Greater Portland Chapter

Chapter Update

During the 2008 election, the MPA Campaign Vote PAC committee in Portland, led by chapter leader John Bernard, reviewed more candidate questionnaires and interviewed more candidates than ever before in MPA’s history. More than 100 local candidates were vetted for their views on a wide range of progressive issues.

Chapter members also put in a ton of work to get out the vote, especially among underrepresented groups, and made more than 2000 turnout calls from the Portland offices in the last two days before the election.

Chapter members will be representing MPA at regional and national policy conferences, including the Center for Community Change Regional Planning Meeting in Connecticut this fall, at the CCC Realizing the Promise Forum in DC this December, and this spring at the FIRM summit in DC. Local members will also be making independent lobbying visits with CCC to meet with Maine's Congressional Delegation in DC!

At the state level, Portland area members have been very active on the issue of health care, attending and testifying at public hearings for a state single payer bill and for two bills to increase transparency in our health care system. Members have also worked on other state issues, such as the green housing bond, a bill to track and prevent racial profiling, and legislation to allow new immigrants to vote in local elections.

Members also hosted a string of local meetings with their legislators to discuss these and other important state issues.

Chapter leaders were very visible at the public hearing for the freedom to marry bill, and helped sign-in hundreds of attendees.

The recent Portland Dinner was a huge success, with more than 275 attendees and incredible speeches from awardees including local volunteer Jacquie Murphy, Betsy Smith of Equality Maine, Rep. Tim Driscoll and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. Our keynote speaker/singer, Noel Paul Stookey brought down the house.

A small but dedicated core of office volunteers have kept the Portland office running like a well-oiled machine.

New volunteers are joining us every meeting! Join us at our Chapter Meetings, the first Wednesday of every month at 6:00 at 565 Congress Street, Suite 200, in Portland. Or call Ali at 797-0967 to find out how you can get involved!

Maine People’s Alliance—Organizing for a Better Maine!

565 Congress St., Suite 200, Portland, Maine 04101; (207) 797-0967; mpa@mainepeoplesalliance.org
27 State Street, Suite 44, Bangor, Maine 04401; (207) 990-0672; jesse@mainepeoples alliance.org
145 Lisbon Street, Suite 200, Lewiston, Maine 04240; (207) 782-7876; kate@mainepeoplesalliance.org