Like many Maine employers, my company depends on the University of Maine System to prepare the skilled work force we need to serve our clients and grow our business and the state’s economy. We can’t hire university graduates — especially engineers — fast enough. That is why I am joining the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of […]
question 4
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Help children have a brighter future
We support increased access to quality early childhood education in Maine and we urge a “yes” vote on Question 4 on the November ballot. Here is why. From law enforcement to the Maine Children’s Alliance, from business leaders to the state’s Community Action Programs, we all agree: if we want our children to reach their […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
'Yes' on Question 4 invests in Maine’s work force
Recently, the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce endorsed Question 4 on the Nov. 6 ballot. There are 158,000 important reasons why. 158,000 is the number of additional workers with a post-secondary degree or credential that Maine employers will need by 2025. Even now, there are thousands of jobs in Maine that stand vacant, because […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
MainePERS favors passage of Question 4
Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) proposed Question 4 and is in favor of this constitutional amendment. Bipartisan supermajorities of both houses of the state Legislature voted in favor of Question 4. On Nov. 7, we encourage Mainers to also vote “yes” on Question 4. The first question voters might ask when considering Question 4 is, […]
Posted inLetters
Step up, vote ‘yes’ on 4
Raising the minimum wage is vital for Maine and will give more than 180,000 hardworking Mainers a well-deserved raise, providing necessary relief to families struggling to make ends meet. That helps small businesses by putting income into the pockets of folks who will spend it locally. But what makes the initiative truly unique is its inclusion […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Gov. Paul Lepage says Questions 2 and 4 will be disasters for Maine
Gov. Paul LePage has said he’ll move south if Mainers pass Questions 2 and 4 on the Nov. 8 ballot. This is nothing new. LePage has for months rallied against Question 2, which would implement a 3 percent surtax on income over $200,000 to increase state aid to public schools, and Question 4, which would […]
Posted inLetters
A struggle at minimum wage
I hope the people of Maine will vote “yes” on Question 4 to raise the minimum wage, gradually and carefully, to a wage that helps people and their families live a decent life here. I graduated from high school three years ago and I knew I wanted to take care of mentally disabled people as […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Raise the minimum wage? Pro and con
Question 4: Do you want to raise the minimum hourly wage of $7.50 to $9 in 2017, with annual $1 increases up to $12 in 2020, and annual cost-of-living increases thereafter; and do you want to raise the direct wage for service workers who receive tips from half the minimum wage to $5 in 2017, […]
Posted inLetters
Support for Question 4
I will vote to raise the minimum wage rate in Maine (Question 4). People cannot live on $7.50 per hour. Tipped workers, especially, need a raise to have a decent, stable standard of living. Some companies are already paying more than the minimum wage because they value their workers. Other places, including some where I […]
Posted inLetters
Reason to vote ‘yes’ on Question 4
My story is a strong argument for voting “yes” on Question 4 this November to raise the minimum wage for all workers in Maine. When my daughter was small, I worked for four years as a cashier, making minimum wage. Each year, I got a 25-cent increase. Fifteen years ago, I became the sole support […]