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- Augusta Civic Center
- November 5, 2007
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- Maine Community Action Association
- Maine Center for Economic Policy
- Maine Equal Justice Partners
- Maine Women’s Policy Center
- AARP
- Department of Health & Human Services
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- Department of Health & Human Services
- AARP
- Key Bank
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- Keynote Speaker: Jodie Levin-
- Epstein
- Deputy Director of Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).
- Ms. Levin-Epstein has played a key role in the re-emergence of poverty
- in recent public discourse.
- Her 2006 report Targeting Poverty: Aim at a Bull's Eye describes and
- identifies recent efforts around the nation to set targets for the
- elimination or reduction of poverty.
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- Mark H. Greenberg is the Executive Director of the Task Force on Poverty
for the Center for American Progress.
- Mr. Greenberg is directing the task force while on leave from the Center
for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), where he is the Director of Policy.
Mr. Greenberg has written extensively on issues relating to federal and
state welfare reform efforts; workforce policy issues affecting
low-income families; child care and early education policy; and other
poverty-related issues.
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- We believe that the opportunity to have access to health care and
long-term financial security is a basic need that all Americans share.
We believe it is the foundation for future generations.
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- As a nation, we are far from providing the public funding required to
make cost-effective, high-quality child care broadly available to the
children and families who need it most.
- -2006 Kids Count Data Book
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- “If a free society cannot help the many that are poor, it cannot save
the few that are rich.”
- -John F. Kennedy
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- This summer, surveys were distributed across the state asking people for
input and ideas they have about making a difference and ending poverty
in Maine,
- We asked people to check off or rank issues they felt were important.
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- Top Three priority areas:
- Universal Health Care
- Making Work Pay
- Affordable Housing
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- The homeownership rate for elders over 65 in Maine is 79.5%
- Maine has a higher percentage of elderly “near poor”, ranking fourth
nationwide. (Source: AARP)
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- Poverty in Maine is persistent and Maine’s rate of working poor
continues to be above the national average.
- (Source: Margaret Chase Smith
Policy Center)
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- Making Work Pay:
- Livable Wages and Job Security
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- A livable wage is the level estimated for a household to maintain a
basic needs budget and be self-sufficient.
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- Making Work Pay:
- Livable Wages & Job Security
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- There are many Mainers just above the poverty line who are one lost
paycheck, one large medical bill or broken auto away from sinking below
the line.
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- More Involvement in Voting and Politics
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- “Certain kinds of federal benefits programs have not kept pace with the
current level of need.”
- Maine Policy Review, Summer 2007
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- Organizing with People & Groups
- to End Poverty
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- Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods
- People Working Together for Peace, Bread and Justice
M.A.I.N. was formed in December of 1980 to create a statewide
voice for low-income concerns. We are a coalition of low-income
individuals and organizations working together to gain control of our
living conditions.
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- “The state has enacted measures that seek to reduce overall health care
costs in Maine.”
- Maine Policy Review, Summer 2007
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- “Food stamp use in Maine has seen a sharp upward trend in the past five
years…both in numbers of households…and in the rate.”
- Maine Policy Review, Summer 2007
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- According to the Maine State Planning Office, Maine’s rate of “near
poor” is higher than the national average.
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- Improved Public Benefits
- (Food Stamps, TANF, etc.)
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- “The Maine economy, like the
- region’s, continues to grow slowly.
- Maine Gross State Product (GSP)
- experienced real growth of 1.9%
- between 2005 and 2006. This was
- less than the 2.5% across New
- England and 3.4% across the nation.”
- MECEP Choices, “State of Working Maine”, 2007
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- Affordable Higher Education/Skills Training
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- Maine does not stand well with regard to higher education attainment.
- 68.9 percent of Maine adults report lacking a college degree.
- Maine Policy Review, Summer 2007
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- Fuel Costs
- It's one of those nasty milestones: Lewiston-Auburn's passed the
$3-a-gallon-mark for home heating oil.
This same week last year, the state average was $2.20. While at
least one local dealer was priced at $2.83 on Friday afternoon, others
were asking $3.04 or more.
"We didn't think we'd see it this soon," said Jamie Py,
president of the Maine Oil Dealers Association. "All I can
say...the fundamentals, the supply and demand, do not support where the
prices are."
- -SunJournal: 11-03-2007
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Notes
