“Great leaders aren’t born, they’re cornered,” paraphrased Joe Jurczak from National Nurses United during the opening of the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer National Meeting. He was imploring labor, the left, and anyone who gives a damn about the future of this country to pressure President Obama to put workers before Wall Street and big insurance. He, like many of us, had great hopes for Obama. But after the bailouts, and after the passage of the ACA--which continues to put for-profit insurance corporations in the driver seat of our national health care system--it is clear that this is one leader who will have to be cornered.
The meet-up was held in Washington, DC over a hot and humid June weekend. Beginning symbolically at the National AFL-CIO office, just blocks from the White House, the purpose of the meeting was to reevaluate goals and messaging for the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer. The Labor Campaign’s purpose: To corner the labor movement and convince them that labor must lead on this issue. Without labor’s lead single-payer will never happen, because outside of labor is there any single movement that can bring to bear the political pressure necessary to corner a President?
To this end we have had much success. The National AFL-CIO has adopted a resolution supporting single-payer health care reform. They are also supporting the Sanders/McDermontt Health Security Act of 2011 (S703/HR1200), a single-payer bill in the Senate. The AFL has even made a financial contribution to the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer. Every year more international unions are adding their voices to the growing movement. But there is a long way to go.
There is no more important domestic issue. Just in terms of dollars spent it is the biggest issue of our times. Here in Maine we spend 19% of our Gross State Product, over $6500 per person, on health care every year. To put that in perspective consider that most nations spend between $3000 and $4000 per person. And our per person annual income in Maine is only around $29k.
Despite the tremendous resources we pour into the health care system, 10% of our population in Maine is uninsured. Nationally the numbers are even more grim. This leads inevitably to inadequate care or worse, no care at all. Daily Americans are dying that could have been saved--if they could have afforded the care they needed. In fact, the US ranks last among industrialized countries in deaths that could have been prevented with access to timely and effective health care.
Yet, our current national dialog centers on tearing apart the few social insurance programs we have. We are no longer discussing ways to insure everybody, we are talking about dismantling Medicare and gutting Medicaid. It is justified by fiscal crisis. We are told that these programs are too big to afford... whereas Wall Street is too big fail! Billion dollar bailouts for corporate banks and investment houses made possible on the backs of working people.
Here is an idea: make the rich pay their fair share! The Labor Campaign for Single Payer advocates the "high road solution" to these unprecedented attacks on the well-being and security of workers everywhere: solve the health care crisis by transferring resources from military expenditures and corporate welfare to programs benefiting working people. In particular, we can strengthen Medicare by expanding it to everyone in America. The entire budget deficit would disappear if per capita health care costs in the United States were the same as in any other industrialized country with a national health care system.
These are difficult times. The most difficult. With at least two wars abroad, a continuing recession, and a President who has thrown his arms around Wall Street and the insurance industry, single-payer health care seems a long shot at best. But, can we afford to ignore single-payer because it is “politically unfeasible”?
It is our job to corner the labor movement, and pin down the progressives, to build the momentum we need to get our policy leaders to stop ignoring us in favor of big insurance or in the name of political expediency. We need to reach out to the small business owner, whether progressive, conservative, or a-political. We need to find the common ground that all of us stand on. We have to each agree that health care is a human right, and we have to enact sweeping health care reform to achieve an universal, equitable, affordable and accountable system that serves all of us well. It is up to us. We cannot fail.
July 1, 2011
Potatoes & Green Chemistry: More Jobs, Safer Jobs
A recent report published by the BlueGreen Alliance, a national partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations, shows that Maine could either gain or lose hundreds of jobs over the next two decades depending on the path that our nation’s chemical policy takes. Today there are potentially thousands of toxic chemicals that have slipped through the vast lapses in our current chemical policies and arrived in our homes and workplaces. Yet we could have more jobs making greener chemicals. Right here in Maine, researchers are focusing on our potato crop in the search for the green chemicals of tomorrow. But more on that later.
As occupational safety and health professionals, we see chemical policy reform as critical to ensuring that workers are safe and healthy in their jobs. But we are failing. In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that 20,000 cancer deaths and 40,000 new cases of cancer per year can be attributed to chemical exposures at work. By focusing on the narrow question of exactly how risky a specific exposure level might be, our current risk-based standard setting process distracts attention from the more important questions: Do we need this chemical at all? Are there safer alternatives?
