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In Solidarity for 
Peace, Bread and Justice!

A Joint Project of the Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods
and 
Maine Equal Justice

Volume 10  No. 3

 September 2006


Get Educated! Get Involved!
Get to the Polls & VOTE!

A message from M.A.I.N. President, Russell Anderson

Elected officials make decisions about things that are important to you – your wages, your health care, your education, your housing and your security. Too often, low-income people don’t feel that their vote can make a difference. We need to realize that political decisions affect our daily lives, from the price of milk, bread and gasoline to the quality of “safety-net” programs available if our families should need them. I believe that each one of us must be responsible for who gets in office if we want to make government work for what is best for us all.

Making an informed decision means learning what candidates value and how they intend to represent us on the issues we value.

  • Get educated. Don’t just depend on the 30-second TV ads.
  • Read about the candidates and ballot measures.
  • Attend, listen to, or watch any debates.
  • Go to candidates’ web sites.

Go to forums and ask candidates, if elected, what they will do...

  • To help low-income people go to college or get more training?
  • To raise wages for low-wage workers?
  • To make sure MaineCare is available to all who need it?
  • To protect the Dirigo Health program that insures more than 10,000 individual, the self-employed, and small businesses?
  • To reduce the cost of prescription drugs?
  • To create more affordable housing? Child care? Transportation?

If you find a candidate you like, then work on their campaign and continue to teach them about issues that affect people with low incomes.

Don’t let others decide. Vote!
Your life depends on it.

vote button 58% of eligible adults with income under $35,000 registered to vote.
Of those, only 45% voted.

77% of eligible adults with income $35,000 and higher registered to vote.
68.5% of them voted.

Based on the 2000 US Census.

In the year 2000, of the 15 million young women (18 – 35 years old) eligible to vote, 11 million were not registered.

Make sure your voice is heard.
VOTE!
Election Day is November 7th.

Want to Register to Vote...
Contact your town office or city hall if you want to register to vote. Contact Chris Rusnov at MEJP 1-866-626-7059 ext 204 if you have questions.

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