WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco
Issue: Environmental and Social Justice
Program Topic: The Maine legislature’s most recent cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services programs, including MaineCare.

Key Discussion Points:
a) The Maine legislature passes further budget cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). These include the elimination of 14,500 low income parents from MaineCare, who have income between 100-133% of the poverty level, and all 19 and 20 year olds under 150% of the poverty level. This effects an additional 7,000 Mainers. Both these measures and cuts to the Medicare Savings Program are currently in violation of the federal Affordable Care Act. The budget also includes cuts to the Drugs for the Elderly Program, and to the Fund for a Healthy Maine. Cuts to the latter include a $2 million reduction in state funding for Head Start, a $2 million cut to the Child Care Subsidy Program, $2.6 million to the Maine Families Home Visiting Program, and funding cuts for Family Planning and dental services.
b) Governor LePage asked for, and still plans to pursue much deeper cuts in DHHS spending. Press secretary Adrienne Bennett articulates more of the goals and beliefs behind the Governors pursuit to diminish government spending on health and human service programs, particularly MaineCare. This includes discussion on the governor’s latest controversial statement, to the Maine GOP convention, that those on government programs should “get off the couch and get a job.”
c) Appropriations Committee member Rep. Rotundo says that recent revenue re-projection numbers negated the needs for the DHHS cuts. She also says, that tax cuts also passed in the supplemental budget bill, are unfunded, causing a loss of revenue of a half a billion dollars, which will have to be made up for in future state budgets.

Guests:
A) Ana Hicks, senior policy analyst, Maine Equal Justice Partners www.mejp.org
B) Adrienne Bennett, press secretary for Governor Paul LePage
C) Maine State Representative Peggy Rotundo (D- House District 79), Appropriations Committee House Democrat Lead (four Republicans legislators, leadership unavailable)

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Standard Podcast [ 27:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Reform of national toxics protections

Key Discussion Points:
a) While Maine residents and law makers try to pass stronger measures to protect public health against toxic chemicals, like Bisphenol-A, they also look towards reform at the federal level.
b) There are reportedly 84,000 chemicals used in commerce. Since the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed in 1976, only 200 have been tested, and only 5 restricted. The requirement is that the government prove that chemicals are harmful, not that the manufactures, like Dow and Dupont, prove that they’re safe,
c) Numerous health, medical and other organizations in Maine are pushing for the passage of the federal Safe Chemicals Act. In April, Maine’s legislature passed a unanimous resolution to call on the US Congress to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act. On May 22nd, a Maine delegation will join the stroller brigade in Washington DC to call on Congress to pass the Safe Chemicals Act.

Guest: Mike Belliveau, exc. director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, www.preventharm.org, founding organizational member of Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, www.cleanandhealthyme.org

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Standard Podcast [ 30:14 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Action in Maine to eliminate Bisphenol-A (BPA) from consumer products

Key Discussion Points:
a) In 2008 Maine passed the Kids Safe Products Act. In 2010, Maine passed a law banning the hormone disrupting plastic additive, BPA, from baby bottles, sippy cups and other reusable plastic containers.
b) Maine law also now requires baby food manufacturers to list whether BPA is used in their container lids. Not all companies are complying, though BPA is present. It is also used in the lining of food cans. Citizen movement is pushing for further action on BPA.
c) The LePage Administration, who has vigorously opposed action on BPA, demoted of Department of Environmental Protection employee, Andrea Lani, for testifying at a legislative hearing in defense of strong BPA protections. Lani just won a settlement against the state, but no longer holds he position overseeing the Safer Chemicals in Children’s Products Programs.

Guest: Mike Belliveau, exc. director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, www.preventharm.org, founding organizational member of Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, www.cleanandhealthyme.org

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Standard Podcast [ 27:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Production assistance: John Greenman

Issue: Grassroots environmental and social justice news

Program Topic:Author and climate change activist Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, was the keynote speaker at the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine’s HOPE Festival in April.

Key Discussion Points:
a) the impact of climate change on communities around the world
b) what activists are doing to address the issue
c) how listeners can get involved

Speech by Bill McKibben, recorded by John Greenman, edited by Amy Browne

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Standard Podcast [ 30:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice
Host: Meredith DeFrancesco
Studio Engineer: Meredith DeFrancesco

Broadcast Time:4-4:30PM

Program Topic: Maine House Approves bill removing unionizing rights for egg farm workers

Key Discussion Points:

a) On Tuesday, the Maine House passed LD 1207 “An Act to Amend the Labor Laws Relating to Certain Agricultural Employees”. This bill seeks to overturn legislation passed in 1997 to allow for egg workers in facilities with more than 100 workers and 500,000 laying hens the right to unionize. This, and a bill passed in 1975 to allow the same set of workers the right to a minimum wage standard and overtime, both aimed to temper the egregious working conditions at the Decoster egg farms in Turner.

b) Federally, the National Labor Relations Act excludes agricultural workers from the rights to a minimum wage standard, overtime or the right to collective bargaining . It is up to individual states to grant these rights. At least 9 states now allow some form of collective bargaining for agricultural workers.

c).Decoster is now leasing it’s Maine factories to Moark, LLC, a subsidiary of Land O’ Lakes. The Maine Senate is expected to vote on LD 1207 as soon as next week. There is a lack of support for the bill, however, from both Democrats and Republicans.

