Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Predatory Lending — An Explainer What is predatory lending? Lenders are considered predatory when they use practices that involve fraudulent, unfair, and abusive loan terms, including ultra-high interest rates and fees, aggressive […] MECEP Posted March 24, 2023 Tags Consumer Protection, Economic Security, Explainer, Inclusive Economy, Predatory Lending
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget MECEP reaction to State of the Budget address Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) president and CEO Garrett Martin reacts to Governor Mills’ State of the Budget address: “State budget choices can change lives. Maine […] Posted February 15, 2023 Tags Budget, Corporate Power, Economic Security, Economy, Family and Medical Leave, Income Tax, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Congress must expand the Child Tax Credit, or risk 49,000 Maine children being pushed into poverty or greater hardship Congress has a real chance in the Lame Duck session to prevent greater hardship for the 49,000 Maine children who lost out after a recent expansion of […] Posted November 16, 2022 Tags Child Tax Credit, Children, Economic Security, Poverty
Education Federal student debt cancellation helps 177,000 Mainers who need help the most Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) celebrates President Biden’s plan to forgive federal student loans — up to $20,000 for people who went to college on Pell […] Posted August 24, 2022 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Education, Federal, Incomes, Jobs, Racial Equity, Student Debt
Jobs and Income ANALYSIS: Portland 2022 Minimum Wage Initiative Analysis of the likely impacts of an initiative proposed by Maine DSA to increase the minimum wage in Portland to $18 an hour by 2025; to phase […] MECEP Posted August 23, 2022 Tags Economy, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Taxes and Budget MECEP statement on federal “Inflation Reduction Act” Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) applauds the proposed “Inflation Reduction Act” recently announced by US Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin and urges Maine’s Congressional delegation […] Posted August 1, 2022 Tags Corporate Power, Economic Security, Economy, Federal, Health Care, Income Tax, Inflation, Medicare, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Maine’s Economy Context on inflation and corporate profits ahead of Consumer Price Index release AUGUSTA, Maine (July 12, 2022) — Ahead of Wednesday’s release of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics June 2022 Consumer Price Index data, inflation is expected to remain […] Posted July 12, 2022 Tags Corporate Power, Economy, Inflation
Taxes and Budget Paul LePage’s new plan for his old tax cut ideas His last budget proposal in 2017 was criticized by the Maine Center for Economic Policy, which said it would raise taxes on 80 percent of Mainers when […] Bangor Daily News Posted July 6, 2022 Tags Budget, Income Tax, Taxes
Maine’s Economy GRAPHIC SERIES: Prices are rising and Mainers are feeling the pinch Prices are rising and Mainers are feeling the pinch. At the same time, some of the world’s largest corporations are reporting record profits. This mismatch is the result […] MECEP Posted July 5, 2022 Tags Corporate Power, Economy, Graphic Series, Inflation
Maine’s Economy More than 1,000 march in Portland to protest abortion ruling The Maine Center for Economic Policy said the opinion will damage “the autonomy, health and economic stability of working people” and called on the state’s congressional delegation […] Portland Press Herald Posted June 24, 2022 Tags Economy