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[LordOfLore]

Link.

Former President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he and his wife, Michelle, are donating $2 million to summer jobs programs in Chicago.

“One of the things that we’ll be starting this year is Michelle and I are personally going to donate $2 million to our summer jobs programs here in the community,” he said at the South Shore Cultural Center. "[It's] so that right away young people can get to work and we can start providing opportunities to all of them.”

The former president used the event to unveil plans for a 200,000-square-foot campus on Chicago’s South Side that will house the Obama Presidential Center. Obama said the center will be used to "train the next generation of leadership, the Michelle Robinsons of today and the Barack Obamas of today."

The center will sit on a lagoon that runs into Lake Michigan in the Jackson Park neighborhood and will feature three buildings — a museum, a forum and a library — alongside outdoor gathering spaces.

The Obama Foundation said the center will be located near Chicago’s historically African-American Woodlawn neighborhood and will revitalize the Jackson Park neighborhood by creating new jobs on the South Side and attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.

“More than a building or museum, the Obama Presidential Center will be a living, working center for engagement — an ongoing project for the community and world to shape what it means to be an active citizen in the 21st century,” the foundation said.

Obama is expected to use the center as he focuses on issues such as criminal justice reform and education for underprivileged children now that he has left office.

Foundation officials have said that the project is expected to cost $500 million and should be completed in 2021.

 

[Fuzzery]

So that's where his speaking fees are going, good on him

 

[Makonero]

but he's keeping the 400k for himself i bet!!!!

 

[Robot Carnival]

Thanks Obama!

I want to know if the orange turd had ever make a donation like that out of his own pocket instead of shuffling donations from other people around and pretend he did.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

But but but, Wall Street!

 

[tuxfool]

Clearly it is wall street that is influencing his actions here.

 

[Lord Frieza]

Clearly it is wall street that is influencing his actions here.

All of these summer programs are stealth Soros training facilities. Follow the money

 

[Ahasverus]

Obama: Creating more jobs than Trump since 2017

 

[Rentahamster]

Good on him *thumbs up*

 

[Slayven]

The speaking fees bullshit has been so distasteful.

 

[Metalingus5150]

Probably just doing it for the tax write off!
SAD!

 

[jon bones]

is there going to be a 20 page thread about this too? or are all the dummies just ignoring this because of a lack of wall st boogeymen

 

[Dan-o]

shaking my head in disbelief in some of the mental gymnastics at display here.

Spoiler

obvious /s

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Good guy Obama strikes again.

 

[Autodidact]

God, corrupting the program with neoliberal shill money.

 

[dynamitejim]

Probably all unpaid internships for The Man™.

 

[Slayven]

is there going to be a 20 page thread about this too?

Nope, the "I am so left I only walk in circles" crowd can't twist this into some holier than thou bullshit

 

[Username1198]

Oh thats what winning looks like!

What a good dude.

 

[Kyzer]

Next step is to save kids around the world with an Obama Foundation, and then to be accused of sex slaves in pizza shops, and people demand they stop saving kids.

 

[How About No]

Please proceed, Mr. President!

 

[Nepenthe]

But the speaking fees.

Anyway, it's an excellent initiative, and the campus sounds like it'll be a great place to get Chicago's Youth. I miss my President.

 

[Slayven]

But the speaking fees.

Anyway, it's an excellent initiative, and the campus sounds like it'll be a great place to get Chicago's Youth. I miss my President.

best part

"What about the kids in Chicago""

Obama:"I got you fam"

 

[WorldofMiku]

This is disgusting. Using his speech money to donate to job programs.

Republicans do your thing and destroy this man.

Spoiler

teeheehee

 

[gdt]

He'll speak at this new Obama center then get paid so he's really making it all back the neoliberal Wall Street shill scum.

 

[Angelus Errare]

is there going to be a 20 page thread about this too? or are all the dummies just ignoring this because of a lack of wall st boogeymen

Kinda hard to do purity tests when Obama donated more than their favorite.

Nope, the "I am so left I only walk in circles" crowd can't twist this into some holier than thou bullshit

Damn.

 

[cdyhybrid]

I'm going to speak on behalf of Chicago and say thanks but no thanks. I'm pretty sure they don't want that establishment money.

/s

 

[valkillmore]

Thanks, Goldman Sachs!

 

[psynergylover]

But but but, Wall Street!

That thread was so ridiculous.

 

[Linkura]

Obama's a modern day Robin Hood.

Fleecing rich people with absurd speaking fees and using it to help people who need it.

 

[valkillmore]

Obama's a modern day Robin Hood.

Fleecing rich people with absurd speaking fees and using it to help people who need it.

I love this comparison haha.

 

[Omegasquash]

I half expected him to say that he was going to donate $80k to the National Parks Service just to piss off Trump.

100 days out of office and Obama is doing more good than the egoist in chief.

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

Good guy. We're not going to get anyone else with even half the class and dignity as Barack Obama anywhere close to the White House in our life times.

 

[Irnbru]

S O R O S
O
R
O
S

 

[Xe4]

Good on him. I never minded the speaking fees shit, and if he's using it for this, I mind it even less.

 

[Snkfanatic]

Ah that is awesome. Miss ya Obama.

 

[CF_Fighter]

Of course he doesn't use this money to address the rampant "American Carnage" (pending Trump Brand trademark) and "black on black crime" (pending Republican Boogeyman trademark).

 

[Nafai1123]

This is why I don't give a shit about speaking fees. Money in Obamas pocket is better served than in the pockets of Wall St.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Piece of shit..give more.

 

[Slayven]

I half expected him to say that he was going to donate $80k to the National Parks Service just to piss off Trump.

100 days out of office and Obama is doing more good than the egoist in chief.

And Obama just been back 2 weeks!!!

 

[Elandyll]

Bu bu bu $400k talks!

 

[Nepenthe]

Nope, the "I am so left I only walk in circles" crowd can't twist this into some holier than thou bullshit

 

[Viewt]

For the record, these job programs are proven to be tremendously effective.

Research on the program conducted by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and just published in the journal Science suggests that these summer jobs have actually had such an effect: Students who were randomly assigned to participate in the program had 43 percent fewer violent-crime arrests over 16 months, compared to students in a control group.

That number is striking for a couple of reasons: It implies that a relatively short (and inexpensive) intervention like an eight-week summer jobs program can have a lasting effect on teenage behavior. And it lends empirical support to a popular refrain by advocates: "Nothing stops a bullet like a job."

Good on Barack and Michelle, and as a Chicago resident, I'm always happy to see cool new stuff pop up.

 

[NoRéN]

The speaking fees bullshit has been so distasteful.

But it's been quite the eye opening experience for this forum. No matter how progressive this place can claim to be, there are certain things that serve to expose people's true colors. That was one of them.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

hehehehehe

 

[Rebel Leader]

Thanks obama

 

[IceBringer]

Is this why democrats keep losing

 

[Boke1879]

Keep up man. Never had a problem with him making money speaking. Or anyone for that matter.

But I love seeing this. Small steps but programs and initiatives like this help.

 

[Akuun]

It's so refreshing to see an announcement that uses coherent sentences that actually make sense.

Everything from the current administration sounds like it's coming from a child caught stealing cookies.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Is this why democrats keep losing

"So he chose to focus on Chicago youth? Why not Kansas youth? He should be helping ALL people! This is why democrats keep losing, doing things like this will only push away people from the democrat platform into voting for Trump, identity politics!"

 

[Slayven]

2 million to help people

How much is that "Untiy" tour costing?