May 20, 1972
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Preamble
The Democratic Party, realizing its role as a major party is to continually strive for improving governmental service to the citizens of Maine, takes pride in past accomplishments but is fully aware that much more has to be done to insure quality state and local service at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer.
We are well aware that many improvements can only be achieved with support from members of the Republican Party and we extend the spirit of cooperation to them.
With the full knowledge that many issues facing state and local government are controversial, it is the will of the Democratic Party to meet those issues squarely, both in this platform and later as specific legislation introduced at the 106th session of the Legislature.
Recognizing the necessity for insuring equal opportunity for all qualified citizens to participate in the selection of elected officials, the Maine Democratic Party advocates the elimination of all discriminatory requirements in the voter registration process. We also urge the adoption of and strict adherence to uniform state-wide qualifications for establishing voter residency. Such qualifications should not restrict eligibility to register in a community because of marital status, occupation, location of residence within the municipality or lack of intent to remain in the community for a specified period of time.
To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of state and local government we propose:
1. Abolition of the Executive Council and placement of responsibility and authority in the office of the Governor.
2. The Governor have the power and the responsibility to appoint and remove the Attorney General, the Treasurer, and the Secretary of State.
3. The completion of the reorganization of state agencies by their major functions.
4. The Legislature, which now expends or allocates funds totaling in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars, should meet annually to fulfill its responsibilities.
5. The Maine House of Representatives should be reduced in size and reapportioned.
6. Terms for State Senators should be expanded to four years.
7. The State of Maine should assign a portion of highway funds to build trails and lanes reserved for bicycle use.
8. That the state increase its funding for community recreation programs and facilities and develop mountain hiking trails to supplement the existing Appalachian Trail .
To improve the procedures to state and local government we advocate that:
1. The Massachusetts office-type ballot before the voters at the June Primary should be opposed. This proposal has been promoted for partisan and personal advantage. Instead of reforming elections, it would make Maine election officials less responsible to the voters. We reaffirm our support for the present party column ballot which offers each voter a clear choice of candidates and party affiliations.
2. The Governor should he given the power of item veto.
3. The Legislature must be adequately staffed.
4. Compensation for legislators should be increased so that any person who is otherwise qualified may serve in the Legislature.
5. Standards of Conduct and Disclosure should be instituted for those persons outside the Legislature seeking to influence legislation.
6. In order to insure decent, safe, and sanitary housing for the citizens of this state, we recommend uniform building, electrical, and plumbing codes with adequate enforcement.
7. A method providing for administrative appeals at the state level in instances of exclusionary zoning be enacted.
8. We favor reforms in our election laws which would make absentee ballots as available to our student voters as they are to our servicemen in terms of relatives signing applications for ballots.
9. We believe strongly that registrars of voters should give, at no charge, current voter lists to each political party chairman for purposes of city or town caucus, primary and general elections.
10. The Legislature should enact no bills requiring appropriations unless they are funded for the full biennium.
11. The first priority in the distribution of surpluses in excess of anticipated revenues should be to pay for increases in cost of government due to inflation.
12. The Legislature support proposals to assist the Vietnam veterans readjustment to civilian life.
13. The Legislature should study the scheduling of municipal and quasi municipal elections with an eye toward combining them with state and federal elections for the purpose of efficiency and economy.
14. Laws, rules, and regulations relating to boxing should be reviewed with an eye toward protecting the health and interests of the boxer as well as the interests of the public.
To better finance state and local government we recommend:
1. Abolition of dedicated revenues.
2. Uniform standards in the practice of assessing property with increased reliance on full-time professional assessors.
3. Abolishment of the poll tax.
4. Recognizing inequities and adverse effects on business and agricultural activities resulting from the personal property taxes, we urge immediate reform.
5. Reform of the sales tax and continued support of those taxes which are based on the ability to pay.
6. Increasing the capability of the Maine Housing Authority to issue bonds to provide self-liquidating housing for low income people.
7. That the municipal debt limit should be increased.
8. Municipalities be enabled to levy charges on tax-exempt property in lieu of taxes for police and fire protection as well as any other provided municipal services.
9. That to make the property tax less regressive and assure equal education, the state should establish a uniform mill levy and increase state subsidy to support schools.
10. Legislation to provide uniform veterans tax exemption based on State equalized assessments.
11. A $100 state income tax exemption for any individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.
12. We favor a state lottery.
13. To insure equal voting rights and full participation in the democratic political process, the Legislature should establish regulations governing local boards of registration that will require open registration boards immediately prior to local caucuses and that will establish equal standards for voter registration qualifications and that questions regarding occupation or future residence be eliminated as a basis for determining eligibility.
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Preamble
Maine’s agricultural producers make a vital contribution to the state’s life and economy. While the cash income which Maine farmers receive each year totals $250 million, the real impact of agriculture — represented by our food processing industries, the extensive utilization of farm supplies and equipment and a wide network of transportation and distribution services — comes nearly to $1 billion annually.
The Democratic Party in Maine has consistently been the champion of the farmer and of rural values. The survival of the family farm, the conservation of the land and of water resources, and the rebuilding of rural life have long stood as priorities among our party’s leaders and rank-and-file members.
We, therefore, pledge ourselves to preserve for Maine farmers and their rural neighbors the fullest opportunities to determine their own destinies, to achieve a fair return on their investments and labor, and to maintain a continued good life.
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We recognize the need to guarantee for Maine farm families a greater share of the retail consumer dollar in order that they may obtain an adequate living standard; therefore, we advocate:
1. That the fullest resources of the state be utilized to create new markets and more efficient distribution systems for farm products.
2. A national farm price policy for all essential commodities.
We recognize Maine’s need for the small farmer; therefore, we advocate:
1. The development of small, selective industries which would utilize part-time employees, thus–
2. Allowing small farmers to subsidize their income in this manner, thus–
3. Giving the small farmer an opportunity to combine incomes and thereby earn an income which would be adequate to maintain their small agricultural unit.
We recognize that the growing costs of farm operations place upon the farmer the burden of ever increasing capital expenditures; therefore, we advocate:
1. The fullest opportunities for adequate, low interest financing.
2. Congressional action to raise the loan ceiling, acreage limitation,
and poultry flock size for Farmers Home Administration borrowers.
We recognize the vital contribution of Maine’s poultry and dairy producers to the total economy of the state and are concerned for the inter-regional competitive disadvantage facing these industries; therefore, we advocate:
1. Intensive efforts by farm organizations and state agencies to remove inequities in transportation rates on feed grain shipments into the state.
