Howard Dean and Dean Corps doing great things for the disabled!

[KaraokeKarlton]

I think it's GREAT the way Howard Dean inspires his supporters to get out and volunteer doing great things for their communities! Thanks to Dean Corps, Camp Courage got trails cleared and made accessible to all! Way to go Dean Corps! It's MUCH better to INSPIRE and MOTIVATE people to volunteer than it is to FORCE them to do it in order to get a high school diploma.

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=community_americanswithdisabilities

[tsipple]

1. Does anyone know if this is a first?

Because I never remember a campaign in which the candidate inspired his supporters to go out and simply do community service, like work at food banks, help the disabled, etc.

Pretty damn cool. Practicing what you preach.

[w4rma]

7. Not since the time of the Democratic Machine during the 1950s and before

I believe.

[tsipple]

8. I'll Take 20 Years of Democratic Victory Again!

1932 to 1952, Roosevelt and Truman. :-)

[silverweb]

2. Beautiful..!

Dean Corps needs to get a lot more attention and do more recruiting!

[KaraokeKarlton]

3. Our local Dean Corps collected school supplies

and just did a huge blood drive.

[Cha]

4. I know Karlton, I think it is better to be encouraged to do it...

than for it to be "required".

This got me thinking about Senator Jim Jeffords and his one of his favorite causes ..Special Education. I hope when the Dems get in that there will be more funding for this and Education as a Whole.

[KaraokeKarlton]

5. Dean has already said that's a priority

To fully fund special education. It's about damn time, too.

[tsipple]

6. Special Education = Huge Unfunded Mandate

Local school districts really struggle to fund special education programs. Hits poor school districts, who sometimes have the biggest special education needs, especially hard.

[MODemocrat]

9. My disabled husband has been watching Dean and grown to admire him

When Reagan was elected, the disabled were one of the first groups he picked on. My husband had his disablity income taken from him, and had to go through all kinds of red tape in order to prove his case before a Federal Judge in Kansas City. It was so very traumatic for him, that he had a heart seizure in the judge's chambers and had to be revived. He was humiliated, scared, and very upset with Reagan. "So help me God, I'll never vote for a republican," is what my husband said, and he has lived up to that promise.
It's a disgrace to pick on the disabled.

:toast:

[KaraokeKarlton]

10. Glad to hear it

With Howard Dean, there are NO second class citizens.

[Nicholas_J]

12. Its a shame that the Vermont Democrats

Had to fight Dean tooth and nail to stop him from cutting money for programs for the blind, disabled, adn elderly all thought his 11 years as governor. Dean kept also trying to push changes in Vermont law to cut out cost of living increases to programs for these same groups.

Dean trimmed spending or held down increases in areas held dear by the liberals. More than once, Dean went to battle over whether individual welfare benefits should rise under automatic cost of living adjustments. Liberals were particularly incensed when he tried that tactic on a program serving the blind, disabled and elderly, which he did several times.

http://premium1.fosters.com/2003/news/may%5F03/may%5F19/news/reg%5Fvt0519a.asp

[LuminousX]

11. Is this mandatory volunteerism?

Or is it volunteerism done out of a desire to volunteer.

I think it is great people actually volunteer and provide community service without having a gun held to their head.