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