2. The Department of Agriculture set as a high priority item the establishment of a healthy feed grain crop.
We recognize the continued need of a second major crop in Maine and acknowledge that Maine has a considerable investment in the sugar beet industry, therefore, we advocate:
1. The exploration of every feasible avenue to reinstate the sugar beet industry.
We recognize the vulnerability of farm crops to natural disasters and the economic plight of farm families hard hit by such loss; therefore, we advocate:
1. The establishment of an effective state-wide program of crop insurance.
We recognize the inequities in personal property tax between municipalities as well as the inequities in livestock and poultry taxation.
We recognize the preservation of prime agricultural land as one of the state’s most valuable natural resources; therefore, we advocate:
1. That a study of zoning of prime agricultural land be made by the Legislative Research Committee with the goal being discouraging use of prime agricultural lands for either government use through eminent domain, industrial, housing, or other economic uses.
We recognize the potential pollution problems surrounding extreme use of herbicides and pesticides; we do not recommend the elimination of commercially produced herbicides and pesticides, but rather, we advocate:
1. The wise and regulated use of these materials and encourage further research which will allow a reduction of the farmer’s future dependence on these commercially prepared products.
2. Legislative standards whereby agriculturalists will be permitted and required reasonable use of the natural agricultural waste products, thereby facilitating this reduction of present dependence on commercial products.
We recognize the accelerating plight of agriculture in Maine; therefore, we advocate:
1. The increased development of agriculturally-oriented courses at the high school level–agricultural business as well as agricultural production–to act as a more adequate feeder system for the 2- and 4-year programs already in existence at the college level.
We recognize the adverse conditions under which many rural Maine farmers are forced to function individually; therefore, we advocate:
1. The right of farmers to bargain collectively in the market place. Labor and industry have long enjoyed this right to bargain collectively under existing legislation. Protective legislation for bargaining should be extended to agriculture.
CONSUMER AFFAIRS
Preamble
The United States is a land of plenty; our citizens are fortunate to be able to benefit from the many goods and services available to all of us. However, as goods and services proliferate, as they should and must in an expanding, complex economy, the consumer is faced with difficult choices. The average consumer has not been able to judge relative costs and values of items available in the market place. Thus, government must accept an increasing role in aiding the consumer in his choices and protecting him from harmful goods and fraudulent commercial practices.
The State of Maine, under the administration of Governor Curtis, has taken significant strides in this direction. The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s office has been a valuable friend to the consumer. However, it has become abundantly clear that further action is necessary. Our specific recommendations below aim at two goals: (1) adding to the existing legislation which protects the people as consumers; (2) expanding the consumer protection machinery so that the Consumer Protection Division can function as an aggressive enforcement agency. These twin goals are in explicit recognition of the fact that effective consumer protection cannot depend on reaction to complaints but must accept the concept of government intervention to prevent wrongs before the consumer is harmed whenever possible.
We therefore advocate:
1. Mandating that all grocery stores adopt unit pricing and posting of shelf life and nutritional values of all products.
2. Establishing a basic warranty which all consumers have a right to expect and which could not be disclaimed by merchants selling new goods.
3. Licensing, after thorough investigation, of door-to-door and itinerant salesmen.
4. Eliminating pre-judgment attachments as to individual consumers such as mechanic liens.
5. Liberalizing provisions for class action litigations.
6. The maximum annual interest rate on credit cards, revolving credit accounts, and other similar charges will not be more than 12 per cent.
Concurrent with the passage of this legislation, we recommend enactment of the Maine Consumer Credit Code which treats all interested parties impartially, establishing a Consumer Protection Agency appointed by the Governor. This agency would have its own staff to administer the Code and be financed from the regulated industries. It is essential that field offices be established and made public so that state officials are more available to the citizens and more familiar with local concern. We also recommend that the functions of this consumer agency be expanded to include:
1. Recommending to the Governor and Legislature needed legislation to protect and promote the interests of people as consumers.
2. Appearing before governmental departments and agencies to represent the consumer’s interests.
3. Promoting the education of the consumer regarding his rights as between buyer and seller.
Additionally, we recommend a thorough review of the State Sales Tax with particular attention toward exempting items such as medical necessities.
In a different area, but of equal importance, we recommend the adoption of an effective “No Fault” automobile insurance measure.
Realizing that under current automobile insurance practices many persons are discriminated against for reasons having nothing to do with their driving ability, the Democratic Party advocates reform of the automobile reparations system to provide:
1. Institution of a system of no-fault public insurance operated by the state to compensate injured persons for their medical expenses and wage losses due to motor vehicle accidents.
2. Protection of the public against unreasonable and arbitrary cancellations of insurance coverage and discriminatory increases in premiums.
3. Consideration by the Insurance Commission of insurance company investment profits and subrogation recoveries in determination of a fair rate of return to insurance companies in order to reduce costs to the public.
4. Continued authority in the courts to review legal fees for reasonableness.
5. Opposition to efforts to reduce or impair the rights of innocent victims of carelessness and law violations to recover in full for all injuries received.
6. Continued and increased efforts in the fields of safety, education, enforcement, and prosecution of those who, through violations of traffic laws, visit death, injuries, and economic distress on their fellow citizens.
EDUCATION
Preamble
The great quantitative improvements in Maine’s elementary and secondary schools in the six years of Governor Curtis’ administration must now be matched with improvements in quality.
The time for blind acceptance of products unilaterally provided by “educational experts” for consumers who quietly foot the bills is over. Increasingly students and/or taxpayers must be given the opportunity to help decide not only what is learned but how it is learned. Indeed how one learns has the greatest influence on whether we educate lifelong learners capable of acquiring new skills for the ever-changing and growing needs of an increasingly complex society.
No longer can a single segment of society such as the property owner be expected to pay the bulk of the bill. An educated populace benefits everyone and therefore everyone must pay their fair share.
Lifelong learning starts early and crosses every strata of society. No longer can inequality of opportunity be explained away by virtue of ability to pay, age, social, or ethnic background. The State of Maine in general and the Democratic Party in particular welcomes the responsibility of educational opportunity for all of the people of our state.
Education can no longer be considered a privilege for some of the people, but rather the right of all of the people.
School Finance
Without infringing on the rights of local school boards, we strongly favor the adoption of the full state funding of the local public schools in order to assure equality of educational opportunities throughout the state.
