NOTE: the story contest has closed, for now. Thank you to everyone who participated! You are still welcome to share your story, but all prizes have been awarded.
Since April of this year, Mainers have received close to two billion dollars in direct relief from the federal government under the bipartisan CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 emergency.
These funds have come in the form of $1,200 stimulus payments. Tens of thousands of Mainers have also received an extra $600 in federal unemployment insurance (PUC) each week. The money has supported families in Maine at a critical time. Now we want to hear from Maine people about the difference this support has made! When you share your story, it will help us build the case for supporting ideas and policies like this in the future.
Share your story and help us build the power to change how Mainers build their futures! Jump to contest rules.
Maine Equal Justice is an economic justice organization working to increase economic security, opportunity, and equity for people in Maine.
Guaranteed income, or basic income, is an idea that goes right to the heart of what we do. It could transform how families with low incomes meet their basic needs and access pathways out of poverty. It also has the potential to truly advance economic security and opportunity for every Mainer by helping to address economic inequities caused by systemic racism and sexism.
We all deserve to be the authors of our own lives. Our destiny should not be determined by our race, gender, or class. Instead of dictating how, where and on what terms individuals can build their lives, unrestricted income offers dignity, self-determination, and trust.
People in Maine are struggling. Making ends meet was hard before the pandemic and now, jobs and incomes have been upended. Families are living on the edge of losing their homes or their health care, and having difficulty putting food on the table. Some existing programs have responded to help meet peoples’ needs. But it is clear that we need big solutions to address the big problem of income inequality that COVID-19 has laid bare. As a state and as a country, we need to rebuild an economy and a society where everyone has a fair chance to take part and succeed.
Fairness and equality are core American principles. That’s why the ‘new normal’ we return to when the Coronavirus is over should not leave anyone behind.
More equity means we make a conscious effort to meet everyone’s basic needs, whether we’re black, brown, or white, new to Maine or have family members going back generations. It means more families have the incomes we need to build a future and raise a generation of children who are healthy, resilient, and have a fair shot at making their way in Maine’s workplaces and communities.
In response to COVID-19, the federal government got some income support to people in the form of $1,200 stimulus payments. Tens of thousands of Mainers have also received an extra $600 in federal unemployment insurance (PUC) each week. Extra support during COVID-19 has made a difference but it’s temporary, and we have heard from many who are still struggling. We believe that getting more income to people should be a long-lasting policy solution, not just an emergency measure to help address the COVID-19 crisis. Families need more income.
Basic income, or guaranteed income, is the idea that the government could make sure everyone has the essentials to live by giving people cash to spend on what they decide they need, like food, housing, health care, education, car repairs, clothes for their kids. People in poverty say, and a growing body of research affirms, that cash is the most direct and effective way to provide financial stability to those who most need it.
To work best, this support must be unconditional, meaning families receive the money without having to jump through hoops, and unrestricted, meaning there are no requirements on how families use their money. Experiments with basic income show it improves people’s wellbeing and helps with finding work. Providing cash payments to people is also an effective way of stimulating the economy.
While basic or guaranteed income has been talked about for a long time, the Coronavirus has turned up the volume on the conversation. We can seize this moment to shrink income inequality to inspire real, lasting change that is long overdue.
Our COVID-19 Stimulus Check resource page has a guide and videos to help. We also have help for Mainers who have questions about getting unemployment insurance.
If you can't find an answer to your question, you can also contact us for support.
Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and higher education and training. Maine Equal Justice is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 04-3346273.
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Augusta ME 04330 (Map)
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FAX: 207-621-8148
