[HCCN] Join Us in Organizing for Economic Human Rights in Maine

[Larry Dansinger]

If you are interested in organizing around Economic Human Rights in Maine:

In early April, Cheri Honkala of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights
Campaign spoke about organizing around economic human rights efforts in
Maine.

As a result of Cheri's talks and other recent activities around health care
and foreclosures, we are hoping to have an active Economic Human Rights
campaign in Maine that will work toward those rights as well as having a
connection to national efforts. We want you to join with us to make noise,
make a difference, and make change.

We especially are appealing to lower income Mainers who can be a large part
of the leadership of this campaign, and to others who can be supportive
allies to a movement with a predominently lower income leadership.

Toward that goal, you invited to help in several ways:

(1) Included are a set of economic human rights, some approved by MAIN
(Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods) and a second list
written a decade ago. IF YOU OBJECT TO ANY OF THESE ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHTS ON
EITHER LIST, PLEASE SAY SO. IF YOU DON'T OBJECT, WE WILL CONSIDER A COMBINED
LIST TO BE AN ENDORSED LIST FOR OUR CAMPAIGNS IN MAINE. If you have
objections to any of these in principle (not just because you think they
could be written or stated better), contact Larry Dansinger by letter,
phone, or email.

(2) You are invited to a meeting on May 30, 9:30 AM at the office of Maine
Equal Justice, 126 Sewall St., Augusta (directions below) to plan strategies
for making economic human rights a goal and reality for every resident in
Maine. Depending on our numbers and willingness to commit time and energy,
we can work toward ending poverty in our state, and/or establishing
universal and equal health care for everyone, and/or ending foreclosures and
evictions for homeowners, and/or supporting the right to join a union or
making the minimum wage a Living Wage, and/or insuring an adequate income or
welfare benefit for every Maine person.

We can't do everything, but we can start to make economic rights as
important as political rights for all Maine people. Following the meeting at
12 noon, there will be a large "Feet on the Street" rally for "National
Health Care For Everyone--For Life" next door at the State Capitol Building
in Augusta.

(3) If you can't attend the May 30 meeting but have ideas or want to be
active on some part of an economic human rights campaign, send your idea
and/or what you want to do to help the campaign to Larry Dansinger. But,
coming on May 30 will be much better. We hope a number of you will each take
on some small piece of this effort, whether you come that day or not. Please
volunteer, no matter how small you think your contribution might be (it will
all help).

(4) The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and the Social Welfare
Action Alliance are sponsoring a national conference on abolishing poverty
on July 16-19 in Louisville, Kentucky. Look for more information on the
www.socialwelfareactionalliance.org web site. We want a few people from
Maine to attend. If you want to go, see this website or contact Larry
Dansinger. We hope to raise some money for those who want to go but need
help with travel or other expenses.

Larry Dansinger, 161 Stovepipe Alley, Monroe, ME 04951, (207) 525-7776,
rosc at psouth.net

DIRECTIONS TO MAINE EQUAL JUSTICE OFFICE, 126 SEWALL ST., AUGUSTA, FOR MAY
30 MEETING. MAINE EQUAL JUSTICE OFFICE LOOKS OUT ONTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE
STATE HOUSE AND THE MAINE STATE LIBRARY, SO IF YOU FIND THE STATE CAPITOL
COMPLEX, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THE OFFICE:

Directions to Maine Equal Justice -  From I - 95 (from south or north or
west)
Take Exit 109A Augusta. On the ramp there is a fork, bear right (Augusta)
onto Western Avenue.  (From Lewiston/Winthrop, take Route 202 into Augusta,
where it becomes Western Avenue.)

Take Western Avenue to the 4th set of traffic lights (the Armory will be on
your left and Fire Station on your right) and turn right onto Armory Street.

