Eli Segal, at 63; Clinton aide helped designed AmeriCorps, welfare plan

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http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/02/21/eli_segal_at_63_clinton_aide_helped_designed_americorps_welfare_plan/?p1=MEWell_Pos5

Eli J. Segal, an architect of AmeriCorps and the Welfare to Work Partnership in the Clinton administration, used his business acumen and political savvy to create a lasting legacy of social service for the young and employment for the poor.

Mr. Segal, who was 63, died yesterday at his home in Boston. He had suffered from mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, his family said. A successful businessman, he put aside his career repeatedly to work with presidential campaigns, beginning with Senator Eugene McCarthy's run in 1967. Mr. Segal served as campaign chief of staff to Bill Clinton in 1992, helping assemble the organization that lifted the Arkansas governor to the White House.

Clinton then tapped Mr. Segal, who was assistant to the president from 1993 through 1996, to design AmeriCorps, shepherd it through Congress, and run the program. Since AmeriCorps' inception in 1994, about 400,000 volunteers have worked in areas such as education, health, and the environment in exchange for payment toward college or student loans. In creating the Welfare to Work Partnership, Mr. Segal used his diverse background in business and politics to reach across party lines and build a program that transcended traditional divisions among private, public, and nonprofit sectors.

''Eli was a truly extraordinary person," said Sandy Berger, who served as Clinton's national security adviser and was one of Mr. Segal's closest friends. ''He made an enormous difference for the people he knew and the country he loved. Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who had visited Mr. Segal in the days before he died, issued a statement. ''A longtime friend and colleague, Eli embodied the spirit of the American dream and lived his life as a man for others," the Clintons said.

[Cobalt Violet]

1. I hear on the news today...

That they don't know how or when he was exposed to asbestos. That is pretty scary.

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3. Very scary!

And very sad :(

[Boo Boo]

4. Even scarier is research that indicates that asbestos may not be the

only factor in play. An Italian researcher working in the U.S. has done studies that link a simian (monkey) virus that entered the human population via polio vaccination with this particular cancer. It is (or had been) extremely rare, and this scientist was looking for reasons that it was appearing in persons not exposed to asbestos. The virus has been identified in the U.S. population by it's genetic marker in human DNA. It can, of course, be passed on to the the offspring of those that have been contaminated.

Now that's scary.

[Boo Boo]

2. Wes Clark on the passing of Eli Segal

http://securingamerica.com/node/614

"My wife, Gert, and I are deeply saddened by the death of our friend, Eli Segal.

Eli dedicated his life to building a better America and his vision and energy were an inspiration to me. We will always be grateful for the leadership Eli demonstrated on our campaign in 2004. He was the heart and soul of that campaign.

He gave us so much of himself and even though I'm sure it must have seemed a thankless task at times, I will always be grateful to him.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Eli's wife, Phyllis, and their family at this most difficult time. America has lost a patriot and visionary and I have lost a dear friend."

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5. Excellent

Thanks for posting that.

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6. kick for afternoon crew

:kick:

[greenman3610]

7. Americorp has been zeroed out of the budget

My son is currently in Denver doing the "boot camp" phase of the
program, and expects to be sent to New Orleans area shortly to
assist in rebuilding projects.
He loves the program, feels it is exactly where he should be,
is meeting hundreds of other kids with ideals and vision,
and is very upset that this is being cut.