Bring back the Civilian Conservation Corps?????????????

Not sure if this has been talked about but something that FDR did back prior to WW2 was create the CCC for those looking for work in unemployment. My understanding is that this greatly kickstarted the american infrastructure what would be wrong with implementing a type of program like the CCC corps we all know our american infracstructure could be upgraded thought?

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it provided unskilled manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state and local governments. The CCC was designed to provide employment for young men in relief families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression while at the same time implementing a general natural resource conservation program in every state and territory. Maximum enrollment at any one time was 300,000; in nine years 2.5 million young men participated. Reserve officers from the U.S. Army were in charge of the camps, but there was no military training or uniforms.

reply to post by Kadmiel


Kadmiel i have been preaching this long and loud for many years. my Dad was in the CCC's as a boy before the Marines. he told us stories of hard work in the fresh air, building fish hatcheries and cutting emergency fire roads in areas that were or later became National Parks.

the CCC's was simple genius. it taught young people the value of hard work, of team work, and of living out on their own. their basic needs were met and they had a little to mail home to family. best of all it kept a huge amount of young people off the streets and busy doing positive things.

the USA has needed this program and others like it for at least 20 years now. it would do a world of good to get many youths out of the environments they are in and show them a different world exists. they would get to meet people from different states and find out there is a whole big world out there beyond the hood.

from your typewriter to Obama's ears, Kadmiel!

First off, the country is broke. Who's going to pay them? Maybe use those on unemployment? Not likely, you'd have to move people to work locations, provide housing, etc. Again, no money to do it.

During FDR presidency, the government had money and very little dept. The USA is broke, and until we cut expenses and live within our means, we will continue to go downhill.

reply to post by Kadmiel


This would be a program that I could get behind, but in todays age of lawsuits, special interests and regulations, I believe that it would be next to impossible to implement.

Tie it in to welfare and other entitlements as well. You want money? Ya gotta earn it.

The age group should be expanded to 18 to 55 as well.

reply to post by zapr1943


The country was broke during most of FDR's presidency, but at least he was willing to try alternate thinking to get people back to work, rather than just printing more money, which continues to devalue the dollar.

reply to post by TDawgRex


The country was broke when this was implemented, But with the great depression i agree alternative thinking is required to get us beyond the scope of where we are at now. It will give confidence and "shovel ready" jobs for those who need them or may need them. The age should be higher of course to include those up to the task. It would really help in so many ways yet they do nothing it is starting to bother me more every day.

But agree if we want to save america we need to instill the proper morals in work ethic in everyone. you want help here is a shovel work for it..

reply to post by LargeFries


what can i add you hit the nail on the head well seaid

reply to post by Kadmiel


We need to put a new "CCC" on our Countries roads and bridges as they are falling apart. The contractors do a piss poor job and take entirely to long as well.

AND they get paid entirely to much for poor workmanship in my opinion.

Infrastructure, that is the key. Here in Wisconsin many of our state parks were developed from CCC work crews. In fact our "natural gem" Devil's Lake State Park was developed and improved through work done by the CCC. If we are still enjoying/using all these improvements from the 30's provided by the CCC now, what will my grandchildren encounter when they are old enough to enjoy these treasures? Will they even be there then if were not maintaining and upgrading our infrastructures? The same can be said of our aging interstate system which was developed in the Eisenhower era. Broke or not this country needs to think ouside the box with programs like the CCC to keep it's infrastructure improving, it is absolutely critical to a country's economy.

It was a good plan along with the TVA that he created also but it actually didn't do anything to help us out with the depression. In fact we actually headed into what is known as "The Second Great Depression" after these were created.

The fact of the matter is that FDR get's alot of credit for his programs that ended the depression when in fact they were failing miserably and it was only the war that ended unemployment and our postition in the world afterwards that allowed the economy to flourish.

reply to post by Nucleardoom

I LOVE Devil's Lake! Lived just up the road from there. Unfortunately, I no longer live there, but am looking to return again as a resident in the near future. But let me ask you this.

