Main's Democrats
by Jesus Perez  

Located in the extreme northeast section of the United States, Maine is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Quebec on the northwest, New Brunswick on the northeast and New Hampshire on the west. The State’s name is believed to be a contraction of the word mainland. Maine became the offical name of the State when in joined the union in 1820.          The population of Maine was 1,240,000 in 1984. The population distribution was 44.6% urban and 55.4% rural. The capital of the State is Augusta. The executive power is vested in a Governor. The legislative branch is bicameral having 35 Senators and 151 Representatives. The Congressional delegation consists of 2 Senators and 2 Representatives. The Constitution of Maine was adopted in 1819; since then 1,500 amendments have been added. The judiciary is made up of probate and district courts, the Superior Court and the State Supreme Court. City and town governments have more authority than the 16 county governments. Many local decisions are made directly by citizens in town meetings.          Maine’s population is made up of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, chiefly English, French Canadian, Irish, Scottish, Italian & German. The largest single religious group in Maine is the Roman Catholics, eventhough more Protestants live in the State.          The Democratic Party of the State of Maine headquarted at 12 Spruce Street in Augusta is committed to getting Democratic candidates whom they feel have a vision of effectively leading and providing justice for every single citizen of the State of Maine and of the Nation. The Chairperson of the Party is Gwethalyn Philips. The Vice Chair is Paul Tessier. The Nationalcommittee woman is Elizabeth Mitchell and the Nationalcommittee man is William Bryan. The mailing address for the party is PO Box 5258, Augusta Maine, 04332. The e mail address is Dems@powerlink.net.         The platform of the Democratic Party of the State of Maine is quite clear in regard to issues of importance not only to the people of Maine but to all Americans throughout the Nation. In terms of foreign policy the Maine Democrats believe that the United States foreign policy must promote the security and interests of the United States through the establishment of dependable alliances and cooperating with other nations to advance the ideals of freedom, peace, justice, and democracy in the world. International trade agreements should adhere to the highest standards of environmental responsibility and human rights. Humanitarian aid should be provided by the U.S. for the purposes of guaranteeing human rights for people all over the globe.          In regard to Social Policy Maine Democrats believe that quality healthcare should be available to all Americans. Over 35,000,000 Americans are uninsured and/or underinsured. This is a disgrace in the richest nation in the world. In terms of Social Security they believe in its reform given that the trust fund will go broke in a couple of years if the system is not fixed. The Democrats want to ensure that future generations of Americans will benefit from Social Security when they become elegible for it.          In regard to abortion, Maine Democrats support a woman’s right to choose consistent with Roe -vs- Wade.          In regard to Campaign Finance, Maine Democrats believe that there is too much corruption in terms of the financingof campaigns in State and National levels. Reform is urgently needed in areas such as soft money and candidates with money being able to influence voters more than ordinary candidates with limited funds.         In terms of Education the Maine Democrats support increases in State and Federal funding for education and job training. They also support corporate efforts to train and educate workers.  There should also be an increase in student loans so that more Americans could have a chance at getting a sound education.          The Maine Democrats feel that there should be more youth participation in politics and in the franchise. Young people are tomorrow’s leaders and they need politcal leaders whom are responsive to their needs. The Maine Democrats are on a campaign to recruit more young people to the Party and to ensure that their voices are heard in all meetings and reunions of the Party.          Economic matters are of importance to Maine Democrats. They believe that in the State and Federal budgets priority should be given to social programs that make a difference in people’s lives. There should be an increase in education and job training spending, in the environment, public safety, medical, and in nutritional programs, among others. The Party believes that economic development should be achieved by a private/public partnership with the objective of creating a strong economy resulting in an increase in full time quality jobs that includes benefits. In regard to the tax code Maine Democrats believe that it should be simplified and maintain its present progressive nature.          Equal rights and opportunity under the law is a very important issue to Maine Democrats.          They believe in affirmative action and oppose any discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, religious preference, or national origin.          Maine Democrats support full access to employment, education, and health care for people with disabilities. They recognize the discrimination that they face based on incorrect assumptions in regard to their abilities and want to ensure the longetivity of laws protecting their rights.         In regard to same sex marriage, Maine Democrats believe that it’s part of their vision of being committed to equal rights without restriction, exclusion or limitation for all bisexual and gay Americans.          In terms of minimum wage laws, the Maine Democrats believe that there should be an increase in the minimum wage. Too many Americans are not able to earn a decent, living wage due to the high cost of living in the U.S. An increase in the minimum wage will provide some justice for hard working people whom deserve just compensation for their hard labor.