Swearing and smoking are forbidden. As the programs have grown, Americorps and City Year have received increasing bipartisan support in Congress. But some conservatives and libertarians find the use of any tax money for national service objectionable, and they have tried to block funding in the past. Doug Bandow is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute. He talked with reporter Alan Freedman.
Service is a good thing.
The problem is who should provide the service, and who should pay for it. That's the real question we're asking. Americorps officials say without government money, most of their programs just wouldn't work. I think government has a responsibility to take a leadership role in setting a tone, in saying that it's important for us to draw together as a community. A democracy is predicated on people doing that, and I think that government has a role to play in that.