Maine Women Online

2006-02-16T12:12:00.000-05:00

The following post is from Ed Cervone from the Maine Center for Economic Policy about the dangers of the Taxpayor Bill of Rights or TABOR.

Women Beware: Colorado-style TABOR Coming to Maine

In November, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights will likely be on Maine’s ballot, pending certification of petition signatures. TABOR, as it is commonly known, is legislation designed to place a cap on all state and local spending and limit increases in taxes and fees. Its effects go far beyond that. TABOR would shrink Maine government every year and tie the hands of elected officials, constraining critical public programs like transportation, higher education, and emergency services. Colorado, the only state to adopt the legislation, learned this lesson the hard way.

TABOR is defined primarily by its spending growth formula - annual population change + inflation. If population grows 1% from the past year and inflation grows 2% then spending may increase by 3%. If I spent $10 last year, I could spend $13 this year.

TABOR is also defined by its restrictions on how money is raised. First, restrictions require that all money collected in excess of the spending limit be refunded to taxpayers. For example, if I collect $15 in taxes and fees this year and my spending limit is $13, I have to give $2 back, regardless of whether it is needed. Second, restrictions require that if officials either want to raise the spending limit or increase a tax or fee the proposal must first pass a super majority of the ruling body (two-thirds approval) and be put to a popular vote -every single time. This would cover everything from raising a sales tax to increasing a fee at a local transfer station.

The Colorado experience shows us that the TABOR formula consistently underestimated the cost of services and set spending limits well below public need every year. Undesirable outcomes like the loss of public programs, the closure of community colleges and state parks, and the deterioration of roadways resulted. Elected officials were unable to react quickly because of TABOR’s restrictions. Even the refunds, in good years, did not help. Taxpayers ended up spending more out of pocket for lost services than their refund checks offered. As a result, Colorado, in a bipartisan showing, voted to suspend TABOR in 2005.

As voters consider this legislation, they must remember that Maine’s TABOR is essentially the same as Colorado’s – it uses the same formula - and would have the same effects. These effects would be felt by everyone, but would have a particularly devasting impact on the programs Maine women depend on. The bottlom line: TABOR threatens services valued by Maine communities. In the end we would end up spending more to make up for what was lost.

Along with the potential threat of TABOR, Mainers will undoubtedly be affected by the recent federal budget cuts to programs that assist low-income families, children and individuals. The state of Maine can not afford to pass TABOR, compensate for these budget cuts and expect to maintain social programs that protect our way of life.

2006-01-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

Maine People Turn Out to Urge a "No" Vote on Alito

The Lewiston campus of the University of Southern Maine was the site of an energetic and, at times, contentious town hall meeting about the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito last Thursday night. Members of the community directed questions and comments to a staff representative from Senator Snowe's office (Senator Collins' office didn't send anyone) in a packed town hall meeting which took place between 7-8:30pm, asking, “Senator Snowe, Senator Collins, will you vote to protect the rights of Maine people—yes or no?”

2005-12-21T11:14:00.000-05:00

Hard at work in Biddeford.

Brittney in front of the Rolling Justice van.

Kickoff to Rolling Justice in Augusta.

2005-12-21T11:01:00.000-05:00

Rolling Justice Tour a Big Success

Thanks to all of you who participated in the Rolling Justice tour last week. The goal of the tour was to travel to communities across Maine to educate and encourage people to call Senator Snowe and Senator Collins asking them to oppose the nomination of Judge Sam Alito to the Unites States Supreme Court. We gathered petition signatures, lent out our cell phones for people to call the Senators and talked to the press.

If you didn't get a chance to participate in Rolling Justice - there is still a chance to get involved. Please consider doing one - or all of the following actions- to stop the confirmation of Judge Alito.

First, write a letter to the editor to your local paper expressing your concerns about Judge Alito's record on reproductive privacy, workers' rights, environmental protections, or disability rights.