Early Childhood Education
Evidence shows that preschool programs make a qualitative difference in the child’s success in learning. We urge the legislature to provide financial support for model programs for pro-school children.
Elementary Education
Additional guidance services for elementary children, lower teacher-pupil ratios (1-25) and increased use of teacher aides and teacher assistants will improve the quality of learning in the elementary grades. We urge repeal of any prohibition in the use of languages other than English. We believe in the heterogeneous grouping of children.
We suggest legislation to require full educational opportunity for children with mental, physical, and emotional handicaps with necessary state support.
Secondary Education
We urge that all students be allowed to reach their full academic potential without limitation by the imposition of tracking.
We favor the expansion of the area vocational schools so that options may be increased for youth.
We urge continued support for exploration of alternative methods of organizing our schools.
We would favor stronger effort to obtain Federal funding for such programs as Upward Bound and Talent Search.
We believe that Maine can no longer afford to waste any of its human resources, that post-secondary educational opportunities must be made available to every high school graduate without regard to economic status, geographic location or cultural background, with special attention, for example, to blacks, Indians, Franco-Americans, and low income whites. We therefore recommend:
1. Elimination of financial barriers to post-secondary education through (a) the extension of the concept of free public education to include the first year at any state institution of higher education for Maine residents, (b) the continuation of a low tuition policy for education beyond that level, (c) the creation of additional community colleges, and (d) the expansion of financial aid programs.
2. A full-scale recruitment program among Maine’s low income and minority groups.
3. Steps to insure that students are offered a variety of opportunities through sufficient program options and flexible scheduling.
We urge increased cooperation and coordination between the vocational technical institutes and the University in order to meet the needs of students and to offer the widest possible variety of program choice.
We recommend that funds be provided for operating the vocational technical institutes on a year-round basis.
The University of Maine Law School should hold night and week-end courses in order to allow those who work full time the opportunity to obtain a law degree, as well as to more fully utilize the investment of the people of the State of Maine.
We recommend that support be given to the need for change in teacher education and that current statutes remain or be strengthened to insure the ability of the state to bring about that change.
Adult Education
We urge that funds be provided to insure the availability of adult education programs to all Mains citizens and to subsidize Directors of Adult Education at the local level.
Accountability
We urge increased attention to accountability by boards of education at all levels; specifically, the student, taxpayers, and the legislature need to be informed about educational goals and educational expenditures.
We recommend that a professional practices act be passed which would strengthen the hand of the educational profession in evaluating and improving instruction and dismissing incompetents.
Institutional Education
We recommend that the State Department of Education improve its cooperation and coordination with the educational efforts of prisons and juvenile correction centers, hospitals, and other related institutions.
Library Services
We recommend development and coordination of the services and resources of all types of libraries/media centers in order to achieve equalization of access to total library resources for all Maine people.
Environmental Education
We support the introduction of environmental education programs, including the effects of human population and consumption on the environment, in elementary and secondary schools for the purpose of creating a well-informed citizenry, better capable of fulfilling its responsibility to bequeath a healthy world to future generations.
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Preamble
The quality of life is measured in many different ways. To some, the best of life is time spent in quiet enjoyment of field, stream, and shore; to others, it is the mobility and power of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles; to still others, it is the zest and variety of the tapestry of urban life. Of necessity, it includes jobs with adequate pay, and today more and more workers require psychological satisfaction in those jobs.
Our life support system is basic to all the various qualities of life. The degradation of water, air, and soil by mankind’s actions, taken singly or jointly, privately or publicly, in awareness or ignorance, can continue no longer. The Maine Democratic Party recognizes that protection and reclamation of the very elements which allow human life to exist are the principal concerns of this decade. Earth has been subjected to many abuses. It now presents its due bill. The task of paying that due bill falls to Earth’s present inhabitants.
We hold that there is no alternative to curtailing the pollution of our water and air and halting the introduction into our environment of long-lived chemicals which adversely affect the food chain and which may result in genetic changes in man and other creatures. We must heat the heavy burden of clean-up costs now.
The Maine Democratic Party further recognizes that many economic dislocations will result as we pay this debt to our environment. It is obvious that marginal operations, obsolete plants, and uncertain markets will dictate plant closings rather than calling for substantial investment of new capital. Therefore, we urge that greater effort be made to effect a planned transition to new enterprises prior to such closings. We recommend the expansion of programs on state, regional, and local levels to identify those industries subject to closing, to inventory what plant facilities and personnel skills are available, and to determine the natural resources and other advantages which provide an attractive site to prospective entrepreneurs. We also recommend exploration of a variety of means whereby local ownership of industry can be strengthened and encouraged in order that Maine’s resources, both natural and financial, and its most precious commodity, its youth, will be employed for the benefit of Maine people, under their direction, and subject to their decisions.
In order to stimulate desirable economic activity and remove the present uncertainty and alarm which the possibility of inappropriate development can give rise to, we urge the Governor and Legislature to speed up completion of the Coastal Plan now being developed by the State Planning Office with the aid of agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Business and Industry, regional planning agencies, and others, and immediately extend the approach to include inland areas by developing a regionally-oriented land use development plan. The following subjects must be included in this Multiple Use Plan, with a view to protecting and enhancing resources and developments already existing:
Power Plant Siting
Each type of power facility (atomic, fossil fuel, pump storage) poses different environmental hazards. These must be balanced against the needs and benefits to be derived.
Maine should develop a state energy plan to assure an adequate supply of electrical and other energy forms with a minimum of environmental disruption. The plan should recommend the construction of both public and private facilities to meet our energy needs.
Further, the energy plan would take into consideration that the rate of increase in demand for consumption of energy ultimately conflicts with the maintenance of environmental quality, and that the plan would include proposals for minimizing wasteful and unnecessary uses of energy.
We support research in such fields as solar and tidal energies as potential sources for meeting our energy needs.
Heavy Industry
Decisions must be made now as to where or whether certain types of heavy industry are desirable or necessary in Maine.
Total Concept Developmental and Environmental Centers
We support the research, planning, development, and operation of Total Concept Developmental Centers. We believe that close cooperation between government and industry is necessary for the desirable economic growth needed in Maine. Development centers that take advantage of natural and human resources to benefit all Maine citizens potentially offer much more than the market forces of economic development in the past. We need to make the longer run investment necessary for this type of job creation.
