When I became governor I saw all kinds of unmet needs in every community that, bell, we simply couldn’t raise the taxes to pay for. I also became convinced that a lot of problems in this country were highly personal in nature–that the culture had changed in ways that broke down the traditional bonds of community. They suffered internally–not just economically, but emotionally from having insufficient order and emotional support and role models.
I think it can make a huge difference…I watched how the systematic attempt to affect people individually was making a difference in [schools] far beyond what could otherwise be predicted. Then I started seeing the same sort of potential happening in service projects.
I would be disappointed if we didn’t have a lot of white kids, middle-class white kids, in there, too. And I think we will. I fought very hard to keep the means testing [which targets aid toward the needy] out of the program because I want all kinds of people.
Only if they really do something for their country. You know, wealthy people may go into the military, but if they do they’re entitled to the GI Bill.
Probably.
I mean, who knows what I would have done? I always thought I was going to be drafted. But I think that most people would like the feeling of serving their country.
I think all these kids doing drugs, shooting guns, dropping out of school, going to jail, changing the culture of life in a destructive way and losing their opportunity to have a good life–I see that as a national-security issue.
No, because when I was in the campaign I always…saw reformation of the student-loan program as an important part of this, too. This income-contingent loan business [in which people can repay loans in small installments as a percentage of their income] is, I think, very important. It is my belief that if you know that the burden of repaying your loans is not a problem, then you are free to take a job that might pay somewhat less but be somewhat more rewarding. I talked to a young couple that had a combined college-loan repayment schedule of $1,000 a month. Both of them said they would like to have been doing something a little bit more community oriented than what they were doing. But it’s all they could do to scramble and put together $1,000 a month.
Well, I don’t think you can do it overnight. There was a limit to how fast you could start and expand a program effectively.
I just don’t agree with that. You’re still asking people…to give up what in almost every case will be an easier life and a more self-centered one to devote a significant period of their lives to primarily helping other people with their problems. You’re rewarding them for serving their country, for doing something that most people their age won’t do, don’t do.