Second, call Senator Snowe (202.224.5344) and Senator Collins (202.224.2523). Leave your name and address and tell our Senators to stand up for Maine people and oppose the nomination of Judge Sam Alito.

Third, call (207.622.0851) or email (info@mainewomen.org) the Maine Women's Lobby for upcoming events and activities relating to the confirmation of Judge Sam Alito.

For more information or assistance with any of these actions please email info@mainewomen.org

2005-12-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

Activists Take it to the Streets

Please join the Maine Women’s Lobby and members of the Fair and Independent Courts Coalition during the week of December 12 in a nationwide effort to draw attention to the nomination of Judge Sam Alito to the Supreme Court and give Mainers a chance to express their concerns about his troubling record.

Allies and activists will be getting in a van and traveling throughout the state to get people talking within their communities about what his confirmation could mean for Maine people. Local media outlets will be invited to cover the campaign in different areas of the state as we talk with people and gather petition signatures in stores, coffee shops and other gathering places.

We need activists to make the trips with us as well as local contacts at each stop to be present. We also need one or two people to act as key point people to talk to the press. We will provide talking points.

This will be a particularly good opportunity for local activists to state their personal objections and thoughts on the nomination of Judge Alito. If you are interested in traveling in the van or meeting us in one of the above locations, please email organizer@mainewomen.og to sign up.

Augusta
Monday, December 12
10 am
Hall of Flags, State House

Bangor
Tuesday, December 13
10 am
In front of the Post Office
202 Harlow Street

Bar Harbor
Tuesday, December 13
12:45 am
13 Albert Meadow

Belfast
Monday, December 12
12:15 pm
In front of Coyote Moon
54 Main Street

Biddeford
Wednesday, December 14
11:00 am
In front of BeBe’s Burritos
140 Main Street, #103

Camden
Monday, December12
1:15 pm
In front of ABCD Books
23 Bayview Street

Caribou
Friday,
December 16
10 am
In front of Tim Horton’s
109 Bennett Drive

Ellsworth
Tuesday, December 13
11:30 pm
In front of the Riverside Café
151 Main Street

Houlton
Friday, December 16
12:45 pm
Military Street, Town Park

Kennebunkport
Wednesday, December 14
11:45 am
The Monument at Dock Square

Presque Isle
Friday, December 16
11:15 am
In front of the North Eastland Hotel
436 Main Street

Rockland
Monday, December 12
1:45 pm
In front of Rockland Café
441 Main Street

Scarborough
Wednesday, December 14
10 am
In front of Lois Natural
152 US Route 1

York
Wednesday,December 14
12:45 pm
In front of Rick’s Restaurant
240 York Street

2005-10-31T14:50:00.000-05:00

Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito, Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court poses threat to Our Rights and Freedoms

“President Bush’s decision to nominate Judge Samuel Alito, Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court threatens the rights and liberties that Maine people hold dear.

President Bush had the opportunity to nominate a consensus nominee who would unite Americans, but instead he chose to nominate someone whose record indicates that he will divide this country and potentially roll back years of judicial precedent. It is deeply disturbing that President Bush chose to placate far right political groups instead of nominating someone who could earn broad bipartisan support.

As a judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Alito has argued to turn back the clock on civil rights, protections for working families, and women’s health and safety in cases such as the following:

Planned Parenthood v. Casey: Judge Alito voted to uphold the provision of a Pennsylvania law that would require women to notify their spouses before receiving an abortion.

Family Medical Leave Act: In one of his lower court decisions Judge Alito worked to invalidate part of the Family Medical Leave Act.

Employment Protections: Judge Alito has dissented on numerous opinions involving worker protections, making it harder to prove race and sex discrimination on the job.

All Maine people should have grave concerns about this nomination. We ask Senator Snowe and Senator Collins to conduct a thorough and probing evaluation of his record and judicial philosophy to determine whether he deserves a lifetime seat on the nation’s highest court.”