Vacation-Travel
We recognize the need for more control and geographical distribution of tourists to protect the values which both our residents and visitors enjoy, and to prevent over concentration. We therefore encourage industry resource specialists within the Department of Business and Industry to explore a more expansive development of this large basic industry with emphasis on Fall, Winter, and Spring. We support an expanded 24-hour system of information centers at our borders, with electronic and telephone reservation aids to assist distribution of our arriving tourists, hunters and fishermen and an instate promotion system (perhaps with matching funds from local groups) to use radio and the information centers to reroute visitors. We recommend that the Maine Recreation Authority be directed to give preference in using the state’s credit to businesses that would help in better distribution of the tourists. We also urges that studies be made and periodically updated in various areas of the state to determine the impact of tourism and second homes on the economy, the environment, and quality of life so that efforts may be redirected where necessary. We call for a basic decision to encourage development of interior lake-oriented sections of the state to preserve the present endangered integrity and attractiveness of the coast.
Marine Resources
In light of Maine’s chronic unemployment, large marine resource, and the expanding worldwide need for protein foods, we favor increased development of marine fisheries and “sea farming” (mariculture) as important components of zoned coastal multiple-use. Increased funds for research and pilot operations are needed, and legal restrictions to mariculture must be removed. Other marine developments, such as offshore oil drilling, must first demonstrate high assurance that they will not impair the long-term sustained yield of renewable marine resources.
Transportation
Maine needs to provide economical and efficient mass transportation for all citizens. Excessive dependence upon the automobile must be evaluated because the needs of all are not adequately served. We support the Department of Transportation study of an integrated transportation system to give recognition to the various modes, private auto, mass transit, truck, rail, air, and waterborne.
Transmission Lines
Legislation should be adopted requiring underground placement of transmission lines and requiring utility corridors where feasible,
We urge utilization of the following protective devices with a view to integration of approaches:
Outdoor Recreation
We encourage discussion and understanding among groups with differing values and styles of outdoor recreation. Maine can provide for a full range of activities, from wilderness back-packing and canoeing nearly free from reminders of our machine age, to snowmobiling, waterskiing, and drive-to trailer camping areas.
Insofar as human behavior must be regulated to preserve the opportunity for all of these approaches, the Maine Democratic Party favors planning, zoning, and management toward the end of such preservation.
We encourage state acquisition of parks and open spaces, and urge greater use by local governments and conservation commissions of easements.
Mountains and Flood Plains
We recommend that the high mountains and flood plains of our streams and rivers, being fragile portions of this state, be surveyed and protected. Many of these areas are unsuitable for residential and industrial development and unwarranted alterations or structures must be restricted. We ask legislation designed to regulate permanent structures, dams, filling and dredging, mining, dumping, and clearcutting.
Shorelands
Shoreland filling and building must be discouraged to maximize the amount of frontage to be left as green areas and open space. Unregulated pier construction, while not harmful to water quality, has an adverse impact on the shoreline.
Public Lands
We call for the speedy investigation of the public lots to allow for public utilization in a variety of ways.
Existing programs must be strengthened to accomplish their statutory objectives as follows:
Department of Commerce and Industry
With the objective of creating enough jobs to employ Maine citizens, we favor an industrial development program dedicated to continued research and contact with industrial groups which demonstrate high growth, high wages, and minimum pollution problems.
The development of industry resource specialists within the Department to assist with productivity and economic efficiency of those many industries in Maine with low employment is urged. The specific objective is to help strengthen these firms so that they can expand their markets beyond Maine, pay higher wages, and produce greater employment.
Department of Environmental Protection
The capacity of the Department of Environmental Protection should be increased for an effective, on-going environmental monitoring program of our lakes and streams.
Wetlands Control functions now under the Department of Environmental Protection must be adequately funded.
Highway projects should be subject to the Site Location Law.
Management of resources should be on a river-basin or regional basis.
The uncertainty of the amount of federal funds gives rise to the possibility of delay in meeting the state’s 1976 deadline for treatment plants. Congress must act to remove this uncertainty and give assurance to the state and municipalities that their shares will he matched.
Department of Transportation
As the population and market center of the country moves West, and Maine drifts farther and farther from the primary marketplace of the nation, we hold no effort toward economic development more vital than in the area of transportation. Not only would the development of industrial transportation be the harbinger of expanded economic development, but it would take advantage of the abundant natural and limited human resources already available. Recognizing Maine as the closest national link with Europe and the Common Market trade zone, we encourage the newly created Department of Transportation to accelerate the development of a containerized shipping port for Maine with complementary containerization at the International Jetports of Portland and Bangor. We further encourage the Department to study and plan for further necessary industrial air, rail, and highway transportation links South and West.
Surficial Mining
We propose that the concept of a yield tax be explored to provide a fund for reclamation projects.
Pesticides
Efforts should be increased to find alternatives to harmful pesticides, herbicides, and defoliants. The enforcement capacity of the Pesticide Control Board should be increased.
Solid Waste
We encourage the expansion of federal programs of research and development to propose regional solutions to the solid waste problem. Investigations and experiments should continue with government technical aid and financial assistance to develop conversion of one man’s waste to another’s raw materials. Manufacturers should be encouraged to develop containers which will not increase the magnitude of the problem. We support legislation requiring returnable containers, for example, soft drink and beer containers, and discouraging the use of unnecessary and wasteful packaging.
Groundwater
A program should be instituted to determine the extent of Maine’s groundwater, its quality and possibility for future use as a supply or as a means of disposal, with a view to preventing contamination thereof.
Reorganization
Efforts should be continued to place the Land Use Regulatory Commission, the Pesticides Control Board, and the Division of Sanitary Engineering under the Department of Environmental Protection.
The functions of the Parks and Recreation, Sea and Shore Fisheries, Inland Fish and Game, and Forestry Departments should be integrated.
Noise
We advocate a study of noise to determine needed legislation with particular emphasis on jetports.
Environmental Bill of Rights
We ask that the 106th Legislature enact an Environmental Bill of Rights, recognizing the rights of Maine citizens to a clean and healthy environment and giving them the right to file suit to protect this environment.
Labor Resources
We recognize a category of industrial human resources and request that greater emphasis be plated on training Maine’s young people for employment in Maine. In addition to vocational education, we support manpower training with industry participation in a shared state and federally funded program of on-the-job training. We recommend increased recognition of the supplementary and supportive role which environmental quality and outdoor activity play in the life of industrial workers.
Taxation
We recognize a serious need for modernization of the state and local tax systems. We will work for the elimination of the 5% sales and use tax on new and used machinery and equipment and elimination of the inventory tax, stock in trade tax, and the store fixtures tax. These taxes are inequitable and counterproductive in that they tend to penalize business expansion and modernization.
