WERU News Report 2/18/15

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer/Reporter: John Greenman

Segment 1: WERU board votes to divest from fossil fuels, moving to a “socially-responsible” investment fund. WERU General Manager Matt Murphy and Board President John Greenman join us with the details.

Segment 2: A new report from Naomi Schalit of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, that will give you a clear idea of what you’re up against when you try to have some influence over your state legislators. Can you compete with the luxury resort stay and steak dinners offered by Time Warner?
(Full report: http://pinetreewatchdog.org/time-warner-made-its-case-to-legislators-at-luxury-resort/)

Segment 3: Latest news on some of the threats to Penobscot Bay, as well as plans for developing a Bay Keeper position with guests Ron Huber, Executive Director of Friends of Penobscot Bay and Sheila Dassatt, Executive Director of the Downeast Lobstermen’s Association. We open the phone lines for listener calls. FMI: http://www.penbay.net/ & http://www.downeastlobstermen.org/

Democracy Forum 5/14/12

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters
Engineer: Joel Mann

(NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, this audio file is 47 mins long, and the recording starts with the show in progress)

Issue: Participatory Democracy

Key Discussion Points:
a) Do corporations have too much power in politics and government? What is the source of their power? Campaign finance? Lobbying? How does corpororate economic power translate into political power?
b) Do you think free enterprise and democracy go together? Do concerns about corporate power translate into concerns about capitalism as an economic system?
c) Discuss your ideas on what is needed for a healthy democracy to work? Has our own system been healthier at other times? What would be the proper role of corporations and very wealthy individuals? What can ordinary citizens do to make things work better?

Guest:
Robert Monks, shareholder activist, author, and corporate governance adviser, http://www.ragm.com/.

Call In Program: Yes