2005-10-11T13:35:00.000-04:00

Don't Kick Us While We're Down

Last week, I attended a rally/press conference at Portland's City Hall put on by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to discuss the devastating consequences this country will face if Congress goes through with their budget reconciliation process. If approved, the reconciliation would work in two ways. First, roughly $35 billion dollars would be cut from federal programs including Medicaid, which provides health care to children, the elderly and people with disabilities, Food Stamps, education and housing. Second, taxes would be cut by $7o billion, mostly coming from the wealthy and large corporations.

Why, the need for all these cuts you might ask? Ironically, the Administration is advising these cuts to offset the costs of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - but aren't the victims of these hurricanes the ones who need these federal programs the most?

AFSCME brought in two survivors from Hurricane Rita to discuss the impact these cuts would have on their lives personally. In tears, one of the survivors asked why the government would choose to kick them while they are already down. If these cuts pass not only would survivors of Hurricane Katrina and Rita be affected, but people all across the country-families, single mothers, workers, children, the elderly- will feel the consequences.

I urge you to contact Senator Snowe and Senator Collins and ask them oppose these huge cuts to programs that benefit Mainers.

2005-10-04T15:59:00.000-04:00

Join the Maine Women's Policy Center and the Family Planning Association of Maine for the

Women's Political Leadership Forum

Take the first step for running for public office.

Network with other Maine women and learn information about campaigning, clean elections and conquering the camera. Also hear from women leaders around the state.

Saturday, December 3

8:30 to 4:00 pm

Senator Inn, Augusta

For more information contact info@mainewomen.org

2005-10-04T11:16:00.000-04:00

Maine's Family Care Act: Empowering Maine People with Time Off to Care for Families

This Spring, the Maine Women's Lobby successfully helped pass Maine's Family Care Act allowing full-time employees to use their paid sick leave or vacation time to care either for themselves or for an ill family member without being penalized by their employer. The bill was sponsored by Senate President, Beth Edmonds.

Beginning September 17, 2005, many Maine businesses are now required to extend to their employees the flexibility to use up to 40 hours of already-earned sick or vacation time to care for a child, parent, or spouse. It does not affect those who lack sick leave to begin with. This law will apply to businesses with 25 or more employees. The intent is simple: to enable families to take care of their dependents without the risk of losing their jobs.

Does your employer fall into this category? If so, it's a good time to check if your personnel policy has been updated, or to remind your HR department to do so. If you would like more information on Maine's Family Care Law, please email info@mainewomen.org

2005-10-04T10:59:00.000-04:00

Best Buy: New Strategies for Work and Family Life

Balancing work and family life is never easy for women and men who work outside the home. Increasingly, businesses are understanding that supporting employees in balancing work with family life is not only good for families...It's good for the business bottom line. That's the way that Best Buy sees it. Best Buy has developed a program called ROWE - "results-oriented work environment" where employees can come and go as they please and work from home as long as they achieve the results the company is looking for. We think it's an interesting model that deserves attention, and especially like that it applies uniformly to salaried and hourly workers. But we have to wonder: Is ROWE simply giving people the "flexibility" to be wired into work, all the time? Decide for yourself by reading about it here:

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1083900,00.html

Best Buy says that ROWE has increased employee morale and enabled families to better balance work and home life, and that it's especially beneficial for parents. Other companies can look to Best Buy for ideas about how to redesign the workplace to meet the needs of families. What's your idea for how the workplace can better the workforce of today? E-mail us at info@mainewomen.org

2005-09-23T13:58:00.000-04:00

Ellen Bravo, Nationally Renowned Speaker and Advocate for Working Women, to Address “Breakfast of Champions”

First Annual Action Award to be Presented to Wright Express for Policies
that Demonstrate Commitment to Women in the Workplace

(October 3, Portland) Ellen Bravo will address local advocates, policymakers, and community members at the annual Breakfast of Champions at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland on Monday, October 3, between 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. Ms. Bravo is a widely acclaimed trainer, public speaker, and author. As former National Director of 9to5, she is one of the nation’s foremost experts on working women’s issues.

