RadioActive 3/27/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Program Topic: Tour to raise federal minimum wage to $10.10; Wabanaki Tribes continuing struggle to maintain sovereignty and fishing rights

Key Discussion Points:
a) We look at the movement to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. A bus tour promoting the passage of the Fair Minimum Wage Act stopped in Bangor. Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant of Bangor has just raised their minimum wage to $10.10.
b) We speak with Maine Congressional Representative and gubernatorial candidate, Mike Michaud about the minimum wage and the realities for low income Mainers
c) Passamquoddy tribal member, Vera Francis speaks on state opposition to tribal sovereignty and fishing rights,
specifically around the elver fishery. After long negotiations to come to an agreement that involved recognizing that tribal elver regulations were protective of the fishery and allowed tribal autonomy, Maine’s State Attorney General shut down the process in the 11th hour. The Passamquoddy Tribes own management plan puts a limit on total tribal catch, but allows anyone in the tribe to fish. They argue that this management system is more protective then the state’s permit system.

Guests:
Congressman Mike Michaud
Laura Fortman, US Dept of Labor
Sean Garceau , manager at Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant, Bangor
Rev. Becky Gunn, Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor
Vera Francis, Passamaquoddy tribal member, Passamaquoddy Fisheries Committee

WERU News Report 2/12/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

The 2014 elver season starts on March 24th, and today legislators on the Marine Resources committee are considering emergency legislation that would amend regulations on the lucrative fishery. This issue has been a contentious one, with Maine’s state government attempting to regulate the tribes, who of course have their own government and history of conservation of the resource. To give you a better sense of the debate behind the headlines, today we take you inside the committee meeting. (Includes testimony from AAG’s office and Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Nation officials)

BoatTalk 4/10/12 (and September 2003 bonus episode)

Program Topic:big boat stuff
Key Discussion Points:
a) piloting big vessels in Penobscot Bay
b) elvers are big bucks
c) come boating sucess
Guests by name and affiliation:
A)
B) David Gelinas Penobscot Bay Pilots
C )
Call In Program: yes
Host :m joyce/a sprague
Engineer: amy browne

**Also archived along with this show is a show from September 2003, about which Mike writes: “This 9/03 BoatTalk episode is a classic – and about the best sea story you’ll ever hear. Present day Penobscot Bay Pilot Skip Strong describes his rescue of a tug & barge in a mayday situation in a tropical storm off Florida with a loaded oil tanker. This unusual situation resulted in the largest marine salvage award in history because of the very special cargo in the barge. Highly recommended BoatTalk’s greatest hit”