Most politicians’ legacies take billions of dollars and decades of public service to define.But attaining notoriety was never really much of a problem for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.Within months, Emanuel has already earned a reputation as the bullwhip of the new administration.The president’s sidekick often inspires images of Marlon Brando from “The Godfather,” or “Wildcard” Charlie from the sitcom “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.”His peers suggest he’s the sort of guy who doesn’t take no for an answer, a man who knows how to manipulate the strings of the political system to get his way.But a particular comment Emanuel made in his 2006 book, “The Plan: Big Ideas for America” has recently sparked a significant deal of controversy from both liberals and conservatives alike.”It’s time for a real Patriot Act that brings out the patriot in all of us. We propose universal civilian service for every young American,” Emanuel wrote. “Under this plan, all Americans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five will be asked to serve their country by going through three months of basic training, civil defense preparation and community service.”Emanuel’s controversial comments have leaked into the oval office.Ever since President Obama was elected, skeptics have tried to draw parallels between Emanuel’s “mandatory civil service” proposals and the president’s plans for a civilian national security force “as strong as the military.”In response, the Obama administration recently replaced the word “require” with the phrase “setting a goal” on the campaign’s “America Serves” page.The full text now reads: “President Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free,” according to change.gov.At this point it’s highly unlikely the president will actually propose any sort of legislation requiring college students to perform public services.But with financial deficits continually building up and a snowballing debt of more than $12 trillion, it’s possible the administration will look for creative ways to get more bang out of their buck.And in Washington D.C., that means convincing citizens they need to help dig the government out of the hole it created — largely as a result of the various social programs, like student loans, which have vastly exceeded early budgetary projections.In theory, these federal policies were designed to make a college education more accessible. But, in reality, they’ve contributed to the spiraling costs and wasteful spending in higher education.
Consequently, tuitions have soared while the value of an American college degree has declined precipitously.”Higher education has been oversold,” said academic researcher George Leef.But that hasn’t stopped Emanuel and his ilk from promising something they can’t deliver — higher education for all.”If the government is going to be spending money on solving problems, should it be asking something of citizens in return?” asked Bruce Reed, co-author of “The Plan.”Apparently this is an insult to our continually degraded intelligence.Yet again the old Godfather image is aroused. Don Emanuel, sitting behind his desk, his legs propped up, groping his pussycat, asking for a favor in return for his “services.”But this is an offer we can refuse.
Scott Burns is a 20-year-old business and history junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_sburns. 
————Contact Scott Burns at [email protected]