The Breakfast of Champions, sponsored by the Maine Women’s Policy Center in conjunction with the Cinciva/Baker Fund at Maine Initiatives and Verrill Dana LLP, provides an opportunity for women and men statewide to share in the vision for social, political, and economic security for all Maine women and girls. “Ellen Bravo provides practical and witty insight into the challenges that women face in balancing work and family responsibilities, battling gender discrimination, and addressing violence and harassment in the workplace … issues that are at the top of women’s daily concerns,” says Sarah Standiford, Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Policy Center. “We’re proud to welcome Ellen to Maine.”

This year’s Breakfast of Champions will also, for the first time, honor a local business for a set of policies that demonstrate a commitment to women in the workplace. Says Standiford, “The Maine Women’s Policy Center is delighted to honor Wright Express with the first annual Action Award in recognition of their family support, violence prevention, and harassment intervention policies. Their leadership recognizes the needs of a changing workforce and exemplifies a best practice that others can emulate.”

The Maine Women’s Policy Center will also host breakfasts in Bangor and Presque Isle, allowing an expected 400 community leaders, advocates for women, and policymakers from across the state to attend. For more information on attending, visit the Maine Women’s Policy Center’s web site, www.mainewomen.org or call 622-0851.

The Maine Women’s Policy Center is a non-partisan, non-profit research and education organization committed to increasing opportunities for Maine women and girls and promoting women’s political leadership.

2005-09-19T09:44:00.000-04:00

Maine Women's Lobby Makes the DC News

Check out this link to the Washington DC newspaper, The Hill, focusing on the importance of Maine's Senators in the confirmation hearing of Judge Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Click here to read the article.

2005-09-08T19:20:00.000-04:00

Who’s Paying? Who’s Benefiting?
How Health Reform in Maine Affects Your Small Business’ Bottom Line

Consumers for Affordable Health Care, in partnership with the Maine Small Business Alliance and Maine Women's Policy Center, is conducting a series of workshops on health care reform targeted to small businesses. The workshop is being held in Bangor, Auburn, and Portland in October.

· Click here for more information on the workshops.

Please help us in spreading the word about the workshop by passing along this flyer to your members, contacts, and/or lists. Also, if you have events occurring over the next month or so where these flyers could be handed out, please let us know and we will get a packet of copies to you for distribution.

2005-09-07T16:43:00.000-04:00

Judges Are Making Harder for Minors to Recieve Abortions

Even though abortion is still legal in this country, federal judges are making it harder and harder for women to recieve one. This article outlines the outlandish behavior of some federal judges who are refusing to hear cases involving minors wishing to wave the parental consent requirements in their state to recieve an abortion. The refusal of these judges to hear these cases has serious consequences - endangering the lives and the health of teenage girls in this counrty. To read the article go to:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/04/news/abort.php

2005-08-29T11:34:00.000-04:00

Maine Women's Lobby Opposes Judge Roberts

August 26th marked the 85th anniversary of women winning the right to vote. The Maine Women's Lobby took advantage of this historic occasion to speak out about the nomination of Judge Roberts to the United States Supreme Court based on his record of opposition to reproductive privacy, discrimination law and equal rights. Read our press release below...

On Women’s Equality Day, the Maine Women’s Lobby will join members of the Maine Choice Coalition in urging the protection of women’s rights. Donning sashes and carrying banners in the style of the suffragettes, advocates will stand together and call upon Senator Snowe and Senator Collins to withhold their support for John Roberts unless he can demonstrate commitment to uphold these rights and freedoms.

“Since Judge Roberts’ nomination was first announced, we have called for a fair and thorough evaluation of his record and judicial philosophy,” says Sarah Standiford, Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby. “After careful review of the available record, we have not seen that John Roberts’ judicial philosophy is consistent with the goals of equal rights for women. He has failed to demonstrate a commitment to upholding fundamental rights and liberties such as the right to privacy. Indeed, he has sought, time after time, to narrow and roll back protections for women—including protections against discrimination against women in education, athletics, and the workplace.”

