Despite Bush's Goal of Doubling Peace Corps' Size, Tight Budget Forces Cuts

[babylonsister]

Another failure; add this to the list.

Peace Corps to Pare Ranks of Volunteers
Despite Bush's Goal of Doubling Program's Size, Tight Budget Forces Cuts

By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 22, 2008; Page A15


The Peace Corps, the popular service program that President Bush once promised to double in size, is preparing to cut back on new volunteers and consolidate recruiting offices as it pares other costs amid an increasingly tight budget, according to agency officials.

The program, which has a budget of $330.8 million, is facing an anticipated shortfall of about $18 million this fiscal year and next, officials say. Much of the gap can be attributed to the declining value of the dollar overseas and the rising cost of energy and other commodities, officials said. That inflates expenses for overseas leases, volunteer living costs and salaries for staff abroad, most of whom are paid in local currencies.

Those factors "have materially reduced our available resources and spending power," Peace Corps Director Ronald A. Tschetter wrote in a July 22 letter to Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), a member of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the program. "Tough budgetary decisions must be made now in order to ensure a financially healthy agency next fiscal year," he added.

The agency estimates its foreign- currency-related losses at $9.2 million for fiscal 2008 alone, spokeswoman Amanda Beck said yesterday.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/21/AR2008082103384.html?nav=rss_nation

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Just add that to the list of lies he has told since his campaign in 2000.