To partially make up for the lost revenue to state and local governments due to the elimination of the above taxes, we recommend an increase in the corporate income tax, which, rather than tax industry prior to development would tax when profits are realized after development.
Population
The Maine Democratic Party recognizes that population size, growth-rate, and distribution are causally related in basic ways to resource depletion and environmental degradation in Maine and elsewhere. While Maine’s year-round resident population has remained approximately stable in the recent decade due to net emigration, important population problems nevertheless exist. We support the establishment of a Maine Population Commission to study and make recommendations regarding the full range of population effects on the Maine environment and economy, as well as to propose solutions where problems exist.
Military and the Environment
Where constitutional superceding federal legislation does not exist, military (and other federal) projects in Maine should be subject to the same stale environmental regulations as required of other projects.
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Preamble
Maine Indians have a unique relationship with the government of the State of Maine.
We urge that more emphasis be placed upon this unique relationship. We reaffirm that the determination of their future place in Maine society must be primarily the responsibility of the Indians themselves, with the State of Maine providing close cooperation.
We recognize a continuing responsibility to all Maine Indians of the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes, whether they reside on or off their reservations. The fact that they lack recognition by either the State or Federal government jeopardizes the status of organized off-reservation Indian groups, and of individual Tribal members living away from the reservations. They should be granted immediate recognition of their status as Indians and be accorded all rights granted to reservation Indians. There should be a representative for off-reservation Indians within the Department of Indian Affairs.
The State Government should be encouraged to increase job opportunities far Indians within the existing government structure.
Special attention should be focused on opportunities for educational growth and development of Maine‘s Indians.
We urge enforcement of the law allowing full tuition scholarships to the University of Maine system for all qualified Maine Indians. Emphasis should be given programs which offer technical and on-the-job training.
Realistic appropriations should be stressed for the Department of Indian Affairs. Adequate funding is essential to attain fundamental goals.
We urge repeal of Section 4709 Actions by Attorney General which refers to damage and injuries to Tribal lands prior to September 16, 1961.
We suggest Tribally elected Indian representatives be endowed with speaking privileges within the House of Representatives of the State of Maine.
JUSTICE AND EQUAL RIGHTS
Preamble
While being thankful that we live in a country and a state founded on the principles of liberty and justice for all, we recognize that these noble concepts are not always applied equally to all residents of our state.
As our civilization becomes more complex, constitutionally guaranteed human rights are too often overlooked because of the demand for law and order by many citizens. Recognizing the inherent rights of all people to enjoy and defend life and liberty, to acquire, possess, and protect property, and to pursue and obtain happiness, we must be ever mindful of the danger of granting specific rights to any one group of citizens by denying these rights to others. Therefore, we must strive to up-date our laws to meet the constantly changing needs of society without abrogating any basic unalienable rights of individuals.
We commend our courts and our law officers in their efforts to secure enforcement of the law, but we must continually seek methods to improve law enforcement and the administration of justice. We must also seek to improve and strengthen our correction and rehabilitation facilities or else good legislation, good law enforcement, and a good court system will be worthless.
We assert that all human beings regardless of sex, race, color, creed, personal
appearance, or marital or economic status must enjoy common rights without discrimination in any form.
EQUAL RIGHTS
1. The Democratic Party advocates the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment for men and women and commends the U. S. Congress for finally passing this most important legislation. We also recommend that any state laws which may result in discrimination based on sex be revised forthwith.
2. We commend the Maine Legislature for establishing a Human Rights Commission. We advocate, however, that the enabling legislation be amended to include investigation of complaints of discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status as well as those involving race or color. We also urge the legislature to appropriate sufficient funding to allow the Commission to function effectively.
3. We urge the Department of Education to establish policies which will ensure equal educational opportunities for all Maine children. We recommend that a system of accountability be developed whereby school systems would have to demonstrate that they were, in fact, providing equal opportunities for low income, culturally deprived, and minority group children. We recommend the abolition of tracking students into courses considered traditionally appropriate for their sexual roles. We urge equal physical educational facilities, equipment, and programs for men and women.
We also recommend that the federal government be urged to encourage integration of public schools and that the state legislature be opposed to any constitutional amendment which in effect would nullify all efforts at integration.
4. In defense of an individual’s right to freedom of choice and freedom to determine his own values and morals, the Democratic Party opposes criminal penalties for private acts which are considered “victim-less” crimes. We also recommend a review of the statutes to eliminate those laws which attempt to dictate morals and values to the people, recognizing the individual’s right to determine his own acts in private, provided such acts do not impinge upon the rights of others.
5. Recognizing that existing divorce laws create undue hardship and embarrassment for many of our citizens, we recommend revision of the statutes to institute a policy wherein irreconcilable differences will be allowed as grounds for dissolution of marriage.
We favor the repeal of the law prohibiting elective abortion and replacement by legislation permitting elective abortions early in pregnancy under proper medical care. The government controls over personal reproductive decisions are inappropriate.
6. Recognizing that research indicates that marijuana should not be classified with narcotic and other so-called “hard drugs, that the personal use of marijuana is becoming increasingly socially acceptable, and further recognizing that present
statutes wrongfully penalize a significant portion of our state’s population, the Democratic Party favors a careful review of the Schaeffer Commission report to President Nixon and the elimination of jail terms for possession of marijuana. We recommend that the law pertaining to penalties imposed upon persons who are present where marijuana is kept be repealed.
7. We recommend a review and clarification of all rules, regulations, and laws which prohibit the participation in party politics by certain classes of employees.
8. Recognizing that many citizens are discriminated against in both overt and subtle says, we advocate the following:
a. The establishment of a legal holiday for Black Americans dedicated to the recognition of the contributions which blacks have made in our society.
b. That ways to eliminate discrimination within the Democratic Party be continued and strengthened.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW
1. Recognizing the burden imposed upon our part time County Attorneys, the Democratic Party continues to advocate the popular election of full time prosecuting attorneys.
2. Because of the high degree of expertise required of our law enforcement officers today, we advocate mandatory training, minimum standards and salaries, and psychological testing for local police officers and deputy sheriffs engaged in criminal law enforcement.
We also support continued studies of our police services in order to develop more effective law enforcement.
