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Downeast & Central Maine
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News & Public Affairs Archive
Producer/Host: Amy Browne
The Impact of Trump’s Economic Policies on Maine
Garrett Martin, Executive Director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), speaking at the University of Maine on October 11th. More information about MECEP can be found at mecep.org
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Immigration: Can We Live Without It?
Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine
Engineer: Amy Browne
Key Discussion Points:
Immigration and jobs
Federal policy
Effect on economic development and workforce in Maine
Guests:
Dany Bahar, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution www.brookings.edu/experts/dany-bahar/
Carla Dickstein, Senior Vice President for Research and Policy Development at the Coastal Enterprise Institute www.ceimaine.org/about/staff-directory/name/carla-dickstein/
Martha Searchfield, Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Chamber Commerce www.visitbarharbor.com/staff-board-of-directors
To learn more about this topic:
Immigrants’ Contribution to Maine’s Workforce and Economy, from the Coastal Enterprise Institute
Building Maine’s Economy: How Maine Can Embrace Immigrants and Strengthen the Workforce, more from CEI, 2016.
100 Years Ago, Maine’s Economy Was Powered by Immigrants reporting in the Bangor Daily News, September, 2017.
The Trump administration failed to study immigration vetting. So I did. David Bier from the Cato Institute in the Washington Post
Migrants and refugees: The unlikely key for economic development, Dany Bahar for Brookings.
The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes:
Starr Gilmartin
Maggie Harling
Linda Hoskins
Sheila Kirby
Ann Luther
Maryann Ogonowski
Pam Person
Leah Taylor
Linda Washburn
FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org
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Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne
Issue: Maine coastal and ocean issues
Program Topic: Downeast Fisheries Partnership
Key Discussion Points:
1. What is the Downeast Fisheries Partnership and what is its vision for a future where Maine’s fishing communities keep fishing forever?
2. What are the changes related to fisheries ecology, economy, and policy that suggest a need for a new way of dealing with fisheries management?
3. What is the relationship between ocean fisheries and river fisheries?
Guests:
Robin Alden, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries
Jacob van de Sande, Maine Coastal Heritage Trust
Charles Rudelitch, Sunrise County Economic Council
Anne Hayden, Manomet
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Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco
Program Topic: International Labor Day: National Restaurant Association Lobbies Against Raise in Minimum Wage, While Member CEOs Receive Double Subsidies; Small Business Path to Worker Cooperatives
Key Discussion Points:
*We speak with the co-author of a report published last week titled, “Restaurant Industry Pay: Taxpayers Double Burden: How CEOs are Benefiting from Subsidies While Lobbying to Defeat the Minimum Wage.”
*Looking at alternatives to the current economic structure, we examine worker cooperatives and efforts being made in Maine to transition current businesses into cooperatives, including the Island Employee Cooperative in Stonington, which would include four businesses currently run by owners about to retire.
*Updates: Last month, Delmonte became the 13th retailer to sign onto the Coalition of Immokalee Workers Fair Food Program.
Yesterday, the mayor of Seattle announced an increase in the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, to be phased in over the next 7 years.
Guests:
A) Sarah Anderson, Institute for Policy Studies, director of Global Economy Project
www.ips-dc.org/reports/restaurant_industry_pay
B) Rob Brown, Cooperative Development Institute, Business Ownership Solutions (BOS) program
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Producer/Host: Jim Campbell
Amory Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, presents “Reinventing Fire: A Business-led Clean Energy Solution for Security and Prosperity.” His presentation echoes the theme of his book by the same name: the US can be completely off fossil fuel by 2050 while simultaneously growing the economy by over 200%.
What areas of the economy lend themselves to renewable energy?
What are the economic benefits to reducing the use of fossil fuels?
What are other benefits to reducing the use of fossil fuels?
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Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Topic: Nimble Non-Profits – Strategies in the face of the downturn
What do we know about the non-profit sector in Maine? What do we know about how non-profits are faring as a result of the recession? Erosion of Investments and reserves? Donations to organizations? Escalation of need for community services they provide? How are non-profit leaders coping with these challenges? Are there some “best practices” as non-profits adapt (stay nimble) for the long run? What challenges and opportunities do funders share as they work with non-profits?
Guests: Meredith Jones, President, Maine Community Foundation; Elizabeth Banwell, Director of External Affairs, Maine Association of Non-Profits; Kim Harty, Mount Desert Island YMCA; Mary Laury, Schoodic Arts for All
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Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger
Topic: What’s the economy for?
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