Policymakers in Maine have seen the big picture and have acted. By supporting strong public health laws such as the Kid-Safe Products Act and the phase-out of bisphenol-a (BPA), they have protected children and consumers from toxic chemicals. And, by restricting the use of a harmful chemical like BPA downstream in consumer products, that action often results in an upstream protective benefit to the workers manufacturing, shipping and selling those products. But, toxic chemicals don’t stop at the border. Maine’s laws are limited.
That is why Congress needs to follow Maine’s lead and act to reform the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The reform mantra should be: First do no harm. Require chemical manufacturers to test chemicals before they are placed on the market. Prove to workers and consumers that chemicals are safe and provide us with minimum standards of information. Recognize and prioritize the nastiest chemicals and substitute safer alternatives. Require chemical processes that use toxic chemicals to be re-engineered. Develop new green chemicals that are less hazardous to workers. The resulting shift in research and development will create jobs and opportunities. "Instead of accepting the myth that policy reform will somehow cost more jobs,” said Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), which represents some 30,000 chemical workers in North America, “TSCA reform will create sustainable, good-paying jobs while protecting the health of workers and the environment by encouraging investment in education, technology and research."
And now back to Maine’s potatoes. Green chemicals Research & Development is already making a difference in the form of bioplastics, organic plastics based on plants rather than petroleum. In the last three years, the Sustainable Bioplastics Council of Maine, a trade organization promoting the bioplastics sector, has raised over $2 million for research and development of sustainable plastics made from Maine potatoes. The plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the US, so the societal benefit from a shift toward biobased plastics could be enormous – reducing consumption of fossil fuels and avoiding health concerns associated with traditional plastic production, use, and disposal. Demand for bioplastics has soared in recent years. In Maine, 13 million pounds of bioplastics could be made each year solely from waste potatoes left over from the growing of the food crop. Production of bioplastics could create over 850 permanent jobs in Maine.
If there is no change and the chemical industry is allowed to continue on their present path, preferring cost-cutting practices that eliminate jobs and minimize innovation, the present number of jobs in non-pharmaceutical chemicals will be cut in half over the next 20 years. It is time for stronger regulation and safer chemicals. These reforms will create jobs, spur innovation, and build a safer future. And, if we are lucky enough to have reforms enacted, perhaps we could even find a new way to use our potato crop by turning the root veggie into something completely unexpected.
John Newton has been an industrial hygienist for 30 years. A former paperworkers union leader, he represents the American Federation of Government Employees on the Executive Board of the Maine AFL-CIO.
Anthony Zeli is an occupational safety and health advocate with the Maine Labor Group on Health.
As occupational safety and health professionals, we see chemical policy reform as critical to ensuring that workers are safe and healthy in their jobs. But we are failing. In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that 20,000 cancer deaths and 40,000 new cases of cancer per year can be attributed to chemical exposures at work. By focusing on the narrow question of exactly how risky a specific exposure level might be, our current risk-based standard setting process distracts attention from the more important questions: Do we need this chemical at all? Are there safer alternatives?
Policymakers in Maine have seen the big picture and have acted. By supporting strong public health laws such as the Kid-Safe Products Act and the phase-out of bisphenol-a (BPA), they have protected children and consumers from toxic chemicals. And, by restricting the use of a harmful chemical like BPA downstream in consumer products, that action often results in an upstream protective benefit to the workers manufacturing, shipping and selling those products. But, toxic chemicals don’t stop at the border. Maine’s laws are limited.
That is why Congress needs to follow Maine’s lead and act to reform the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The reform mantra should be: First do no harm. Require chemical manufacturers to test chemicals before they are placed on the market. Prove to workers and consumers that chemicals are safe and provide us with minimum standards of information. Recognize and prioritize the nastiest chemicals and substitute safer alternatives. Require chemical processes that use toxic chemicals to be re-engineered. Develop new green chemicals that are less hazardous to workers. The resulting shift in research and development will create jobs and opportunities. "Instead of accepting the myth that policy reform will somehow cost more jobs,” said Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), which represents some 30,000 chemical workers in North America, “TSCA reform will create sustainable, good-paying jobs while protecting the health of workers and the environment by encouraging investment in education, technology and research."