3. Viewing bail not as preventive detention or punishment, but as ensuring that accused individuals will appear for court proceedings, we recommend that bail procedures continue to be reviewed with recognition of increased use of personal recognizance.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
1. Recognizing that denial of justice by reason of its expense is an ancient ailment of judicial systems that still infects Maine courts today, the Democratic Party advocates the following reforms in order to fully realize the principle of equal justice under the law:
a. The enactment of in forma pauperis legislation which will enable the poor civil litigant access to the courts for vindication of his rights. This type of legislation exists in the federal system and in more than 20 of our sister states. It would provide for three things:
1) The definition of qualifications necessary to proceed as a poor person and the mode of obtaining the court’s leave to so proceed.
2) The consequences of the court’s order allowing a poor person to so litigate including the disposition of various costs and fees.
3) That the Court can annul its order should it become necessary.
(a) We believe that legislation providing equal access to the courts for poor persona not only constitutional, but constitutionally required.
(b) The enactment of legislation creating a state-wide public defender system which would guarantee that no person too poor to hire an attorney shall go unrepresented in a criminal case. We endorse the recommendation to this effect in the Institute of Judicial Administration’s report of January, 1971, on the Supreme Judicial Court and the Superior Court of the State of Maine.
(c) The enactment of legislation creating the office of ombudsman to aid citizens in dealing with problems involving all branches of state government, such office to include one black person to serve as a liaison between the government and the black community.
(d) A revision of juvenile court procedures recognizing that minors have rights and responsibilities closely paralleling those of adult citizens.
2. We also continue to propose gubernatorial appointment of Judges of Probate.
3. In all eminent domain proceedings, the owner of the property condemned shall be given replacement value of said property together with reasonable attorney’s fees if it becomes necessary for the owner to go to court to recover just compensation.
4. We support the Federal Gun Control legislation being proposed by Senator Birch Bayh.
LABOR AND MANPOWER
Preamble
The core strength of our Nation, State, and Party are working men and women. They deserve the best that is possible in terms of pay, working conditions and safety, job security, and benefits.
LABOR RELATIONS
We advocate:
1. State laws protecting the rights of all employees, public and private, whether or not covered by existing federal law, to organize and bargain collectively with their employers and that this activity be properly regulated for the protection of employees, employees organizations, and the public.
2. Continued opposition to so-called “right to work” laws in any form and recognition of the right of all working people to achieve union security if they so desire.
MINIMUM WAGES
We advocate:
1. Establishing and maintaining state minimum wage and overtime provisions at least equal to federal law but in no case less than $2.50 per hour and further that the minimum wage established be protected from erosion by inflation by provision for automatic adjustments to compensate for inflation.
2. That all employees, public and private, and those employed by non-profit corporations, be entitled to overtime pay at time and a half for all hours in excess of eight hours in one day and forty hours in one week.
3. Providing that the law requiring prevailing wage rates for state construction protects be applied to all construction work which has state financial assistance and further providing that not only prevailing wage rates but also prevailing fringe benefits be considered in setting the rates.
4. Regulation and control of industrial home work and application of the minimum wage and child labor laws thereto.
5. A provision that state law extend the highest degree of priority to wages and fringe benefits for employee protection in case of employer insolvency or bankruptcy.
EMPLOYMENT SECURITY
We advocate:
1. Increasing the benefits under the Unemployment Compensation Law to at least the level of benefits now available under the Workmen’s Compensation Law.
2. Amending the Unemployment Compensation Law to provide benefits for workers unemployed due to a lock-out by an employer.
3. Reduction of the penalty period under the Unemployment Compensation Law to four weeks.
4. Provision in the Unemployment Compensation Law for payment of the one- week waiting period after two weeks unemployment.
Labor and Manpower
5. Provision in the Unemployment Compensation Law regarding payment of attorneys fees for unemployed workers in regard to hearings concerning their claims after the fashion for attorneys fees now existing under Workmen’s Compensation Laws.
6. Eliminating existing loopholes under the recently enacted severance pay act so that some major employers can no longer flaunt [sic] the beneficial purpose of that act.
7. Stringent control over the import of foreign workers to Maine and the nation so as to insure that the import of such foreign workers does not reduce job opportunities for our citizens or undermine our labor standards.
8. Controlling tariff and import policies so that more adequate consideration is given to the needs of Maine workers, particularly in the shoe and textile industries,
9. Controls over large corporations to prevent the export of jobs to overseas locations of these large corporations or their foreign subsidiaries.
10. The on-the-job training program be continued and that its practical orientation to the needs of Maine and Maine workers be increased, and that any abuses now existing in the on-the-job training or other training programs which undercut labor standards or threaten the jobs of workers be eliminated.
WORK SAFETY AND WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION
We advocate:
1. State jurisdiction over the administration and enforcement of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and urge the 106th Legislature to provide the necessary statutory authority and funding to satisfy the requirements of the Act for such state jurisdiction.
2. Covering all employees under the Workmen’s Compensation Law and requiring all employers to carry appropriate insurance under said law.
3. Provision for a weekly benefit to compensate for lost wages of injured workers of at least 75% of their average weekly wage with an overall limit on benefits not to exceed the average weekly wage in the State of Maine.
4. More adequate provision in the Workmen’s Compensation Law for compensation and rehabilitation of workers whose hearing and eyesight have been injured.
5. Protection of the family members of workers who suffer from communicable and other diseases transmitted to them by the workers who have been exposed on the job.
6. More adequate compensation for all permanent impairments and disabilities incurred as a result of work injury at least equal to those provided by Federal Law.
7. Rigorous enforcement of the recently enacted statutory provision prohibiting discrimination by employers against any employee for filing a claim or testifying under the Workmen’s Compensation Law.
8. Improved availability of medical care for injured employees at or near the work site.
9. Improved, more frequent, more regular, and most importantly, unannounced safety inspection, to prevent work injuries.
Labor and Manpower
10. Creation of a state insurance fund for workmen’s compensation coverage so that through greatly reduced costs employee benefits may be increased and the cost to employers reduced.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
We advocate:
1. Improved pay and benefits including improved pensions for all public employees to insure the retention and recruitment of able personnel.
2. Payment of the full costs of adequate hospital and surgical insurance by all public employees.
3. Improvements in the administration and functioning of the municipal employees public relations law.
4. Extension of the rights of collective bargaining to all public employees including state employees and University of Maine employees.
5. Making the 40-hour work week/8 hour work day standard for all hourly-paid public employees and providing overtime pay for any work in excess thereof with the exception that employees may choose to work more than 8 hours in one day, but not to exceed more than 40 hours in one week without overtime.