Noting troubling statements released in a 1984 memo on the subject of wage discrimination, Standiford continues, “We are immensely concerned by Roberts’ attitude towards the right to equal pay for jobs of equal skill, effort, and responsibility. His remarks on the subject of pay equity, calling it ‘staggeringly pernicious’ and ‘anti-capitalist’ are far behind the modern consensus on equal pay that Maine government, decision-makers, and citizens share.”

The Senate must take its Constitutional advice and consent role seriously when confirming a justice to this nation’s highest court. “Roberts is clearly a bright and well-respected justice,” commented Standiford. “But the next justice on the nation’s highest court must display more than a bright legal mind. He must also display a commitment to protecting our most basic rights
and liberties. This is a lifetime appointment, one that will have an impact on our lives for decades to come. It is for this reason that we are compelled to oppose this nominee.”

2005-08-23T08:38:00.000-04:00

Judge Roberts On Equal Pay for Women

According to the Portland Press Herald, Roberts wrote in a memo referencing Washington State’s comparable pay law on Feb. 20, 1984, "Their slogan may as well be 'From each according to his ability, to each according to her gender.” Further, he calls the perspective of those supporting the law –including the perspective of Senator Olympia Snowe “Radical.”

As the Portland Press Herald described “The case was based on a 1973 study in Washington that evaluated jobs with a point system. It found jobs ranked with comparable points paid 20 percent less when held predominantly by women. Snowe and the other women lawmakers supported a U.S. District Court decision that found Washington State guilty of discrimination and ordered a settlement of back pay and raises.”

The right to comparable pay for jobs of equal skill, effort, and responsibility is well understood by the state of Maine. The hard work of the Maine Women’s Lobby in forcing implementation and recognition of the Equal Pay Law has lead to a common understanding that the wage gap persists in large part because women continue to work in occupations that pay less –and that these occupations pay less precisely because they are jobs commonly held by women. Roberts' perspective on this issue--itself somewhat radical--should be troubling for Maine women.
The full article can be viewed here:

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/050816roberts.shtml

2005-08-10T18:06:00.000-04:00

FMLA: Hard-Won Protections Under Threat

If you're like me, you probably thought Family Medical Leave Act would be there for you if you needed it--you know, for a pregnancy or to care for an elderly family member or sick child.

The U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. It provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for the serious illness of an employee or an immediate family member or the birth or adoption of a child.
The problem is business special interests are working to gut the law--quietly.

The U.S. Department of Labor is expected to come out shortly with proposals for revising parts of the law. The Maine Women's Lobby is watching. We're deeply concerned that these changes will cause hard-won protections to be lost.

Some national business lobbyists say the current law is too vague and vulnerable to employee abuse and that the changes they support amount to nothing more than "technical corrections."

Tell me, when you roll back a fundamental protection to care for yourself or your family, is that a technical correction?

FMLA is desperately needed, particularly for low-wage workers. According to recent Labor Department figures, in an 18-month period in 1999 and 2000, nearly 24 million Americans took leave from work for an FMLA-covered reason.

But these groups want to strip the protection that FMLA provides. Some proposals include changing the definition of "serious illness" by requiring that only illnesses requiring ten or more days off (Apparently you can't be seriously ill for fewer than ten days...) and doing away with "intermittent leave" which now allows employees with chronic conditions to take time off in small chunks of time — say, a half hour one day to undergo radiation therapy, for example, or a few hours to see a doctor during an asthma attack. (Ironically, the proposal here is to require an employee take longer leave. But why make an employee take a whole day off without pay when their health needs can be resolved with emergency medication or a 20-minute office visit?)

These changes would roll back access to FMLA, denying leave to people who need it. FMLA is working. It shouldn't be restricted. In fact, it needs to be expanded to cover the thousands of workers who need leave but can't afford to take it. The bottom line: No one should have to choose between a healthy family and a paycheck.

