Excerpts from Obama's site:
Engage Retiring Americans in Service on a Large Scale: Older Americans have a wide range of skills and knowledge to contribute. Obama and Biden will expand and improve programs that connect individuals over the age of 55 to quality volunteer opportunities.
As far as I can tell, this is volunteer, optional.
Expand Service-Learning in Our Nation's Schools: Obama and Biden will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year. They will develop national guidelines for service- learning and will give schools better tools both to develop programs and to document student experience. Green Job Corps: Obama and Biden will create an energy-focused youth jobs program to provide disadvantaged youth with service opportunities weatherizing buildings and getting practical experience in fast-growing career fields.
When someone talks about "community service" I/we associate that with crime, repaying the community for a minor crime. But 50 hours a year isn't much, less than one hour a week. And some of the young generation are really loose cannons who need some more discipline, so I'm in two minds about this (if you don't mind me giving my opinion as an outsider who lives in a "socialist country"). I think the majority of Australians would support something like this now.
Require 100 Hours of Service in College: Obama and Biden will establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.
That "require" word is ominous. But at the moment it's contradictory with "
opportunity tax credit". Does that mean you'll be forced to have this "opportunity"? The tax credit sounds good, but it's taking away personal choice from people you'd think more responsible than high schoolers.
Social Security:
As part of a bipartisan plan that would be phased in over many years, they will ask those making over $250,000 to contribute a bit more to Social Security to keep it sound.
We pretty much already have that in Oz with higher income tax brackets. Many don't like it but we've learned to live with it.
Unions:
"We're ready to take the offense for organized labor. It's time we have a President who didn't choke saying the word 'union.' We need to strengthen our unions by letting them do what they do best --- organize our workers. If a majority of workers want a union, they should get a union. It's that simple.
As long as unionism remains
voluntary it shouldn't be a problem. Strenghtening them is an excellent idea.
He has lots of potentially good policies which could bring radical changes to America, not the least being health care. It's a mixed bag.
It could be a radical gamble, win or lose, but I think it has the potential to win, over all. If the compulsory programs don't work, or prove too unpopular, I'm not sure what measures are available to amend that under your system of government.