United Nations says solving extreme inequality, poverty will require USA to 'get real about taxes'

Deliberate public policy decisions, including a cavalier and unrealistic approach to taxation, are driving preventable inequality and poverty in the United States. That’s according to a recently […]

Letter to the Editor: A setback for Maine families

Does anyone really think Maine’s food pantries can do it all? Between 2011 and 2015, the number of Maine children living in extreme poverty rose eight times […]

'LIFT 2.0' bill will increase earnings, reduce poverty with job training, education

On Tuesday, Maine’s Speaker of the House, Sara Gideon, presented a bill to reduce poverty by expanding access to education and job training. The legislation will lift […]

Governor's Own Report Reveals the Human Cost of His War on the Poor

Destitute and driven deeper into poverty. That’s the result of the LePage administration’s policies for one in seven families removed from the state’s welfare program in 2012. […]

It’s not surprising LePage is upset about a welfare bill that actually helps poor people

Data from the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey, compiled by the Maine Center for Economic Policy, show that the proportion of Maine children growing up in extreme […]

DHHS denies the facts, misappropriates funds Congress authorized to fight Maine’s soaring child poverty

For the last seven years, Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)  policies have contributed to the disturbing escalation in child poverty and stashed or misappropriated […]

Testimony In Support of LD 1475 “An Act to Reduce Child Poverty by Leveraging Investments in Families Today.” Maine Center for Economic Policy

For several years now, Maine’s approach to child poverty has effectively been to ignore it. Federal money earmarked for specific purpose of addressing this problem has been […]

A Quick Take: Democrats’ Opportunity Agenda Invests in Maine Families, Kids, Communities

Yesterday, House and Senate Democrats rolled out a budget proposal that delivers where Governor LePage’s budget failed. We’ll be diving into the details in the coming days […]

Poverty rates by demographic category, in 2013, for women and men, age 65 and older (bar chart)