MECEP Matters, September 2017

Contents
I. MECEP Reports: State of Working Maine 2017
II. Facts & Figures: Link between economy and health
III. MECEP In Action: Because of you, Senator Collins voted NO on #GrahamCassidy
V. Featured Blog Post: SNAP turns 40: Providing sustenance for working poor families
V. MECEP In the Community: MECEP Presenting at Maine Women’s Summit on Economic Security
VI. MECEP Mentions

MECEP Reports: State of Working Maine 2017

This past month, MECEP released its new report, The State of Working Maine 2017. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the economic, demographic, and workforce trends that impact the quality and quantity of jobs in Maine. It provides data for policymakers to formulate policy solutions that will improve Mainers’ ability to find and secure good jobs that will reinvigorate our state’s economy.

MECEP’s major findings reveal that rural Maine, struggling to recover from the Great Recession, is still in a deep depression while too many Maine workers are still waiting for quality jobs to return to their communities. Tens of thousands of Mainers are unable to find a good job and struggle with declining health.

Read the Full Report

MECEP Facts & Figures: Deaths of Despair

In The State of Working Maine 2017, we found a strong correlation between economic insecurity and public health. In the chart below, Maine has seen a spike in “Deaths of Despair, particularly those involving drug- or alcohol-related illnesses. To dig into our analysis further, please read our report by clicking HERE.

MECEP In Action

Because of you, Senator Collins voted NO on #GrahamCassidy

You made calls. You sent emails. You took action.Senator Collins’ NO vote on the #GrahamCassidy repeal of Obamacare is a testament to the power of people coming together and taking action.

MECEP was right there with you, providing written testimony to the Senate Finance Committee and pushing back against misleading claims made by Governor LePage.

But it’s not over.

White House and congressional leaders are organizing and getting ready for a budget fight. President Trump has already laid out a tax “framework” that proposes trillions in regressive tax cuts for the wealthy that threaten Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Listen to our tax and budget analyst Sarah Austin as she discusses the tax framework on WZON AM 620 The Pulse with Don Cookson.

Supporting Medicaid expansion can help 70,000 Mainers get health coverage

Medicaid expansion is on the ballot as Question 2 and MECEP is hard at work giving voters the information they need before they head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7th. 

As part of this work, we have put together a county-by-county factsheet that lays out how voting Yes on 2 will benefit people throughout Maine. Check out our factsheet HERE.

MECEP Featured Blogpost: SNAP turns 40

SNAP turns 40: Providing sustenance for working poor families
By Jody Harris

SNAP keeps people out of poverty, especially during hard economic times. And while some places in Maine are experiencing greater economic hardships than their ancestors did in the Great Depression of the 1930s, the governor and his health and human services officials continue to make it harder for Maine families to simply put food on the table. READ MORE

MECEP In the Community: MECEP presenting at Maine Women’s Summit on Economic Security

MECEP will be presenting our State of Working Maine 2017 findings at this year’s Maine Women’s Summit on Economic Security, an event hosted by the Maine Women’s Policy Center on October 11. You can read about what we’ll be presenting HERE
More Information

MECEP Mentions: In the News

MECEP talks Trump’s tax plan on The Pulse with Don Cookson
October 2, 2017 | WZON AM 620 The Pulse with Don Cookson

New program aims to educate about race
September 29, 2017 | Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

Collins ‘no’ to Graham-Cassidy highlights dangers of rushed, harmful repeal bill 
September 27, 2017 | Bangor Daily News Op-Ed

Groups Challenge LePage’s Claim That Maine Will Get More Money Under GOP Health Bill
September23,2017 | Maine Public

MECEP talks SOWM 2017 on the WZON 620 AM The Pulse with Don Cookson
September21,2017 | WZON Radio

MECEP talks SOWM 2017 on the George Hale Ric Tyler Show
September20,2017 | WVOM Radio

Op-Ed: On Nov. 7, vote for jobs, health care, hospitals
September 20,2017 | Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

Amy Fried: Everyone benefits from Medicaid expansion
September19,2017 | BDN Blogs Pollways

Op-Ed: Expanding Medicaid will help Maine hospitals, health centers and the economy
September12,2017 | Portland Press Herald

Decline in health tied to decline in workforce
September 4,2017 | Lewiston Sun Journal

With your support, MECEP informs the debate. Thank You!

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