDALL
I would like to request an appointment for Mr. Donald M. Kendall,
Chairman of the National Forest Foundation, with Secretary Espy in
early September or on September 20 or 21. Mr. Kendall will be in.
town on September 20 for a board meeting of the National Forest
Foundation (NFF). The Secretary is invited to the meeting. If he
plans to attend, perhaps he could meet with Mr. Kendall there.
Mr. Kendall would like to discuss the USDA National Service
proposals, the Youth Forest Camps, and the NFF, which was
established by Congress in 1990 to support the Forest Service. The
NFF is a critical organization to the Forest Service.
HE HAS ALREADY MET SEPARATELY WITH SECRETARIES REICH AND BABBITT TO
DISCUSS THESE ISSUES.
Mr. Kendall is the retired Chairman and CEO of Pepsico and is
influential in the food and beverage business. It would be helpful
to our Forest Service and National Service efforts if the Secretary
could find time to meet with him.
CC: Assistant Secretary Jim Lyons and Forest Service Chief Dale
Robertson.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
FS, FNS, FCIC, SCS; ASCS mem, wis, Mismi
town ta. neha
Francis Russ 205-081
S. Dal, Konses
205-1272
I
I
n.
DECISION MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY
thansas
Dabota
Illinois
Texas?
Subject: Flood Relief and National Service
nebrasha
Kentucly
Through: Ali Webb, Director of Public Affairs
town - 1,000
From: Joel Berg, Deputy Director, Office of Public Affairs
Minnesota 104
Date: July 21, 1993
Missouri Wisconsin-300
d. Dahoto
I recommend naming a temporary task force of USDA employees in flood-affected
states to coordinate the interaction of USDA and other Cabinet Agencies with youth
service corps involved in flood relief.
As you may know, the President has set-aside $2 million in the disaster relief package
for youth service corps involved in flood clean-up. lowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota
all currently have existing youth conservation corps that will likely to receive some of
this funding. I am also working with the Extension Service to create our own program
in Missouri, which does not currently have an existing state-wide corp.
The corps that are funded will undoubtedly be engaged in many projects that will
require direct interactions with USDA agencies; projects could include working with
FNS to deliver emergency food or helping SCS on watershed restoration projects.
Given your high degree of commitment to both flood relief and national service, I
believe it makes sense for us to ensure that all USDA agencies involved in flood relief
coordinate as fully as possible with youth corps.
Since the President has named USDA the lead agency in flood relief, it would make
sense for our Department to also coordinate similar interaction of other agencies, such
as the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and the Department of Interior.
I recommend asking each USDA agency involved in flood relief to temporarily appoint
one agency employee in each state to work part-time on a task force coordinating
USDA dealings with youth service corps. I would further recommend asking SCS to
name one employee in each of those states who would work full-time supervising the
state task force. I would also suggest that I personally spend at least two weeks in
the region supervising a larger task force comprised of all the state task force leaders.
The task force should start its work immediately, since the Commission on National
Service has already committed at least $200,000 in flood-relief funds to the lowa
Conservation Corps. I would recommend that the task force end its work on
September 1; by that time, both our short-term and long-term plans for flood relief
should well be in place.
DRAFT
Since all participants in the task force would be current USDA employees working in
existing USDA offices, my proposal would have virtually no budgetary impact. My
own travel expenses would be paid through funds currently in the Office of Public
Liaison travel budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Secretary approve creation of a task force to
coordinate the interaction between USDA agencies and youth service corps involved
in flood relief in the Midwest.
Approve
Date
Disapprove
Discuss with me
Depe Emergency Program Responsibilite
USPA, ASCS, SCS, FS, FMHA, APHIS,
ES, FNS, FSIS,
Class / agereis
NAstate Se
nert,
have 10 layest members agencis on state emergency
5
board
Leonard Mandyoh - Emergency
operations
720-5111 Handbook
Duestoy of USDA
Emergency Personnel
5302
Indiana - nF- Bedford
/ Cansas 1 no FS
n Dahota = Bismond,
/ entuch 3 damage
misin assissments
Japes
USDA on lotionary 7/19/93
TO: DIANA ALDRIDGE
DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS
FROM: JOEL BERG
DIRECTOR, PUBLIC LIAISON
DATE: JULY 19, 1993
RE: NEGATIVE COLUMN ON NATIONAL SERVICE
NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING THIS PAGE
2
Thought you might want to see the accompanying negative article on
national service from The Tampa Tribune. I think it deserves a
response over Eli's signature.