Upcoming & Most Recent Programs

Mainers Pay the Price for Expensive Health Care - Pending Release Sept 28, 2026

This program is an interview of Andy O'Brien who is the Communication Director of the Maine AFL-CIO.  He has recently written a substack and a shorter piece which appeared recently in the Maine Beacon - "Hospital lobbyist thanks Collins while Mainers pay the price for expensive health care" which pointed out that Senator Collins has repeatedly supported deep cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, voting to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act and blocking efforts to lower drug prices including a $35 insulin cap.  Andy pointed out that Senator Collins wants us to believe that she is uniquely responsible for bringing home every federal dollar to Maine, but every Senator brings home federal money because that's their job and that Maine's entire Congressional delegation plays a role in securing federal money for various projects.  Andy also talked  about how she used her power to cut more funding to Maine than she is bringing in.  She had the power to stop Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill (OBB) but didn't.  She voted for the bill when it mattered and took a symbolic vote against it when her vote wasn't needed.  Senator Collins and her allies frequently tout her support for the Rural Health Transformation program which is projected to provide  $950 million for Maine,  but it is far short of the $2.7 billion needed  to offset the impact of the OBB cuts.    This same bill cuts $1.1 billion over 10 years from food assistance programs which help struggling families, people with disabilities, veterans and other Mainers who have fallen on hard times. The OBB also has put $5.3 billion in planned Maine clean energy investments at risk.

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Amtrak's New Portland Station - Sept 21, 2026

The program is an interview with Peter Cole,  the President of the Maine Rail Group and Bruce Sleeper,  the President of TrainRiders Northeast.  The interview first focused on good news regarding the Amtrak Downeaster Service from North Station, Boston to Brunswick, Maine.   The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority has recently been awarded a $48 million grant to construct a new passenger rail station on St. John Street, between Northern Light Mercy Hospital and the Fore River Parkway.  Relocation of the Downeaster Station from Thompson's Point to CSX's mainline will eliminate the 15 minute backup maneuver needed to get to and from the existing station on Thompson's Point. The new station site is further down on St. John St  from  the original historic station that was torn down in 1961 and is  within walking distance to the Maine Medical Center and Northern Light Mercy Hospital.  There will also be access to convenient public transportation to downtown Portland. Other good news mentioned included the 8.3 miles of double tracking on a portion of the rail line between Andover and Reading in Massachusetts, and $1.06 billion grant award to replace the 1930 "Draw One" Charles River Bridge to North Station in Boston.  Our guests also talked about the ongoing effort to expand passenger rail service to Bangor and are hopeful that with the election of a new Maine governor some progress can be made regarding this matter.

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Social Housing Programs  - September 14, 2026

This program is an interview with two members of the Social Housing Task Force which recently released its Final Report and Recommendations to the Portland City Council regarding the creation of an ongoing Social Housing Program, a dedicated Social Housing revolving fund and begin implementation through two initial pilot programs.  Kate Sykes who is a Portland City Councilor who chairs the task force talked about two different housing problems.  The existing housing system is not producing enough houses to meet regional needs nor is it producing homes that many working and middle-income households can afford. Both Kate as well as Catherine Buxton who is a member of the task force talked about the key principles behind social housing and how it is different from traditional Federally supported public housing.  It would be permanently affordable, mixed income rental housing owned by the City of Portland. It's intended to address the persistent gap in Portland's housing production. It would provide housing for workforce and middle-income households who are not consistently served by existing subsidized housing programs, and would retain the public value created through city investment.  They also talked about two pilot models that the committee is considering and the next steps that the City Council will need to take which will include accepting the Final Report, endorsing the Social Housing Program and its core principles and adopting a resolution initiating implementation.

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Our Power vs Maine Public Utility Commission - September 7, 2026

The program is an interview of Seth Berry, the Executive Director of Our Power who is an intervenor  in the utility  rate case which is currently before the Maine Public Utility Commission.  Seth Berry, who is  a leading critic of Central Maine Power, talked about why his organization is opposed to its request  to raise electric utility rates and the impact it would have if  the Commission  grants its request.   He pointed out the utility last year earned 5.88% return on its equity investment which includes the amount of money that a utility can earn on approved grid assets including poles, wires, substations and transformers.  The new request to raise the rate of return on equity would provide an additional $189 million in profits.  The proposal, if granted, would amount to an increase of about $18 on the distribution portion of a household's monthly bill.  If approved, the typical customer's bill would rise by about $216 more per year.  The new rates would go into effect in May 2027.  The Commission's decision will determine both the price customers will ultimately  pay for grid-improvement work and the amount of profit that CMP can earn.

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