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"If economic forces are beyond criticism [as some economists seem to believe], we are driven to look elsewhere to explain the spreading ills of inequality and social decay."
- Charles A. Reich |
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Facts:
Can't remember the difference between the mean and the median?
The MEAN means the same as average. You get the average by adding up all the numbers and then dividing by how many numbers there are. The MEDIAN is the number in the middle when you line up all the numbers from lowest to highest. In other words, if five people were standing in line for an ice-cream at Dairy Queen and Warren Buffett was one of them, average income would skyrocket but the median income would stay the same.
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Figures:
$9,200,665,335,863
The size of the federal deficit
304,017,086
The estimated population of the United States
$30,264
Each citizen's share of the debt
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| Greetings! Welcome to 2008 and our new e-newsletter. The top issue on everyone's mind is, as always, the economy. The economy matters and making the economy work for all of us is what the Maine Center for Economic Policy is all about.
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Streamlining Government: Sound-bites or Sound Policy?
 January 14th marks the date for our seventh annual Tax and Budget Conference. We'll be looking at current plans to consolidate, restructure and rethink education, corrections, health care purchasing and natural resource protection. Your ideas and thoughts are important to the discussion!
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Spotlight: Farewell to Lisa
For the past thirteen years Lisa has been the voice and passion for MECEP's work on poverty, livable wages and health care.  She's also been the editor extraordinaire for all our publications and the administrative leader who built the systems that make us an accountable, transparent and fiscally sound organization. "It has been an honor for me," says Lisa, "to work from the ground up and help make MECEP the critical, credible organization it is today. Thanks to all of my colleagues across the state who have made these years so rewarding! As the new deputy director of the Natural Resources Countil of Maine, I look forward to our continued work together on sustainable development." Congratulations! |
In The News
A selection of press releases, articles and opinion pieces from a variety of media sources covering issues we care about.
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Reports and Publications
The big news this legislative session is the budget and our 2007 Revenue & Spending Primer is ready to help.
Read the executive summary, the full report or view more charts and excerpts here.
What can help Maine's current fiscal situation? Frank O'Hara of Planning Decisions discusses Applying a Business Model to Government: Lessons from the Past.
Nicole Witherbee, MECEP's federal
policy analyst leads us through the big issues the federal government will be
tackling in 2008 that impact Maine. Choices: Looking at the 2008 Federal Budget
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On The Air
Got Cable? State of the State is our weekly talk show about the issues facing Maine.  Check here for programs, airtimes, schedules and podcasts.
Coming up in January: Maine's Commission on Quality Places. Higher Education Initiatives to Address Rural Safety, and How Maine is Addressing Bridge Safety and a conversation with Kurt Adams of the Public Utilities Commission about Maine's energy future.
Have a PSA you want aired? State of the State can air your 30 or 60 sec. public service announcement during our commercial breaks. Contact Deborah Felder for more info. dfelder@mecep.org
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Partners in Prosperity
The Maine Center for Economic Policy works in coalition with organizations in Maine, New England and across the country to achieve our mission. This month we highlight our work with the Maine Direct Care Worker Coalition.
The Coalition includes workers, consumers, and service providers from Maine's long-term care system. "Direct care is a 'perfect storm' issue," says Lisa Pohlmann. "We have a worker shortage of crisis proportions that will only worsen as the population ages. Over 22,000 Maine workers - mostly women - are making poverty-level wages to take care of our most vulnerable citizens. Many do not have health coverage themselves. Turnover is extremely high and people who are elderly and disabled suffer." In 2007 the Coalition spearheaded a legislative "Health Care for Health Care Workers" initiative that will be considered again this upcoming session. |
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Sincerely,
Deborah Felder
Maine Center for Economic Policy |
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