Why is the same stretch of I-90/94 always under construction between the Dells and Mad City? It's been like that for thirty years now. Maybe different locations, but always under renovation.

They did a decent job of HWY 12, but all the rural routes may as well be dirt roads.

reply to post by kro32


Exactly! FDR also started Social Security, and look where that has taken us. His socialist ideas are still causing problems. The only answer is to get the government off our backs and let the true free market straighten out this mess. It's going to take time, but that is the only approach that will save our country.

My grandfather and my uncles worked for the CCC during the depression. It was a good idea then. It's a good idea now.

We're paying people to sit on their behinds whether it be extending unemployment or more people on social services. I'd rather work for what I get if possible.

Something like the CCC also fills up the gaps on someone's resume and maybe, just maybe teaches them new skills. I read an article where employers won't hire the unemployed because they feel they've been out of the workforce for too long. I saw a video on MSNBC today that said Seimens is looking for 3000 people to fill jobs, but they can't find anyone with the needed math or manufacturing skills. And Seimens isn't the only company having that problem.

We already have the Job Corps and Americorps. Why not just build on those programs?

But then again, why help people become independent when you can keep them down?

I believe the CCC or TVA type of programs would be great. Far better to pay these people to build or rebuild our infrastructure instead of giving companies bailouts. At least if were spending the money let's get something to show for it.

Originally posted by zapr1943
reply to post by kro32

 

Exactly! FDR also started Social Security, and look where that has taken us. His socialist ideas are still causing problems. The only answer is to get the government off our backs and let the true free market straighten out this mess. It's going to take time, but that is the only approach that will save our country.

For the last time and PLEASE everyone read this. Social security has not cost our government one red cent to operate since it's inception. In fact it has brought in 2-3 trillion more than it has spent. Social security is NOT why we are in this situation so stop acting like it is!

The Corps should be a permanent part of America. We awlays have people needing jobs and we always have work that needs to be done.

Pshh. As good of an idea as it may be, there would be blood in the streets if people who were collecting money for free suddendly had to DO SOMETHING for it.

reply to post by sligtlyskeptical


I’m not convinced of the Ponzi of Social security and that does warrant more investigation, but as far as people working to do something prior to them receiving money. Yes sometimes it is hard to except change when everything is handed to you yet, with enough transition and the proper procedures once decided on to follow with implementation i think that it is a great opportunity.. Obviously we have learned a lot since then but your right there is always work to be done.

I think bringing back the CCC is not just a fantastic idea, it is also a necessity. In fact, I think it would serve our country best if we called home our troops and put them to work rebuilding OUR infrastructure, rather that destroying and then rebuilding other countries. Not just restoration of state and national parks, but also roads, bridges, rail roads, power grids, navigable waterways, etc...

If we spent the money, that we spend on wars, on restoring our country instead, damn...we would be in a lot better position than we currently are. For the life of me, I can not figure out what is so "wrong" with the U.S. investing in itself; nor can I understand the political argument against it.

One reason I like Hillary Clinton is that they have already discussed this when Bill was President. She is aware of the concept.

Participating in the Reading Festival will be FDR’s grandson David B. Roosevelt. The program notes that “Mr. Roosevelt authored a concept paper (based upon the Civilian Conservation Corps) for the Clinton Administration which eventually became the National Civilian Community Corps department of AmeriCorps. As a consequence David B. Roosevelt was appointed to serve on the national board for the National Civilian Community Corps.”

www.leveesnotwar.org...

Also, if these people are earning money, it will pump more spending into the economy.
Corporations are just sitting on their money and not hiring right now. If we took the same amount of money we used in the bailouts to bail out America, we'd not have a recession. There is absolutely NO reason that my area schools should have leaky roofs or be in such dire need of repairs. There's literally millions of hands available to fix it.

This would be the real test of our mettle. Would the people living on unemployment actually want to do these hard jobs? That would separate the wheat from the chaff.