Democracy Forum 2/13/12

Issue: Participatory Democracy
Broadcast Time: 10-11:00 a.m.
Program Topic: Free speech, corporate money, and democracy

Key Discussion Points:
a) The constitutional background of granting personhood to corporations and equating political spending with free speech.
b) The practical outcomes for democracy.
c) What can citizens do?

Guests:
A) Jeff Clements, co-founder of Free Speech for People and author of the book Corporations Are Not People. www.freespeechforpeople.org
B) Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director of the Center for Responsive Politics. www.opensecrets.org

Call In Program: Yes
Political Broadcast: Yes
Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters www.lwvme.org
Engineer: Joel Mann

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Talk of the Towns 2/10/12

Issue: Citizen engagement, local democracy, occupy maine
Broadcast Time: 10- 11 AM
Program Topic: Learning from Occupy Efforts in Eastern Maine

Key Discussion Points:
1. What inspired you to get involved … what was your path like? Where there particular issues or questions that Occupy groups have raised that particularly resonate with you?
2. What have the various Occupy efforts looked like (Bar Harbor, Ellsworth, Bangor, Augusta)… what activities did you carry out in the fall and early winter?
3. What have you seen happening more recently, with the gathering in Washington and the Occupy the Courts events?
4. What are you planning? (free speech community event in Bar Harbor… other events?)
5. What have you learned? What about the Occupy movement seems to make it easy for people to get involved? What tangible/intangible results have you seen in your community as a result of Occupy efforts?
6. What issues that seem to be emerging as most important for the Occupy movement in 2012, and how you would like to see Maine people respond and get involved.

Guests:
A) Lawrence Reichard, Bangor
B) John Curtis, Ellsworth area
C) Simon Beckford – east of Ellsworth
D) Benjamin Hitchcock — Bar Harbor / College of the Atlantic
E) Kara Oster– Bar Harbor / College of the Atlantic
F) Margaret Fetzer-Rogers– Bar Harbor / College of the Atlantic

Call In Program: Yes
Host: Ron Beard
Engineer: Amy Browne

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RadioActive 2/9/12

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

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