Maine Currents 6/6/19: “Connecting Our Struggles: Corporations or Communities?”

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Audio recorded by: Meredith DeFrancesco

Last week a panel of Maine-based activists spoke in Belfast at an event called “Connecting Our Struggles: Corporations or Communities?”
Panelists Nickie Sekera of Community Water Justice; Matt Wagner of No to NECEC; Ellie Daniels of Local Citizens for SMART Growth; and John Banks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation, talked about tensions between corporate interests and efforts to protect and preserve communities.

This morning on Maine Currents we have the first part of the panel discussion. Part 2 will air on RadioActive this afternoon at 4:30.

Catch the award-winning Maine Currents, independent local news, views and culture, on the 1st Thursday of every month, 10-11 a.m. on WERU-FM and streaming live at www.weru.org

Maine Currents 5/2/19: Green New Deal Proposed for Maine

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Listen as Representative Chloe Maxmin, sponsor of LD 1282 “An Act To Establish a Green New Deal for Maine”, presents the bill at a public hearing before the legislature’s Joint Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology last week, and members of the public testify, followed by updates from the subsequent work session and a comment from Maxmin on where things stand now.

Read the bill text here

More information about the Joint Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology, and contact information for committee members can be found here

Maine Currents 4/4/19

An Americans Who Tell the Truth Event: Bree Newsome and Maulian Dana on the legacy of systemic racism in the US and what can be done to dismantle it

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Audio Recorded by: Matt Murphy

Bree Newsome, then 30 years old, became famous in June of 2015 when she climbed the flagpole outside the State House in Columbia, South Carolina and took down the Confederate Flag.

Maulian Dana is Tribal Ambassador of the Penobscot Nation, who has – among other things- been a leader in the movement to discontinue the use of Indian mascots in Maine.

They spoke about the legacy of systemic racism in the US and what can be done to dismantle it, at an event in Blue Hill last weekend sponsored by Americans Who Tell the Truth. WERU was among the co-sponsors of the event. Today on Maine Currents we bring you the first hour of their talk. A recording of the entire 2 hour event, which included a Q&A session, is also included in the links below.

Robert Shetterly of Americans Who Tell the Truth was the moderator

Catch the award-winning Maine Currents, independent local news, views and culture, on the 1st Thursday of every month, 10-11 a.m. on WERU-FM and streaming live at www.weru.org

Maine Currents 3/7/19

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Studio Engineer: John Greenman

Maine AllCare – Working to Bring Universal Healthcare to Maine

A call-in show discussion of universal healthcare: how it works, how it’s paid for, and how it might be implemented, with Lynn Cheney (Board Member) and Phil Bailey (Executive Director) of Maine AllCare.

FMI:
maineallcare.org/
www.facebook.com/MaineAllCare/

Catch the award-winning Maine Currents, independent local news, views and culture, on the 1st Thursday of every month, 10-11 a.m. on WERU-FM and streaming live at www.weru.org

Maine Currents 2/7/19

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

An Ambitious Plan to Address Homelessness in Maine

Mainers may have a chance in November to vote on a bond issue that would authorize $15 million to build housing for homeless people in the state: LD 48, “An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Invest in Housing for Persons Who Are Homeless”. The plan is to expand a “Housing First” model that has proven successful in Portland to other parts of the state.

We speak with Representative Michael Brennan of Portland, who is also a former mayor of the city and an adjunct professor of social work, the sponsor of LD 48, and Donna Yellen, Deputy Director of Preble St. in Portland- the agency that oversees the “housing first” programs there. And we listen in on testimony at the January 22nd public hearing on LD 48, before the legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs committee.

More information about LD 48, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs committee and contact info for legislators is available on the State Legislature’s website

Maine Currents 12/6/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Studio Engineer: John Greenman

Ranked Choice Voting in Maine: Bruce Poliquin’s legal challenges to the process, and what would be involved in extending RCV to statewide races.

A call-in show discussion of yesterday’s hearing on Poliquin et al’s case in the US Superior Court in Bangor, and where things could go from here.

Guests:

Ann Luther of the League of Women Voters of Maine, and host of Democracy Forum here on WERU. Reading from their mission statement: “The League of Women Voters of Maine is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.” They endorsed RCV back in 2011 and have been working to educate the public about how it works.

John Brautigam, Senior Advisor and Counsel for the League of Women Voters of Maine, as well as Former Assistant Attorney General and State Representative (2004-2008).

Kathleen McQuaid, Professor of Political Science Emeritus with a PH.D. in Political Science from Temple University. Member Hancock County Democrats, and a supporter of adopting RCV for all levels of elections both here in Maine and nationally.

Kyle Bailey, Campaign Manager for the Yes On 1 and Yes On 5 campaigns to win and protect Maine’s Ranked Choice Voting election law

Amy Fried, Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Maine.

Attorney Kim Tucker, Employed by the Florida attorney general during the Bush/Gore election crisis and helped draft their Supreme Court brief

Listen to the award-winning Maine Currents- independent local news, views and culture, on the 1st Thursday of each month, 10-11 a.m. on WERU-FM and www.weru.org

Maine Currents 10/31/18

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Studio Engineer: Joel Mann

Maine’s Ballot Question 1: Home Care for All or “Scam”?

Ballot Question 1 reads “Do you want to create the Universal Home Care Program to provide home-based assistance to people with disabilities and senior citizens, regardless of income, funded by a new 3.8% tax on individuals and families with Maine wage and adjusted gross income above the amount subject to Social Security taxes, which is $128,400 in 2018?”.

Our guests today represent both sides of the issue: Mike Tipping is the Communications Director of Mainers for Home Care, the coaltion promoting Question 1. Jeff Austin is the Vice President of the Maine Hospital Association (MHA). MHA is a member of a coalition of home care, health care and business groups that are opposed to Question 1, and are behind the “Stop the Scam” campaign. We open the phone lines for listener’s questions.

FMI:
www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/citizens/uhcleg.pdf
ballotpedia.org/Maine_Question_1,_Payroll_and_Non-Wage_Income_Taxes_for_Home_Care_Program_Initiative_(2018)
www.facebook.com/mainersforhomecare/
mainersforhomecare.org
www.facebook.com/NoOnQ1Maine/
www.stopthescammaine.com

Listen to award-winning Maine Currents for independent local news, views and culture, on the 1st Thursday of each month, 10-11 am on WERU-FM and www.weru.org