Guests:
A ) Ben Chin, Maine Peoples Alliance, www.mainepeoplesalliance.org
B) Representative Jeffrey Timberlake, Maine State of Representatives, www.maine.gov/ legis
C) Matt Schlobaum, maine AFL-CIO, www.maineaflcio.org

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Issue: Environmental and Social Justice
Host: Meredith DeFrancesco and Lawrence Reichard
Engineer: Meredith DeFrancesco
Broadcast Time:4-4:30PM

Program Topic: United States Postal Service Cuts Proposed, and Bill in Maine Legislature Aims for Major Change to LURC, the Land Use Regulatory Commission

Key Discussion Points:

a) Though not required of any other government agency, in 2006, Congress mandated that the US Postal Service pre-fund their future retiree health benefits. Meeting this mandate accounts for 84% of the postal service’s current debt, which a bill co-sponsored by Senator Collins and others asserts must lead to the closure of hundreds of post offices and processing centers through out the country, including 30 Maine post offices and the Hampden processing center.

b) LD 1798, “An Act to Reform Land Use Planning in the Unorganized Territory”, proposes to restructure and reassign the current make up and tasks of the Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC). This includes : assigning the permitting of large scale projects to the Department of Environmental Protection, eliminating the requirement that the developer of a project demonstrate that there is a “need” for it.

c. LD 1798 would also change LURC’s name to the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) and would be made up of nine members, six from the counties with the largest amount of Unorganized Territories. Count Commissioners could appoint themselves to the LUPC. The most impacting on the current mission of LURC, the bill would allow counties to opt out of the LUPC, as the Natural Resources Council of Maine says, could effectively dismantle the statewide land use system.

Guests:
A ) Jon Curtis, recently retired letter carrier
B) Cathy Johnson, Maine Woods Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine

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Standard Podcast [ 26:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice
Broadcast Time:4-4:30PM

Program Topic: Maine Appropriations Committee Alternative Budget Cuts to Department of Health and Human Services programs, including MaineCare

Key Discussion Points:
a) The Appropriations Committee has approved decreasing eligibility for MaineCare coverage for adults with children down to 133% from 200% of the poverty level.
b) The new budget proposal would freeze MaineCare enrollment for childless adults. 16,000 Mainers on the waiting list will no longer be eligible.
c) Though the Appropriations Committee approved $120 million in cuts, instead of the $220 million in cuts LePage asked for, $80 million in proposed cuts ti the Department of Health and Human Services budget for 2013 are slated to be taken up later this month.

Guests:
A )Ana Hickes, Senior Policy Analyst at Maine Equal Justice Partners : www.mejp.org, www.reasonablesolutions.com
B) Cullen Ryan, executive director of Community Housing of Maine : www.chomhousing.org

Call In Program: No
Political Broadcast: No

Host: Meredith DeFrancesco
Engineer: Meredith DeFrancesco

Standard Podcast [ 27:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Broadcast Time:4-4:30PM

Program Topic: Governor LePage’s Proposed Budget Cuts to Department of Health and Human Services programs, including MaineCare

Key Discussion Points:
a) We look at efforts to uncover the coordinated crackdown on Occupy Wall Street encampments across the country, through the US Conference of Mayors.
b) We look at restrictions to those on unemployment insurance, under the proposed bill LD 1725, “An Act to Strengthen the Unemployment Insurance Laws and Reduce Fraud”.
c) And, we check in on the status of the massive cuts to low income social service and healthcare programs, proposed by Governor LePage. 65,000 people could be cut from MaineCare The Appropriations Committee has already agreed to cut funding for “Wrap Around Maine”, which has helped struggling youth turn their lives around.

Guests by name and affiliation:
A) Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, director of The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund : www.justiceonline.org , www.justiceonline.org/owsfoia
B) Jack McKay, director of Food and Medicine : www.foodandmedicine.org
C )Ana Hickes, Senior Policy Analyst at Maine Equal Justice Partners : www.mejp.org, www.reasonablesolutions.com

Call In Program: No
Political Broadcast: No

Host: Meredith DeFrancesco
Engineer: Meredith DeFrancesco

Standard Podcast [ 28:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download