Directions to Maine Equal Justice -  From I - 95 (take you left around a big
corner and turns into Capitol Street. Go down the hill to the traffic light
at the intersection with Sewall Street. You will see the State House with
the Dome. Go right on Sewell St. down to MEJP at 126 Sewall, right hand
side, grey house.

Directions to Maine Equal Justice -  From the East (Route 3/Belfast or
17/Rockland or 27/Wiscasset)

Take Route 3 or 17 or 27 to Cony Circle in Augusta on east side of Kennebec
River. Go from the circle onto the Memorial Bridge (just after Border Trust
on the circle) to traffic circle on other side. Continue straight through
the circle onto Western Avenue (four lanes). Take Western for two short
blocks to the first traffic light (Sewall St., federal building on left
side, Flo¹s on the right). Turn left, go one long block thru another light,
then look for 126 Sewall St. on the right.


IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ANY OF THESE BILL OF ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS
(or don't think any of them belong in this bill of economic human rights),
PLEASE REPLY TO LARRY DANSINGER. IF YOU DON'T REPLY, WE WILL ASSUME YOU
DON'T OBJECT TO ANY OF THEM.

MAIN's Bill of Economic Human Rights

Everyone in Maine has the right to have their basic needs met regardless of
their financial capabilities. Society must guarantee that these basic needs
will include but are not limited to: work with dignity; food and clothing;
secure, affordable, permanent shelter; accessible and affordable health
care; quality, accessible and affordable child care; and to a standard of
living that is adequate for their economic security and well-being.

The following rights are guaranteed by society:

1) Every individual has a right to human dignity, and to be treated with
respect.

2) Every individual has the right to the opportunity to provide the basic
needs of her/his family through each person's own best efforts and the
shared commitment of everyone in Maine by productive work and quality public
services.

3) Every individual has a right to a safe and clean environment that will be
sustained economically in a way that protects and preserves the environment
for future generations.

4) Every individual has the right to participate in the political
decision-making processes that affect all of our lives.

5) Every individual has a right:
*to productive work with equal pay for equal or comparable work,
*to seek ones choice of employment,
*to protections against the ill effects of unemployment, and
*to freedom from discrimination in obtaining their basic needs.

6) Every individual has a right:
*to form and join labor unions and other groups which protect their
interests,
*to bargain collectively on issues such as pay and working conditions,
*to strike without fear of reprisals, and
*to work in businesses or cooperatives which provide maximum opportunities
for economic democracy.

7) Every individual has a right to education or training to obtain the
skills that allow her/him to participate in the Maine economy, and at a
level that will provide all of their family's needs.

8) Every individual has a right to access financial resources and services,
including but not limited to, savings or checking accounts, loans and IRA's.

9) Every individual has a right to access quality legal services regardless
of their ability to pay.

BILL OF ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHTS FOR MAINE RESIDENTS:

1. Every Maine resident has a right to basic needs--adequate food and
clothing; secure, warm, affordable, and permanent shelter; accessible and
affordable health care; and to a standard of living that is adequate for
their health and well-being.

2. Every Maine resident has a right to income--either through employment
and/or entitlements--to secure those basic needs.

3. Every Maine resident has a right to a clean environment that is sustained
economically in a way that allows future generations to utilize its
resources in obtaining needs.

4. Every Maine resident has a right to equal economic opportunity to succeed
and thrive.

5. Every Maine resident has a right to work, to a free choice of employment
and protection against unemployment, and to favorable conditions of work.

6. Every Maine resident has a right to equal pay for equal work and freedom
from discrimination in obtaining their basic needs.

7. Every Maine resident has a right to human dignity and respect for their
participation in the Maine economy.

8. Every Maine resident has a right to form and join labor unions and other
groups which protect their interest and to work in businesses or
cooperatives which provide maximum opportunities for economic democracy.

9. Every Maine resident has a right to education and training to obtain the
skills to allow them to participate in the Maine economy.

10. Every Maine resident has the responsibility to exercise these rights to
their maximum ability.


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