And now back to Maine’s potatoes. Green chemicals Research & Development is already making a difference in the form of bioplastics, organic plastics based on plants rather than petroleum. In the last three years, the Sustainable Bioplastics Council of Maine, a trade organization promoting the bioplastics sector, has raised over $2 million for research and development of sustainable plastics made from Maine potatoes. The plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the US, so the societal benefit from a shift toward biobased plastics could be enormous – reducing consumption of fossil fuels and avoiding health concerns associated with traditional plastic production, use, and disposal. Demand for bioplastics has soared in recent years. In Maine, 13 million pounds of bioplastics could be made each year solely from waste potatoes left over from the growing of the food crop. Production of bioplastics could create over 850 permanent jobs in Maine.
If there is no change and the chemical industry is allowed to continue on their present path, preferring cost-cutting practices that eliminate jobs and minimize innovation, the present number of jobs in non-pharmaceutical chemicals will be cut in half over the next 20 years. It is time for stronger regulation and safer chemicals. These reforms will create jobs, spur innovation, and build a safer future. And, if we are lucky enough to have reforms enacted, perhaps we could even find a new way to use our potato crop by turning the root veggie into something completely unexpected.
John Newton has been an industrial hygienist for 30 years. A former paperworkers union leader, he represents the American Federation of Government Employees on the Executive Board of the Maine AFL-CIO.
Anthony Zeli is an occupational safety and health advocate with the Maine Labor Group on Health.
May 4, 2011
LIVE BLOG on LD 1397
by: Tony Zeli
Tue May 03, 2011 at 12:06:25 PM EDT
LD 1397 will make health care a human right for all Maine residents by establishing a single-payer health care system for the state. This bill would provide universal coverage through a unified, publicly-funded system. The recent passage of Vermont's pathway to single-payer demonstrates that states can and will act to ensure that their residents have the right to quality, affordable health care.
If you're in the Augusta area it is not too late to come testify before the Insurance and Financial Services Committee in Room 220 of the Cross Office Building across from the State House.
We're just about to get started and testifiers are rolling in at a steady pace. I've spoken with activists from MPA, doctors with PNHP, nurses, organizers from Maine AllCare and the Labor movement, activists from the Maine Green Party, Democratic legislators, and the bill's sponsor Rep. Charlie Priest looks ready to go. I look forward to hearing all the personal stories. I imagine some testimony will be difficult to hear, because of the state of our current, fragmented, for-profit health care system.
Now we just have to wait for the committee to arrive...
While waiting for the hearing to begin, I just got word of some good news out of Vermont! After days of mobilization, protests and vigils by the Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign (www.workerscenter.org), Vermont legislators agreed to remove from the universal health care bill a harmful amendment that would have excluded undocumented people from "universal" health care. This means that every all people of Vermont will receive the health care they deserve.
Standing room only now...
Senator Rod Whittemore (Farifield) is bringing the hearing to a start.
Representative Charlie Priest (Brunswick), LD 1397's lead sponsor is presenting his bill. Beginning with the bold statement that health care is a human right, Rep. Priest went on to discuss how the free market has failed to provide health care to all Maine people. According to Priest, health care costs are growing at twice the rate of inflation. The Affordable Care Act will provide some relief for the states, but it does not control health care costs. It is time for single-payer and it has to be on a state by state basis. Rep. Priest went on to describe his bill which would create a Maine Health Care Agency to provide "essential" benefits to all Maine people. He believes that by 2017 this bill will be passed by the people, because they will have seen that nothing else has worked. He went on to discuss the reforms happening in Vermont. Apparently the good Representative has dumbfounded the committee which had no questions for him.
The Chair asked who would be testifying on this bill and a room full of hands went up. We may be here for a little while...
Rep Ben Chipman (Portland) has surprised us by coming to support the bill. Not a cosponsor of the bill, Rep. Chipman wanted to show his support. He discussed his own experience of fighting for Dirigo Health when he himself was uninsured. "We will never be able to afford to insure the uninsured until we are willing to legislate cost control at the state level." He spoke about how he is still uninsured and that it is time to cover everybody and get the costs of health care under control! He inspired applause that were politely stopped by Chair Whittemore.
Co-sponsor Rep, Seth Berry's (Bowdoinham) testimony was full of facts and figures on the current problems and the feasibility of single-payer. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office has stated as early as 1993 that all Americans could be covered with universal coverage without spending a single dollar more than we currently do. "Universal coverage is a moral must. And single payer is the economic must to achieve universal coverage," declared Rep. Berry.
Other facts from Rep. Berry's testimony included the tragedy of uninsured children who have needlessly died. In fact, 17000 hospital deaths of children could have been prevented in America treated health care as a human right (John Hopkins University). He concluded by comparing the fight for single-payer to the fight for universal education that started public education in this country.
"Tickering around the edges may help marginally, but Maine needs to stop tickering. We need single-payer. It costs less." -Rep. Berry
Dr. Julie Pease was next to testify. She discussed her experience as a practicing physician in New Zealand. She compared to her experience here in Maine, where she s more and more time dealing with paper work and less and less time on patient care. Dr. Pease had 1/10 the amount of paper work in New Zealand. She talked about how services were more integrated because of universal coverage, she could see less patients in a day and spend more time with them.
The next testifier asked the Committee who they thought the most popular Canadian was. Rep. Goode (Bangor) called out Wayne Gretzky. Close, but he was number 10 in the poll. No, the most popular Canadian was Tommy Douglas who introduced single-payer in Canada.
In tear filled testimony from the an owner of a bagel business discussed her and her husband's difficulty with health insurance as small business owners. When her husband had heart trouble they were hit with over $75,000 in bills, most of which their health insurance would not pay for. She told the committee that she was unable to provide health care to her employees, though she would if she could afford it. She concluded by stating that the profit motive does not work in the health care system.
We're going on to about a hour of testimony and still lots to go. We've heard from nurse practitioners, doctors, and small business owners... We will now hear some testimony against before returning to testimony in support.
No opposed testimony! We're back to those testifying in favor with testimony from a MPA activist.
One testifier discussed what it is like to try to afford health insurance as an individual. With a $15000 deductible she is understandably afraid. Rep. Brannigan (Portland) thanked her for her testimony declaring that she nailed the problems of the current system.
Alice Knapp, a solo practicing lawyer, testified about how the boon that single-payer would be for the economy. She also discussed how uninsured people do die for lack of access to care. Sure, if you need emergency or urgent care, the hospital will stabilized you. But if you have a cancerous tumor that might kill you some day, they aren't going to send you home with thousands of dollars of medication and ask you back for chemo. People do die for lack of access to care, and says Alice, that is "Not okay."
Claire Mortimer, a nurse practitioner from Blue Hill, talked about how 2/3's of bankruptcies are due to medical bills. echoed the human right message that has become a theme of the hearings.
Consumers for Affordable Health Care spoke in favor of the bill. Stating that it will help continue the work of the ACA, and get us to the goal of universal coverage. Rep. Goode asked a question. Referring to the Chamber of Commerce's written testimony against the bill, which declared that single-payer was in conflict with the ACA. He was curious if that was the case and if there wasn't a way to implement single-payer through the ACA. Perhaps we should look to the example in Vermont, where they have passed a pathway to single-payer using the health care exchange model created by the ACA.
We are now into the second hour of testimony. We've just heard from a person who was unemployed and as such uninsured. He argued that it was time to decouple health care from employment. We heard from a town employee from Sanford, who spoke about experiencing health care in Canada, when her husband was stationed there in the 1970's. She said that the propaganda we hear about long waits were completely unfounded. Then we heard from John Newton from the AFL-CIO. Labor supports single-payer because all people deserve equal access to health care.
And now it is time for the opponents...
Dan Bernier of the Maine Insurance Association argued that we had the most humane system in the world. There were scattered titters through the room. He went on to claim that sick people would come to Maine from around the nation for free health care and bankrupt our system. Finally he declared that health care is not a right. Then he rushed from the room. Well, thank you insurance industry for caring.
No one else testified against this legislation.
So that was the hearing on LD 1397. It is true that it is not likely that this bill will pass. Not this year. But I for one am excited by the turnout at this hearing. There are a lot of passionate people who are not going to give up on this. There are legislators who are brave enough to support what we all believe is right. I think of this as just the beginning. People fight for their rights. The right to health care will be no difference. So Maine, are you ready?
Tue May 03, 2011 at 12:06:25 PM EDT
LD 1397 will make health care a human right for all Maine residents by establishing a single-payer health care system for the state. This bill would provide universal coverage through a unified, publicly-funded system. The recent passage of Vermont's pathway to single-payer demonstrates that states can and will act to ensure that their residents have the right to quality, affordable health care.
If you're in the Augusta area it is not too late to come testify before the Insurance and Financial Services Committee in Room 220 of the Cross Office Building across from the State House.
We're just about to get started and testifiers are rolling in at a steady pace. I've spoken with activists from MPA, doctors with PNHP, nurses, organizers from Maine AllCare and the Labor movement, activists from the Maine Green Party, Democratic legislators, and the bill's sponsor Rep. Charlie Priest looks ready to go. I look forward to hearing all the personal stories. I imagine some testimony will be difficult to hear, because of the state of our current, fragmented, for-profit health care system.
Now we just have to wait for the committee to arrive...
While waiting for the hearing to begin, I just got word of some good news out of Vermont! After days of mobilization, protests and vigils by the Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign (www.workerscenter.org), Vermont legislators agreed to remove from the universal health care bill a harmful amendment that would have excluded undocumented people from "universal" health care. This means that every all people of Vermont will receive the health care they deserve.
Standing room only now...
Senator Rod Whittemore (Farifield) is bringing the hearing to a start.
Representative Charlie Priest (Brunswick), LD 1397's lead sponsor is presenting his bill. Beginning with the bold statement that health care is a human right, Rep. Priest went on to discuss how the free market has failed to provide health care to all Maine people. According to Priest, health care costs are growing at twice the rate of inflation. The Affordable Care Act will provide some relief for the states, but it does not control health care costs. It is time for single-payer and it has to be on a state by state basis. Rep. Priest went on to describe his bill which would create a Maine Health Care Agency to provide "essential" benefits to all Maine people. He believes that by 2017 this bill will be passed by the people, because they will have seen that nothing else has worked. He went on to discuss the reforms happening in Vermont. Apparently the good Representative has dumbfounded the committee which had no questions for him.
The Chair asked who would be testifying on this bill and a room full of hands went up. We may be here for a little while...
Rep Ben Chipman (Portland) has surprised us by coming to support the bill. Not a cosponsor of the bill, Rep. Chipman wanted to show his support. He discussed his own experience of fighting for Dirigo Health when he himself was uninsured. "We will never be able to afford to insure the uninsured until we are willing to legislate cost control at the state level." He spoke about how he is still uninsured and that it is time to cover everybody and get the costs of health care under control! He inspired applause that were politely stopped by Chair Whittemore.
Co-sponsor Rep, Seth Berry's (Bowdoinham) testimony was full of facts and figures on the current problems and the feasibility of single-payer. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office has stated as early as 1993 that all Americans could be covered with universal coverage without spending a single dollar more than we currently do. "Universal coverage is a moral must. And single payer is the economic must to achieve universal coverage," declared Rep. Berry.
Other facts from Rep. Berry's testimony included the tragedy of uninsured children who have needlessly died. In fact, 17000 hospital deaths of children could have been prevented in America treated health care as a human right (John Hopkins University). He concluded by comparing the fight for single-payer to the fight for universal education that started public education in this country.
"Tickering around the edges may help marginally, but Maine needs to stop tickering. We need single-payer. It costs less." -Rep. Berry
Dr. Julie Pease was next to testify. She discussed her experience as a practicing physician in New Zealand. She compared to her experience here in Maine, where she s more and more time dealing with paper work and less and less time on patient care. Dr. Pease had 1/10 the amount of paper work in New Zealand. She talked about how services were more integrated because of universal coverage, she could see less patients in a day and spend more time with them.
The next testifier asked the Committee who they thought the most popular Canadian was. Rep. Goode (Bangor) called out Wayne Gretzky. Close, but he was number 10 in the poll. No, the most popular Canadian was Tommy Douglas who introduced single-payer in Canada.
In tear filled testimony from the an owner of a bagel business discussed her and her husband's difficulty with health insurance as small business owners. When her husband had heart trouble they were hit with over $75,000 in bills, most of which their health insurance would not pay for. She told the committee that she was unable to provide health care to her employees, though she would if she could afford it. She concluded by stating that the profit motive does not work in the health care system.
We're going on to about a hour of testimony and still lots to go. We've heard from nurse practitioners, doctors, and small business owners... We will now hear some testimony against before returning to testimony in support.
No opposed testimony! We're back to those testifying in favor with testimony from a MPA activist.
One testifier discussed what it is like to try to afford health insurance as an individual. With a $15000 deductible she is understandably afraid. Rep. Brannigan (Portland) thanked her for her testimony declaring that she nailed the problems of the current system.
Alice Knapp, a solo practicing lawyer, testified about how the boon that single-payer would be for the economy. She also discussed how uninsured people do die for lack of access to care. Sure, if you need emergency or urgent care, the hospital will stabilized you. But if you have a cancerous tumor that might kill you some day, they aren't going to send you home with thousands of dollars of medication and ask you back for chemo. People do die for lack of access to care, and says Alice, that is "Not okay."
Claire Mortimer, a nurse practitioner from Blue Hill, talked about how 2/3's of bankruptcies are due to medical bills. echoed the human right message that has become a theme of the hearings.
Consumers for Affordable Health Care spoke in favor of the bill. Stating that it will help continue the work of the ACA, and get us to the goal of universal coverage. Rep. Goode asked a question. Referring to the Chamber of Commerce's written testimony against the bill, which declared that single-payer was in conflict with the ACA. He was curious if that was the case and if there wasn't a way to implement single-payer through the ACA. Perhaps we should look to the example in Vermont, where they have passed a pathway to single-payer using the health care exchange model created by the ACA.
We are now into the second hour of testimony. We've just heard from a person who was unemployed and as such uninsured. He argued that it was time to decouple health care from employment. We heard from a town employee from Sanford, who spoke about experiencing health care in Canada, when her husband was stationed there in the 1970's. She said that the propaganda we hear about long waits were completely unfounded. Then we heard from John Newton from the AFL-CIO. Labor supports single-payer because all people deserve equal access to health care.
And now it is time for the opponents...
Dan Bernier of the Maine Insurance Association argued that we had the most humane system in the world. There were scattered titters through the room. He went on to claim that sick people would come to Maine from around the nation for free health care and bankrupt our system. Finally he declared that health care is not a right. Then he rushed from the room. Well, thank you insurance industry for caring.
No one else testified against this legislation.
So that was the hearing on LD 1397. It is true that it is not likely that this bill will pass. Not this year. But I for one am excited by the turnout at this hearing. There are a lot of passionate people who are not going to give up on this. There are legislators who are brave enough to support what we all believe is right. I think of this as just the beginning. People fight for their rights. The right to health care will be no difference. So Maine, are you ready?
January 17, 2011
The Words We Use
It is disappointing to see what our political dialog has been reduced to on this Martin Luther King Day Weekend. Governor Paul LePage's most recent outburst, telling the Maine branch of the NAACP to "Kiss my butt," is an example of the divisive language that sets us back as a State and a Nation.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a brilliant orator who demonstrated the apex of what our political dialog can be. Governor LePage has chosen to pander to the basest in us. His dialog has been simple and rude, and he seeks to justify it by claiming to be plain and direct. Let us spend time in the days ahead remembering all of our past leaders who had the courage to choose a path of reconciliation, respect and honor.
As LePage claimed in his inaugural address, he is the Governor for all of Maine, 100% of us, not just the 40% of the electorate who voted for him. Yet, he has failed to recognize the difference between a special interest and the public interest. His role as governor is to serve the public interest. The NAACP in its fight for equality and justice for all advances the public interest, and for such deserves respect.
I am among the over 60% of Maine’s electorate who did not vote for Governor LePage. But whatever my political bent, I am a proud resident of the State of Maine. I want my Governor to be a leader who exemplifies respect for diversity. It is easy, Governor LePege. Start by thinking before you speak, and when you decide to speak, do so with conviction and honor. The words we use matter.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a brilliant orator who demonstrated the apex of what our political dialog can be. Governor LePage has chosen to pander to the basest in us. His dialog has been simple and rude, and he seeks to justify it by claiming to be plain and direct. Let us spend time in the days ahead remembering all of our past leaders who had the courage to choose a path of reconciliation, respect and honor.
As LePage claimed in his inaugural address, he is the Governor for all of Maine, 100% of us, not just the 40% of the electorate who voted for him. Yet, he has failed to recognize the difference between a special interest and the public interest. His role as governor is to serve the public interest. The NAACP in its fight for equality and justice for all advances the public interest, and for such deserves respect.
I am among the over 60% of Maine’s electorate who did not vote for Governor LePage. But whatever my political bent, I am a proud resident of the State of Maine. I want my Governor to be a leader who exemplifies respect for diversity. It is easy, Governor LePege. Start by thinking before you speak, and when you decide to speak, do so with conviction and honor. The words we use matter.
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