I wouldn’t necessarily say they don’t have the money or organization to launch it. Just one of the players in this, Youthbuild is in tight with both sides of Congress, Dept of Labor, Dept of Housing, etceteras. Keep in mind that what follows is how Youthbuild is “marketing and selling themselves”.

http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1223923/k.C7D6/About_Us.htm

Advocating for YouthBuild programs

YouthBuild USA represents and advocates for YouthBuild programs by:

* Bringing more than $700 million in federal funds since 1994 to low income communities for 226 YouthBuild programs;
* Raising funds from corporations, foundations, individuals, and others to support YouthBuild programs;
* Coordinating the National YouthBuild Coalition of nearly 1,000 members to build majority bipartisan support in both houses of Congress;
* Supporting the development of 13 state-level YouthBuild coalitions (California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin) that aim to secure state funding, sponsor youth events, maintain and improve program quality and accountability, and shape public policy regarding low-income youth;
* Bringing public attention to the YouthBuild network and issues facing youth in transition.

http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1240601/k.C3BC/History.htm

By the early 1990s, the program had been replicated in 14 cities. By 1992, legislation authorizing the federal YouthBuild program was passed, followed in 1993 by an appropriation of $40 million. In 1994, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development granted 31 local YouthBuild programs their first federal grants.
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Through the federal Youthbuild authorization in HUD, more than $500 million has been brought into hundreds of low-income communities nationwide. These HUD dollars have been more than matched by other federal and local dollars.

The previous quote of $700 million was apparently incorrect as by my totals they actually were up to $1.04 Billion at the time they posted their website info.

http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1335071/k.69AB/Workshop_Descriptions.htm

Youth Development and Counseling:

Stages of Youth Transformation at YouthBuild
Structure your program to support the personal change process of a YouthBuild student. Based on research studies, learn how to build your program to reinforce each development phase: trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, and new identity formation. (YouthBuild-specific, but relevant to many youth programs)

Handling Difficult Emotions
Discover proven techniques that can assist staff and young people to better handle stress, low self-esteem, self-destructive behavior, and negative influences.

But that’s not all of it, they apparently also have an Acorn-like wing:
http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1300085/k.99F4/Initiatives/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp

Voter Engagement Campaign

YouthBuild USA joined with the National Youth Employment Coalition and the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps in using a private foundation grant to give grants to 30 local youth organizations around the country, with the goal of mobilizing low-income youth to vote in the 2008 presidential election.

Criminal Justice System:

Criminal Justice Re-entry Project

Because of YouthBuild’s proven effectiveness in working with adjudicated youth, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) selected YouthBuild USA to participate in a major national demonstration of YouthBuild programs’ efficacy in bringing down the recidivism rate of ex-offenders.
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Criminal Justice State Advocacy Initiative

With support from the JEHT Foundation, YouthBuild USA is working to access state-level criminal justice funds for YouthBuild and other comprehensive youth programs that are positioned to serve as diversion alternatives or re-entry programs for youth offenders.

Have their hand in Public & Alternative Schools (with Bill Gates’ endorsement):

National Schools Initiative

YouthBuild USA received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support excellence in diploma granting YouthBuild charter and alternative schools.

Global Poverty:

YouthBuild International

A division of YouthBuild USA, YouthBuild International is a Somerville, Massachusetts-based international non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides technical assistance, training, consultation, capacity-building grants, and other resources to governments, schools, NGOs, and youth groups in the areas of workforce development, youth leadership and civic engagement, housing construction, youth policy, program design, project management, school reform, criminal justice reform, and community revitalization. YouthBuild International is engaged with youth programs in South Africa, Serbia, Mexico, and Canada.

And Community Activism:

National Alumni Council (NAC)

The National Alumni Council (NAC) is the peer-elected governing body of the YouthBuild USA National Alumni Association and a key decision-making group for the YouthBuild field. Graduates who serve on the NAC engage in important leadership roles: policy input to YouthBuild USA, advocacy, support for the National Alumni Association, support for local programs, activism and action, and self-development. Members are elected at the annual conference of graduate leaders.

