Wikipedia Regrets The Errors

From June to September of 2007, several false and misleading critical statements appeared at the National Civilian Community Corps (also known as AmeriCorps NCCC) page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Civilian_Community_Corps), in violation of Wikipedia standards.  This is the false text as it appeared:

National Civilian Community Corps

"...Criticisms
The NCCC program has met with sharp criticisms from some fiscal conservatives who accused it of being a "boondoggle".[4] Most notably, Libertarian pundit and commentator James Bovard has been one of the most vocal Americorps NCCC opponents, calling it a "waste and fraud"[5], in addition to dedicating an entire chapter of criticisms of the program in his book "Feeling Your Pain: The Explosion and Abuse of Government Power in the Clinton-Gore Years." Robert Sweet, the former director of the National Institute of Education, labeled it "a fraud".
^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188385,00.html ^ http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/1000americorps.htm"

Wikipedia relies on its readers and volunteer contributors to avoid or challenge and correct misleading or false information.

The following has been called to our attention:

1.  The statement that read "...Bovard has been one of the most vocal Americorps NCCC opponents, calling it a "waste and fraud," cited as its source an article at this address by Bovard: http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/1000americorps.htm  Nowhere in that article does Bovard make that statement.  No mention of "AmeriCorps NCCC" nor of the "National Civilian Community Corps" appears in that article, nor is AmeriCorps NCCC called a 'waste and fraud."  We regret the error.

2. The same sentence went on to state the following:  "...Bovard has been one of the most vocal Americorps NCCC opponents, calling it a "waste and fraud", in addition to dedicating an entire chapter of criticisms of the program in his book "Feeling Your Pain ..."

Upon investigation, this statement turns out to be untrue.  Bovard's book (published in hardcover by St. Martin's press) does not contain a chapter of criticisms of AmeriCorps NCCC in the book "Feeling Your Pain.  In fact, neither "AmeriCorps NCCC" nor the "National Civilian Community Corps are mentioned at all in the text of that book nor in the book index.  (The chapter in question concerns the umbrella program, AmeriCorps, but does not mention the program known as "AmeriCorps NCCC'" or the "National Civilian Community Corps".

(The only mention to NCCC is in the footnotes, referring to a speech by then-president Clinton, praising, not criticizing, the NCCC.)

In sum, the book "Feeling Your Pain" does not dedicate "an entire chapter of criticisms" of AmeriCorps NCCC, contrary to the information posted at the Wikipedia website.  We regret the error.

3.  Also untrue was the sentence "Robert Sweet, the former director of the National Institute of Education, labeled it [i.e., AmeriCorps NCCC] "a fraud".  This sentence was misleading and false.  It was placed at the National Civilian Community Corps page and referred to the antecedent in the previous sentence, the AmeriCorps NCCC.

The claim relied on the article by Bovard at http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/1000americorps.htm.  No mention of either the "National Civilian Community Corps" nor of "AmeriCorps NCCC" appears in that article.  No evidence has been put forward to support the statement that Mr. Sweet ever labeled AmeriCorps NCCC a "fraud."  We regret the error.

Wikipedia deeply regrets that this misleading text appeared at our National Civilian Community Corps website and that it persisted for as long as it did.

The editor responsible for its appearance and continued re-emergence will no longer have access to the National Civilian Community Corps Wikipedia entry.

Signed: _____

[Philippe - Calls to move forward on the National Civilian Community Corps page, to be a team player, etc., would be better received if Wikipedia posted a note something like the above at the NCCC site  - not to mention, it might restore Wikipedia's credibility on the subject.  I don't know if there is a snowball's chance of that happening, but at least this gives you some information to process so you can evaluate the current situation.  Given the nature of the NCCC - a substantial and serious component of U.S. disaster relief and mitigation capacity - and its recent near-demise following misleading claims like those posted at Wikipedia, the statement above is not written as amusement.]