Peter Hessler's Letter in the Denver Post
The value of the Peace Corps’ China program By Peter Hessler Posted: 09/17/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT Rep. Mike Coffman recently called for the Obama administration to end the Peace Corps program in China, describing it as “an insult to the taxpayers of the United States.” As a former China volunteer who now lives in Colorado, I have several criticisms of Coffman’s stance. The first is basic: Coffman did not meet with any Peace Corps staff or volunteers during his spring trip to China, despite the fact that he visited Sichuan University, where the program is headquartered. Other American lawmakers have made the effort to learn firsthand about what their constituents do as volunteers. On April 24, no fewer than ten senators, including Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, attended a briefing by Peace Corps staff and volunteers in Chengdu. Legislators are busy; I appreciate that. But a little time makes a big difference . . .
Read More
I read Hessler's letter as confirming the appropriateness of all three Peace Corps goals, including the first: providing trained workers…