Mainers Advance a Vision for an Equitable Maine
Your life and future are now intrinsically impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
As Mainers anxiously wait for their vaccinations, and legislators work to craft a state budget in response to one of the greatest economic crises of our lifetime, 57 Maine-based organizations joined forces to call on policymakers to embrace a “Vision for an Equitable Maine” to help Maine come back better than before. In a letter to legislators they urged them “to advance systemic change that moves us toward a more equitable Maine.”
Your community's health and prosperity are dependent on our ability to ensure justice and achieve fairness in outcomes from our public systems. Since March of 2020, hundreds of individuals have contributed their expertise, insights, and perspectives to build a Vision for an Equitable Maine. Many see this moment as an opportunity to set a new path forward to make certain that all people reach their full potential.
The Vision for an Equitable Maine spans agendas and constituencies to look holistically at the system and policy changes needed to address inequities laid bare by COVID-19. The Vision provides a blueprint for the changes that are needed in 13 areas, including healthcare, education, housing, our environment, racial equity, income equality, public safety, democracy reform, and workers’ health and safety. Mainers have united around these shared goals:
- Reimagine systems and policies in light of COVID-19 and the inequities it has laid bare.
- Create more alignment among organizations that share the goal of making Maine a more equitable place to live. We are stronger together than we are apart.
- Shape the public policy discourse when it comes to our collective response to the pandemic.
- Inform and guide policymaking in 2021 and beyond; build support for the changes we are seeking.
Why Mainers support the Vision for an Equitable Maine:
“The pandemic has shown so clearly how inequality hurts us all. We have to really take hold of this opportunity to build a more resilient future where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. Gateway strives to make Maine a place where communities are connected and all people thrive. For Maine to recover from the pandemic, we must invest in our communities and ensure that nobody is left behind.”
- Safiya Khalid, Community Resource Coordinator at Gateway Community Services Maine
“Dr. King, speaking on poverty, once said ‘I'm simply saying that more and more, we've got to begin to ask questions about the whole society. We are called upon to help the discouraged beggars in life's marketplace. But one day we must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.’ Maine held the largest racial disparity for COVID-19 in the nation. 26% of Maine’s homeless population are people of color when they represent less than 2% of the population. There is no denying that our systems need serious restructuring. This will take all kinds of people doing all types of work. This is just the beginning of that work. There’s a whole lot more to be done and we can’t settle for half measures or refuse to do our part.”
- Isreal Mosely, member of the Equal Justice Partner Circle
“Across the state, essential workers have put their health at risk to support the rest of us during the pandemic, often with little to no workplace protections, inadequate benefits, and low wages. These workers have kept the economy and those who can stay home, safe. They also deserve safety: fair working conditions and liveable wages; a strong unemployment insurance system that won’t let them down. Peoples’ health and wellbeing goes beyond the workplace - it’s also affordable health care, safe housing, a clean environment, a functioning and healthy democracy, and much more.”
- Adam Goode, Legislative and Political Director with Maine AFL-CIO,
“Our public policies and state budget must be grounded in equity. Everyone in Maine should have access to the health care they need – but too many are going without. Our policies and state budget must ensure that all Mainers have the resources they need to build their futures and raise the next generation healthier and stronger. Preserving the status quo or tinkering around the edges will not meet the demands of this moment.”
- Ann Woloson, Executive Director of Consumers for Affordable Health Care
“Deaths of despair have risen during the coronavirus pandemic, and the latest research suggests this increase has been dramatic. We have learned from past experience that any major disruption such as this pandemic will bring a following wave of mental health impacts. Without equitable access to services to meet this growing need, the most vulnerable among us will bear the brunt of these impacts. But if we work to put in place healthy community conditions, good healthcare coverage, and inclusive policies, we can improve mental health and well-being as we come out the other side.”
- Malory Shaughnessy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services.
Check out the Vision and how to help make it as reality at https://visionforequitablemaine.com/.
Sign our petition to Maine policymakers asking them to advance systemic change that moves us toward a more just and equitable Maine.
Co-authors:
Richard Hook Wayman, Volunteers of America Northern New England
Robyn Merrill, Maine Equal Justice