6. Continuous and careful review of the investment policies of the public employees pension fund to insure the maximum return compatible with safety of principal.
7. Application of all safely laws and regulations to public employees as well as those in the private sector.
8. Amendment of the law to allow that group auto insurance be sold to various groups including groupings of state employees and other public employees, union members, and other employee groups.
9. Reinstatement of the State Employees Suggestion Awards Program.
STRUCTURE
We advocate:
1. Sufficient personnel for the administration of labor, safety, and the public employees labor relations law so that the promises of these laws are carried into reality for the working men and women of Maine.
2. Alteration of the name of the Bureau of Labor and Industry to the Bureau of Labor as being more appropriate to its function and statutory provisions requiring that the director of the Bureau of Labor has to have considerable experience in the labor movement or employee associations.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Preamble
The dominant concern of the Maine Democratic Party must continue to be the responsibility of state and local government to help meet the needs of the people. Yet we also have an obligation to express our views on the affairs of the nation. Not only do we present candidates for federal office — for Congress and the Senate — but we are part of the association of state parties which makes up the National Democratic Party. We are therefore represented on the governing committees and the policy councils of the Democratic Party. Our voice is heard and, therefore, it is appropriate to guide our representatives and inform the citizenry by setting forth general policies on matters of concern to the entire country. Obviously the large number of such issues, and their complexity, make it necessary to confine ourselves to brief statements on matters of the highest priority.
The Democratic Party of the State of Maine will seek these objectives:
TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND THE INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
1. Southeast Asia. We will step aerial and naval bombardment immediately. We will withdraw all military, air force, and naval personnel and equipment from Southeast Asia immediately. We will negotiate the return of our prisoners of war and offer to help rebuild the countries of the area.
2. Amnesty. Immediately after we have withdrawn from Southeast Asia and after the return of our prisoners of war, we will consider amnesty for those who refused to fight.
3. Draft. We will eliminate the draft until after Congress has declared a state of war.
4, China. We will recognize the Peoples Republic of China, establish trade relations on a non-discriminatory basis, and reconsider our defense obligations with Taiwan as provided in terms of the treaty with Nationalist China.
5. Soviet Union. We will continue to expand the detente with the Soviet Union.
6. Middle East. To promote stability in the Middle East, we will continue to promote a settlement between the Arab States and Israel.
7. Western Europe. We will reduce United States military commitments in
Western Europe so as to reduce East-West tension.
8. Western Hemisphere. To promote hemispheric solidarity, we wIl examine the political characteristics of our economic activities in Canada and Latin America and follow a non-interventionist policy in the Caribbean, and recognize the government of Cuba.
9. Africa. We will provide economic support and promote self-determination for African peoples.
10. Foreign Aid. We will progressively multilateralize our foreign aid program, reform its administration, reduce military aid, and emphasize reasonable economic development in the Third World.
11. Arms Limitation. We encourage the continued negotiations at the S.A.L.T. Conference.
12. United Nations. We will provide economic and diplomatic support to the United Nations to promote a World Community in which humans may live in peace.
TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY.
1. General Tax Reform. We are opposed to a value-added tax and to dependence on the property tax for local services. We will re-design the income tax so that it will place the burden for payment on those individuals and corporations most capable of paying in fairly graduated rates on all earned income.
2. Unemployment. The current rate of unemployment is unbearable. To reduce unemployment we will, if necessary, increase government spending in the public sector of the economy, provide public training and re-training in lines of work which the economy is likely to require, and institute a liberalized and uniform unemployment compensation system.
3. Minimum Wage. At present price levels the minimum wage should be at least $2.50 an hour.
4. Incomes Policy. Until the cost of living is stabilized, we favor an adequately enforced government incomes policy which will impose restraints on rents, interest rates, profits, and which will do so after suitable adjustments are made to eliminate the inequities of the present program.
5. Federal Grants. We favor increased Federal Grants to states and urban areas offered with reasonably enforced guidelines and minimum standards of performance.
6. Commercial Policy. To offset the recent deficits in the United States balance of payments, we favor the widest possible liberalization of trade commensurate with the development of fair markets for American producers as well as limitations on capital flight.
7. Public Utilities. We will more stringently regulate public utilities in the public interest.
8. Small Business. To help maintain the competitive system, we will increase aid to small businesses.
9. Defense Spending. To adjust our priorities to the requisites of a civilized state, we will sharply cut back defense spending so as to reduce inflation and to provide the funds necessary to improve living conditions for all of the American people.
10. Conglomerates and Monopolies. To reduce the insidious political influence of conglomerates and monopolies and to minimize their tendency to reduce competition, we will subject them to rigorous public scrutiny and regulation.
TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AMERICAN.
1. Pollution. So that the environment may again provide a suitable place for human habitation, we will rigidly enforce all existing standards of pollution control and all reasonable future deadlines. If additional restrictions are needed, we will provide them.
2. Ecological Planning. We favor state and national cooperation in ecological planning for future industrial development.
3. Urban Problems. We will provide national funds directly to urban communities to alleviate the unfortunate conditions existing in our cities.
4. Urban Renewal. To improve the urban citizens access to a healthy environment, we support urban reconstruction programs, an extended model cities program, and a program to provide green areas and parks in our cities.
5. Public Housing. We favor increased national funds for low and middle income public housing.
6. Public Transportation. To reduce air pollution and to provide more economic and efficient transportation, we favor federally-supported mass transit systems and, if necessary, the nationalization of our railroads and air-lines.
7. Crime. We will reduce the rate of crime by attacking some of the root causes such as poverty and ignorance while maintaining an efficient but not repressive police force. We will intensively scrutinize the activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We will eliminate, as crimes, acts which involve primarily the behavior of persons toward themselves.
8. Education. Using a reformed income tax, we will supply national funds to improve the quality of education generally and particularly in low-income areas where the school systems are inadequate. We will promote free public education to the limits of a person’s capabilities through national grants to public schools and universities and by means of a national scholarship program for students from low and middle income families. We believe in the equity of racial integration in the school system, and until such conditions may be obtained by other means, we support busing to accomplish this objective.
9. Health Care. To overcome the present inadequacies in our medical care programs, we will promote a national health insurance program financed from the general fund. The program will include an appropriate schedule of medical fees, national aid to private, non-profit hospitals, a system of national hospitals, national aid to medical schools and a program of national medical schools, a system of notional grants to qualified medical students, training to pars-medical personnel, and improved drug abuse programs.
