Maine’s Economy New poll reveals overwhelming support for strict regulation of payday lenders More than seven out of ten Americans want stronger regulation to rein in the predatory practices of payday lenders according to a survey released on June 15. […] Mark Sullivan Posted June 21, 2016 Tags Consumer Protection, Federal
Jobs and Income Maine May jobs numbers contain mixed news The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) today released state employment numbers for May, revealing that Maine was among the majority of states which experienced no statistically-significant […] James Myall Posted June 17, 2016 Tags Jobs, Recession, Unemployment
Taxes and Budget CBPP: Ryan’s “Vision for a Confident America” is less than 20/20 for Americans living in poverty The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities President Robert Greenstein responded swiftly on Tuesday when US House Speaker Paul Ryan announced his long awaited plan for combating […] Mark Sullivan Posted June 9, 2016 Tags Budget, Federal
Maine’s Economy Report on “America’s Shrinking Middle Class” offers some bright spots for Maine, Lewiston-Auburn The Pew Research Center recently released a report, America’s Shrinking Middle Class, examining the relative proportion of lower-, middle-, and upper-income populations in 229 of the nation’s […] James Myall Posted May 27, 2016 Tags Economic Security, Economy
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy LePage administration’s crusade against food stamps hurts the economy; does nothing to help the poor A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) provides further confirmation of a depressing trend—hundreds of thousands of Mainers remain impoverished and food […] James Myall Posted May 4, 2016 Tags Children, Economy, Food Insecurity, SNAP
Education, Health Care, Maine’s Economy Will Congress leave poor Maine kids hungrier and less ready to learn? Just when you thought Congress has finally gotten something right, they disappoint once again. I am talking about the national school meal programs. Congress assumed correctly that […] Jody Harris Posted April 28, 2016 Tags Children, Education, Food Insecurity
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Congress must stop taxing workers without children into poverty Workers without children – including non-custodial parents (who do not have custody of their children for the purposes of their tax filing) – are the only taxpayers […] Megan Michaud Posted April 26, 2016 Tags Economic Security, Poverty, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Maine’s Economy Maine solar legislation is nothing like Chinese energy policy – which is a pity “It sounds absurd, but the Chinese plan is more sensible, more cost-effective and much less draconian than the Legislature’s bill for solar power.” Governor Paul LePage radio […] James Myall Posted April 25, 2016 Tags Economy, Infrastructure
Maine’s Economy Payday loans continue to injure consumers This week MECEP urged federal regulators to establish strong protections against abuses by payday lenders. Their loosely regulated, short-term, unsecured loans trap people in a cycle of […] Jody Harris Posted April 22, 2016 Tags Consumer Protection, Federal
Health Care, Maine’s Economy Income inequality and provision of public services a matter of life and death A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association offers further evidence of the effects of income inequality on health and well-being. Using data […] James Myall Posted April 20, 2016 Tags Health Care, Incomes, Inequality