I will be attending one of Barbara Merrill's Coffee Tour stops tomorrow morning in Winthrop; and if the opportunity presents itself, I'll ask a question or few. My intention is to ask questions of relevance related to the fact that this candidate is an independent running for Governor of Maine. So I'm not planning on asking questions about the Middle East or fires in California.
If you're from Maine and want to know where she stands on an issue particular to us, let me know. If you have a question of national importance that where her answer has relevance, ask away. I intend to ask a question related to Independent election issues...I just haven't framed it as of yet. This is your opportunity to use me as your vehicle of information. So don't hesitate to propose a question.
Maine Merrill government Blaine House governor women politics reform campaign independent
7 comments:
Very cool Zeb. About the only question I have deals with the Dirigo Health plan. I know Jeremy was looking at it, especially now he's not working where he has benefits, but it was cost prohibitive. The last I had heard was that the current administration was sueing the insurance company for the cost savings that were realized, but not delivered per the contractual agreement. What can she do to make good quality health care available to micro businesses?
Not sure if that was what you had in mind or not......
Absolutely. Or where does she stand in this Dirigo debate? That's exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.
Health care costs are most definitely an issue which cuts across all state lines in this country. And since Governors have arguably applied some of the strongest pressures vis-a-vis drug reimportation from Canada that the Bush administration has seen, her views on these issues would very much be of interest to folks outside of Maine.
Well, I messed up. Their website said she was doing this Wed with no specifics. So when her office emailed me the details, I didn't realize it said Thurs.
Are you going on Thursday then? I certainly hope you do I'd be interested in what she has to say.
As far as bros heath care plan, Sis-In-Law and the kids are on the MaineCare plan until things get settled, but with the business's income and his from cutting wood, I think it pushes them over the limit. Here is a case where someone trying to do the right thing gets screwed. If he didn't report the additional income, wood and scrapping, they would be all set. It's one of the issues with these plans, it's all or nothing. So he makes too much to be on the plan, but not enough to afford private insurance. Once again the rich and the poor are taken care of, while those who bust their ass to stay in the middle get screwed.
If you go, ask her who she hopes will be Governor of Texas! (I know I know, not Maine related but..she might want some political company)
Ingrid
Here's what I would ask her: Barbara says on her website that in her doorknocking she has found that "As a lawmaker who has often found myself out of step with the current direction of state government, I have had reason to reflect on my beliefs which seem so compatible with my neighbors but so out of step with the leaders in Augusta."
I think this is funadmentally a question of democracy. Unfortunately the 2-party system is rigged against ordinary people. To what does Barbara attribute this "gap" and what reforms does she think would be useful in Maine to help correct this?
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