10. Consumer Protection. We favor the creation of an effective and adequately funded national consumer protection agency which will protect the consumer against both qualitative and quantitative misrepresentations.
11. Veterans’ Benefits. We favor increasing veterans’ benefits to cover education and associated living costs equitably, and expand programs of physical rehabilitation and vocational training to insure gainful employment and to assist all veterans in obtaining gainful employment.
TO GUARANTEE HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO INCREASE HUMAN PRIVILEGES.
1. Racial Rights. We will actively promote equal economic, social, and political rights for all races and ethnic groups. They must have the right to live where they wish and to equal education and political opportunities.
2. Women’s Rights. We will promote and enforce equal treatment for women, equal pay for equal work, equal educational opportunities, and equal opportunities to work.
3. Freedom of Expression. We will guarantee the right of any person to express himself freely on any issue, within the prerequisites for order.
4. Freedom of the Press. We will eliminate government intimidation of the press and government censorship at the source.
5. Welfare. We favor a nationally organized and funded comprehensive welfare program to provide equal and adequate services throughout the United States.
6. Privacy. We will protect the individual’s right to privacy by eliminating unwarranted surveillance by government agencies, by stopping the use of wire taps and other electronic devices, and by repealing no-knock laws.
7. Aid to the Aged. We will increase Social Security benefits and tie them to the cost of living. We will finance Social Security from the general fund. We will provide necessary national funds to aid private nursing homes at a fixed profit and to establish a system of public nursing homes.
Guaranteed Annual Wage. To eliminate the inhumane consequences of poverty, we will guarantee to every family an annual wage which will at least be above the current poverty level determined in relation to the cost of living.
Elections. To improve our electoral system we recommend:
a. The elimination of excessive or ill-defined residence requirements.
b. Simplification of the ballot.
c. National publication of registration and voting requirements.
d. Enforcement of restrictions on violations of a person’s right to vote because of race.
c. financial disclosure and limitation of funds spent by candidates.
10. The Arts. To promote and develop the artistic talent of our people, we will support the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities with sufficient funds to, among other things, establish publicly supported theatre, opera, ballet, painting, museums, libraries, and literary efforts.
11. Children’s Rights. To provide an adequate system of day care centers.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Preamble
It is a paradox of American life that in an age of undreamed of affluence millions of citizens still live in utter despair and deprivation. The Democratic Party does not accept the concept of the “cycle of poverty” nor does it believe that “the poor will always be with us’.
It is time for a reordering of priorities to place a basic quality-standard of life for every citizen at the top of our agenda. Everyone – including the mentally retarded child and the elderly patient in a nursing home – has the right to a life of dignity and comfort. Those who are able must be allowed to develop to their greatest potential while those who cannot achieve alone must be given proper care.
MENTAL HEALTH
1. We advocate sufficient financial resources to maintain accreditation to the Augusta State Hospital and Pineland Hospital and Training Center, and to attain accreditation at Bangor State Hospital or redefine its mission.
2. A reduction in the size and populations of the state mental institutions through further development and coordination of community based programs; such as half-way houses, increased state funding of community mental health clinics.
CORRECTIONS
1. We recommend establishment of half-way houses or intermediate facilities
for offenders to strengthen their chances for successful adjustment between the institution and the community and state funding of Project Exit.
2. Establishment of a regional correctional centers system in Maine.
3. Increased staffing for probation and parole to facilitate rehabilitation and supervision of offenders outside of institutions.
4. Strengthened education, rehabilitation, and vocational training programs at correctional institutions.
5. Strengthened and improved pre-sentencing and pre-intake diagnostic screening and evaluation programs for the entire state correction system.
6. Mandatory training, minimum standards and salaries, and psychological testing for all personnel dealing directly with inmates of correctional institutions or with persons on probation or parole.
7. Continued research into the effects of all types of drugs. We support further emphasis in our laws on realistic treatment or punishment for drug offenders.
8. That state custodial agencies take immediate steps to guarantee that those persons in their custody are not deprived of their basic human rights and dignity.
9. Better support for para-professional training and utilization in medical and dental care, welfare programs, and other social services programs.
10. Revitalization of a public transportation system for Maine communities.
11. Assistance to establishment of comprehensive child day-care centers.
12. Continued and expanded alcohol and drug abuse educational programs; increased grants to community mental health clinics for drug and alcohol abuse treatment; financial assistance to local drug rescue organizations, establishment of publicly assisted alcohol and drug treatment centers.
13. That public assistance grants brought up to full budgeted need.
14. Passage of rent escrow legislation to give tenants leverage to have necessary repairs made to rental property.
15. Requiring that all present public buildings to be accessible and usable by handicapped people.
16. Accelerated state technical assistance to local and regional housing sponsors.
HEALTH
1. We recommend greater availability of contraceptive care to all citizens; repeal prohibition of physicians prescribing contraceptives for minors without parental consent.
2. The establishment of low income dental clinics.
3. That the State of Maine act now to take maximum advantage of available federal Medicaid programs.
SENIOR CITIZENS
1. We advocate property tax relief for senior citizens. Legislation which will financially assist elderly home owners and tenants based on their income and property tax burden should be adopted in Maine to replace the income supplement legislation substituted by Republican legislators for true tax relief legislation in the past legislative session.
2. At least a 25% increase in Social Security benefits with higher limits on earned income eligibility and elimination of diminished benefits for widows.
3. Implementation of cost-audit system of state payments to nursing homes.
4. Increased state funding for Maine’s certified home health agencies.
5. Continued state appropriations to prevent the reduction in Old Age Assistance grants resulting from increased Social Security payments.
5. Increased state appropriations for multi-service community programs such as meals-on-wheels hot lunches, mini-buses, and home repairs.
LOW INCOME
1. Mandatory administrative standards for municipal welfare programs in lieu thereof, state assumption of general relief funding and administration.
2- Direct housing assistance payments to low income households who fail to qualify for existing federal housing subsidy programs.
OTHER PROGRAMS
1. Increased payments and enlarged staff assistance for foster home child welfare placement and supervision.
HEALTH
1. Require fluoridation of all public water supplies by 1975.
HOUSING FOR MAINE’S WORKING POOR
1. Funds in the amount of $2,000,000 during the next biennium to be administered by the Maine Housing Authority for the purpose of granting to approved housing programs submitted by local or regional private non-profit housing corporations or by local or regional public housing authorities monies to be used for the cost of land acquisition, land preparation, sewerage and water lines and the installation of other utilities.
Source: Maine State Law Library.