Democracy Forum 3/17/17

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine    
Engineer: Amy Browne

Program Topic: Two Maines: Can We Bridge the Divide?

Key Discussion Points:
a) We’ll talk about the cultural, demographic, and economic differences that define the two Maines and how those differences are sharpening political differences. b) Are there only two Maines?
c) Can we bridge the divide?

Guests:
a) Alan Caron, is the owner of Caron Communications and the author of “Maine’s next Economy” and “Reinventing Maine’s Government”
b) Erin Rhoda, Editor of Maine Focus for the Bangor Daiy News http://bangordailynews.com/staff/bdn-maine/content/erin-rhoda/
c) Matt Stone, journalist and writer for the Bangor Daily News

To learn more about this topic:
What So Many People Don’t Get About the U.S. Working Class, Joan C. Williams in the Harvard Business Review, November 30, 2016 hbr.org/2016/11/what-so-many-people-dont-get-about-the-u-s-working-class%20
6 takeaways from an examination of rural Maine’s future, Erin Rhoda, Bangor Daily News, January 29, 2017 bangordailynews.com/2017/01/29/mainefocus/6-takeaways-from-an-examination-of-rural-maines-future/
This remote Maine region has a chance to grow, Matt Stone, Bangor Daily News, December 7, 2106 mainefocus.bangordailynews.com/2016/12/wilderness-and-a-way-forward/#.WLsNjfnyuUk
Maine’s Next Economy: How the State’s Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Doers are Growing a New Prosperity, Alan Caron, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 16, 2015)

The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes:
Starr Gilmartin
Maggie Harling
Linda Hoskins
Ann Luther
Maryann Ogonowski
Pam Person
Leah Taylor
Linda Washburn

FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 3/16/17

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Amidst the huffing and puffing that passes for government these days, you may be forgiven if you haven’t heard that the very important Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire at the end of 2017 unless Congress renews it. This is a part of FISA that attempts to control, albeit to a less than optimum degree, what the NSA can and cannot do within the borders of the United States. It is a really important law that could stand improvement.

For background info:
https://theregister.co.uk/2017/02/15/section_702_mass_surveillance
https://aclu.org/search/section 702