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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Maine continues to lag behind in job creation

The latest State & Local Area Unemployment Statistics are in from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the difference between the Maine and national economies couldn’t […]

Private-sector Payroll Employment 2008-16 (line graph)

Maine's Job Growth Is Uneven and Lackluster: January 2008-March 2016 (line graph)

Shrinking Labor Force Biggest Contributor to Maine's Declining Unemployment Rate (line graph)

Child care in Maine is getting more expensive; while the governor jeopardizes its safety and federal funds that help parents pay for it

  A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute concluded that child care is staggeringly unaffordable for Maine families. Yet Governor LePage’s recent action jeopardizes federal funds […]