Here in Burlington Vermont, widely touted as Americore city by our "progresive" government, a lovely trick played by these folks is to not count the ~$5,000 grant these kids get at the end as income. This lets them claim that they earn so little that they qualify, and get, low income housing. Of course most low income housing managers (often "non profit' arms of the govt.) prefer rich yuppie college kids taking a year off to "volunteer", than actual poor people and the problems they bring with them. Better still, many federal funded low- income housing programs only check the income on the first year. When the program ends and they get jobs they stay in the subisidized housing.

More bitching (I've been waiting years to bitch about this stupid program). I managed a job for a private company that was contracted to supervise Americore workers. If you sent one of these brats to get a tool at the other end of the jobsite, ~200 yds away, they would not return. If you went there they would just be sitting on the grass in the shade. This was when they bothered to show up at all. This was also the only time they didn't bitch and whine constantly. When I called the program to complain they said that I was the manager. A manager who would have fired them, but couldn't isn't really a manager at all now are they. Our managent fee, after all the babysitting, was almost as much as it would have cost to hire us to do the job in the first place. These 12 kids were the most worthless bunch of employees I have ever managed. If Americore were eliminated tommow it would not be soon enough in my opinion. This experience was the begining of my turn to the libratarian side of politics. Thanks for letting me vent.