Maine’s Economy Report: Coronavirus-Triggered Economic Downturn Unprecedented, Hitting Low-Wage Workers Hard That’s one conclusion in a new report from the left-leaning Maine Center for Economic Policy. Report author Sara Austin says that in the Great Recession of a decade ago, the […] Maine Public Posted April 6, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Economy, Recession
Taxes and Budget Lawmakers To Debate: Should Maine's Big-Box Stores Be Taxed As If They're Empty Or Full? Sarah Austin, an analyst for the left-leaning Maine Center for Economic Policy, says the tax reduction requests by Walmart and other large retailers have grown in recent […] Maine Public Posted February 10, 2020 Tags Property Tax, Taxes
Maine’s Economy Two of Maine's Political Think Tanks Garrett Martin, Executive Director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy and Matthew Gagnon, the CEO of the Maine Heritage Policy Center join former Republican State Senator […] Maine Public Posted February 9, 2020 Tags Economy
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Maine Has The Highest Food Insecurity Rate In New England. Here's How 1 Food Bank Is Addressing That Kristen Miale is the president of the largest hunger-relief organization in Maine, the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Good Shepherd distributes food to all 16 counties in the […] Maine Public Posted November 28, 2019 Tags Economic Security, EITC, Food Insecurity, Inequality, Job Quality, Minimum Wage
Taxes and Budget Maine Lawmakers Grant Some Tax Relief, But Taxpayers May Not See Much Of A Benefit But Sarah Austin, an analyst with the progressive Maine Center for Economic Policy, says local municipal officials are scrambling to find a way to pay for unmet […] Maine Public Posted July 10, 2019 Tags Revenue, Taxes
Jobs and Income Maine Lawmakers Consider Proposals To Head Off Minimum Wage Hikes But opponents argued that there are no studies to support claims that Maine’s economy has been hurt by the minimum wage increases approved by referendum. “The efforts […] Maine Public Posted March 18, 2019 Tags Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Bill Would Make More Maine Workers Eligible For Overtime Pay James Myall, an analyst for Maine Center for Economic Policy, a liberal advocacy group, said right now employers can easily classify salaried workers as administrative or professional […] Maine Public Posted March 11, 2019 Tags Job Quality, Overtime
Education, Jobs and Income Survey finds that Mainers are struggling to pay off student loans Mainers are struggling to pay off their student loans, with their debt impacting everything from car purchases to health care. That’s according to the results of a […] Maine Public Posted December 1, 2018 Tags Consumer Protection, Higher Education, Student Debt
Taxes and Budget Experts disagree whether Maine home care referendum will result in ‘marriage penalty’ MECEP’S Executive Director Garrett Martin says [the proposal would not penalize married couples for filing jointly] because the tax on earned income is a payroll tax, deducted […] Maine Public Posted August 17, 2018 Tags Caregiving, Economic Security
Taxes and Budget Advocates Say GOP Plan Would Hike Taxes For More Than Half Of Maine's Elderly From the story: “I think that’s a fundamental misread of how this bill works,” says Garrett Martin, executive director of the progressive Maine Center for Economic Policy, […] Maine Public Posted November 28, 2017 Tags Seniors, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes