Maine’s higher minimum wage is doing tangible harm to young workers
Lawmakers in Augusta have proposed a spate of bills this session in an attempt to mitigate the negative effects of Maine’s 2016 minimum wage hike, which will bring our wage […]
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Maine needs more young people to skip four-year degrees and work in the trades
High school guidance counselors, parents and popular culture have spent decades telling young people that the key to success is a bachelor’s degree. The result is soaring student debt and […]
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Governor Mills’ budget should include meaningful tax reforms
Governor Mills is preparing to unveil her budget proposal for the next biennium and we’re about to learn if she resisted the pressure from her legislative allies to shift more […]
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Could Maine’s PL 90 become the blueprint for new federal health care reform?
A federal judge’s ruling that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) — Medicaid expansion, subsidies through the exchanges, Medicare reforms, everything — is unconstitutional shocked the political world last Friday. […]
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Whoever wins, Maine’s next governor needs to address these challenges
After the sounds of boisterous campaign rallies fade and the realities of the job sink in, Maine’s next governor will face a state with serious long-term challenges. The bold policy […]
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Reductions in child poverty not a result of minimum wage increases
Last month, the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) published a study on the minimum wage in Maine, arguing that its effects on low-income families and children are overwhelmingly positive. Regular […]
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Work requirements are necessary to discourage Medicaid abuse
There is nothing to be afraid of with work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients. It is a common sense policy intended to prioritize resources for the truly needy.
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The earned income tax credit is Maine’s best anti-poverty program. Let’s expand it
The biggest flaw in most social assistance programs — including TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC — is that they undermine the very thing that would help their beneficiaries secure long-term […]
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Work requirements work, but don’t ask MECEP for a fair analysis
Last month, the Maine Center for Economic Policy posted an article on its website chastising Governor LePage and other Republican lawmakers for having the audacity to suggest that able-bodied adults […]
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MECEP’s Shoddy Defense of Minimum Wage Hike Ignores Basic Research Methods
Earlier this year, the Maine Center for Economic Policy, a left-wing think tank, published an article written by its budget and education analyst, James Myall. The piece, entitled “Minimum Wage […]
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