2005-08-02T16:31:00.000-04:00

It's a Lifetime Job - So Where's the Paperwork?

When President Bush forwarded the name of Judge John Roberts to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Maine Women's Lobby joined the members of Maine's Fair and Independent Federal Courts Coalition in calling for a thorough review of his record, background, and constitutional philosophy.

That's why it is so disturbing that President Bush has said he will not release key documents from Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' time as the political deputy to Solicitor General Ken Starr in the George H. W. Bush White House, claiming attorney-client privilege--This despite the fact that there is precedent for release of such documents in Supreme Court and other federal court appointments.

This stonewalling inhibits the ability of the Senate to perform its constitutional duty--that is, to carry out a thorough and independent review of the nominees fitness for the Supreme Court.

We think the Senate should say No documents? No confirmation. Let the Senate do its job.

2005-08-02T15:10:00.000-04:00

Affect Public Policy in Maine: Join the Maine Women Advisory Council

The Maine Women's Policy Center is launching a new initiative to give our members an opportunity to affect public policy for women and girls in the state - the Maine Women Advisory Council. The Maine Women Advisory Council is a way for women leaders to engage with one another, discuss policy issues, and develop their leadership and grassroots organizing skills... Not to mention a fun chance for like-minded women to get away and socialize!

Thus far, Advisory Groups have been formed in Portland and Bangor. If you would like to join, please email info@mainewomen.org

2005-08-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

Share Your Thoughts: Discrimination in Maine

In March, the State Legislature passed a bill to protect all Mainers, regardless of sexual orientation, from discrimination in employment, education, housing, credit and public accommodations.

But, on July 28, 2005 the Secretary of State certified the Coalition for Marriage's signatures to force a referendum for the Anti-Discrimination Act that passed this session prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, credit and education based upon sexual orientation. The Coalition for Marriage would like to repeal Maine’s anti-discrimination law, continuing to allow Maine people to be fired from their job or denied housing because of who they love.

Due to the Coalition for Marriage's successful petition drive there will be a referendum on the November ballot to attempt to repeal this law.

The referendum question that voters will have to answer is: “Do you want to repeal the new law that protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation?” A NO vote means that you want to keep Maine’s anti-discrimination law on the books – that is, you don’t want to repeal it. A YES vote means that you do want to repeal this law and allow for discrimination in Maine based on sexual orientation.

If the election were held today, how would you vote on this question, YES or NO? Email us at info@mainewomen.org with your comments.

Maine Won't Discriminate, a broad-based coalition supporting Maine's anti-discrimination law has launched a new website - http://www.mainewontdiscriminate.org/ - that will serve as a key rallying point for supporters and people seeking facts about the law and its importance to Maine.

2005-07-02T15:25:00.000-04:00

Upcoming Events

Save the dates for our Breakfast of Champions:

Portland - October 3, 2005 - 7:30 - 9:00 a.m., Holiday Inn By the Bay
Featuring special guest Ellen Bravo

Bangor - October 19, 2005 - 7:30 - 9:00 a.m., Spectacular Event Center
Featuring special guest Majorie Stockford

Presque Isle - October 26, 2005 - 7:30 - 9:00 a.m., Northern Maine Community College Featuring special guest Marjorie Stockford

If you're not on our mailing list and would like to receive an invitation to the Breakfast of Champions, e-mail Bonnie Buckmore at development@mainewomen.org with your name and mailing address.

Admission is $35, student admission is $15. All but $12 (cost of breakfast) is tax-deductible. RSVP is required.

Sponsorship levels begin at $150. This level includes two breakfast tickets and recognition on the invitation and in the program. If you are interested in sponsorship information, e-mail Bonnie Buckmore at development@mainewomen.org.

2005-07-01T22:24:00.000-04:00

Contact Us

For More Information Visit Our Website at http://www.mainewomen.org/ or phone us at (207)-622-0851.

If you would like to comment on any information posted on our blog please email info@mainewomen.org.