The Other Day I Posted This As A Possible Solution For Inner City Problems Like We See In Baltimore.

[global1]

Check out this link as the more and more I hear people talk about possible solutions - I think that this one has some merit and could work. I'm sure it needs some tweaking - but there is a seed on an idea here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026580889

Read the responses in this post as well because as people responded to my original post - the idea was built upon and explained better and became more appealing.

[shraby]

1. One caution on a program like this. My father worked in the CCC camps and when he would go to

collect his paycheck, the person passing them out acted like it was coming out of their own pocket, and as if they hadn't earned their money.
In fact when he went to collect his last one, he told them to keep it he was so angry about that person demeaning them when times were so tough.
This might not be an issue in this day and age if the money is direct deposited, or send in the mail, but if the people doing the work are looked down on like some working in the CCC camps were, that attitude should be rooted out at the source.

[global1]

2. You Know I've Done A Lot Of Research And Reading About the CCC's As My Father Also Was In Them....

I've never heard a negative comment about it until yours just now. I suppose there are those types of people all over and this person you refer to passing out the paycheck money must have been one of those people. Sorry your Dad had a bad experience.

[shraby]

3. The good words about it were many, mostly because it was a very low point in history with

people literally eating for one day at a time. Everything was scarce at the time and what the CCC did was put jingle in some jeans which is always a good thing. My dad came from a family of 11 children, and most had been born by then. He was the oldest so probably felt the depression up front and personal.
That person giving out the money left a very bad taste in his mouth for that person. The program was a good one. My guess is a republican with sour grapes was dispensing the wages.
That's kind of their modus operandi, isn't it?

[global1]

4. My Dad Was In Camp Harper In Oregon.....

I have two albums of pictures from his time in the CCC's and a camp yearbook called Memories, dated Nov 1940 that has some pages of autographs and comments by his buddies he served with. I also have his discharge papers. My dad died back in 1962 when I was only around 12 y/o. When I was a kid and he was still with us I remember him talking about his time in the CCC's - but I sure wish he was around now so that I could sit down with him and go through the pics and hear all of his stories from his service. What I do remember of him is that he always spoke very warmly about his time in the CCC's.

Camp Harper doesn't exist anymore - but I was able to contact a person in Harper, Oregon and I found out where the camp was. I'm planning to travel out there this summer to just experience that part of the country and walk some of the ground that he walked when he was out there.

From the pics I have from his stint in the CCC's it appears that he traveled all over the west. I have pics of the Grand Coulee Dam being built and pics of Yellowstone and Glacier parks. Probably before they were designated National Parks.

In the research I've done about the CCC's I learned how important of a program it was and how much impact it had on the youth coming out of our country's depression back then. This was a tremendous learning experience and many of the boys came out with skills that provided them jobs when they got back to their hometowns.

That's why I think a program like that that could rebuild some of our urban landscapes in the inner cities while at the same time providing jobs, teaching skills and self respect to our youth - both boys and girls - would be a good solution to many of the problems faced by the youth in the inner city. It is synergistic with the President's push to get free tuition for community colleges. It is synergistic with our need as a country to rebuild our infrastructure.

I just wish that some politician would see this idea and perhaps run with it.

Again - thanks for your comments on my post.