And this is just one of the organizations Obama is connecting to this.

It makes me a little queasy thinking about how easily it would be to manipulate, retool, and corrupt what seems at first view a good non-profit organization by putting it under the wing and power of an underground socialist movement and restaffed under undefined and unknown agendas of a bureaucratic state indoctrination program.

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My guess is that the initial training is the only increment being discussed, but that there will be callback for those that went through the training.

Perhaps during natural disasters, internal uprisings…and those just might be what we use to call free elections…

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Clay,

I understand your point, but as a reservist or National Guardsman, you would continue with periodic and regular training in order to MAINTAIN and grow your skills. A one-shot training class won’t do that. Skills fade without regular use or reinforcement. I’ll agree with your point that the training can be done, but in this case, to what end? Thanks for the comment, by the by.

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Dear ThomNJ,

I would guess that most reservist invest that much time in their basic training and M.O.S. schools. I was a reservist and I was started basic infantry training in January was out in March, and finished my job training by the first part of May. It can be done.

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I never understood his justification for this…why does the Obama administration want a civilian defense corps when our main strength is needed in the military?

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I also agree that forcing people into this is contrary to our beliefs, but think about what obama said – he wants a civilian force with AS MUCH POWER as the US Military. Now how is that remotely possible? With serivce of 3 to 4 to 7 months (Emmanuel was really unclear on that) – how can anyone have enough training and experience in “civil defense” to be truly effective (or any job) – and effective at what – what do they mean? What exactly do they mean – are we going to have weapons toting civil defense personnel running around America? What, will they be driving Humvees up to Abrams or what? If the time of service is so short, then what is happening? Is it safety training – first aid – how to react in a gas or nuclear event – or how to be a reactionary marxist? How can any of these be defined as having the same ampount of power as the US Military? Does he want to be able to fight the US military, and if not, who is he planning to have to fight? Has he gone and negotiated with other nations in secret during the campaign that he expects some kind of invasion? This is ludicrous. They had better tell us exactly what they are talking about, otherwise this sounds pretty weird to me. And Scott is absolutely right – NO MONEY for this BS anyway.

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@ Southernsue, Clay

Fear, this is what Obama wants and is already getting, us to fear him, the government and what may come. This is how Hitler got to power, through fear, not because the people were smitten by him, but through fear of death. Obama is a different type, he is more deceitful and has millions smitten with him. The end is still the same, total control of the people. Someday God will smite back.

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SouthernSue,
You are right. It will start off slow. In the end, all Americans will be required to join the Civilian Defense Corp or face treason.

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how could this happen, that a thug islam is now in the white house with all his anti-american freinds? we, as a nation are in for the shock of our lives. it will start slow but gradually gain speed. will his forces be too strong to stop in 2012? will america be the same free loving people before election of 2008? will we be so cowed down in 2012 that we will be afraid to vote republican? nothing can stop obamba’s administration now. all the top people from freddie mac, fanny mae, book cookers from enron etc., are in this man’s arsenal. also dems are in complete control of our country. it has been said that our country will not be taken down militarily but within. it started with the radical professors at these so called high end universities then our local schools then our workplace, being political correct,now it has been exposed this anti american spew has been going on in the black churches.

i fear of a coming revolution of some sort. how much will the people of the US take? what can we do against a government with which we feel we have no control and up against a party that is so coniving and corrupt?

i have never had fear for my country as i have now. we don’t know anything about this guy and we don’t even know if he was born in our country. the corruption of this election was so blantant even a child could see it. no checks were done on donations, his anti-american freinds running around everywhere. its as if a spell was put on the US to vote this guy in.

i’m a believer and i for one am going to get my soul right because i do believe the wrath of god may just about to begin.

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No money=no worry

Nice idea to have every American do some community service, but ain’t gonna happen. Not popular, anyone voting for it is likely to lose the 18-25 voting block (a game changing block in the election), and there’s just no money to fund it.

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