MAINE
ASSOCIATION OF
INTERDEPENDENT
NEIGHBORHOODS
PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER FOR PEACE, BREAD AND JUSTICE
MAIN Update Winter 1999
Creating the Agenda: Addressing your issuesMAIN's legislative agenda s presented here was created by its members over the last three months. In October we held a day-long conference at which over 75 members were asked, "what issues are important to you?" After identifying their concerns, everyone had a chance to vote on their top ten issues. MAIN also received over 100 surveys from members who identified their top legislative priorities.
At the November MAIN meeting, members sorted through all of the issues that received the highest votes and discussed which ones could be addressed in legislation. A sub-committee then met to discuss which issues we should take on in our 1999-2000 legislative agenda. These recommendations were presented and approved at the December MAIN meeting.
While not every concern raised made it on the legislative agenda, MAIN is committed to keeping them alive. Some may end up on a future legislative agenda. Some may need action by community members -- for example, forming a tenants rights organization. Some may be worked on by other organizations -- for example, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence would take the lead on issues that affect domestic violence programs and clients. Other issues may be addressed by filing a law suit or having discussions with the Department of Human Services (DHS).
The bottom line is that, with your help, we will do our best to keep these issues -- your issues --alive.
