Activists to canvass in support of universal health care plan

PORTLAND — The Maine People’s Alliance on Thursday kicked off a door-to-door campaign to enlist support for a proposed taxpayer-financed program to provide health insurance for everyone in the state.

The activist group said its canvassers will visit homes throughout Maine to pass out postcards designed as mock ballots. The ballots offer a choice between the alliance plan for “A Healthy Maine” and the alternative, identified as “Business as Usual.”

The alliance said it expects to collect more than 40,000 ballots from now through the fall and forward them to candidates for the state Senate.

“Candidates for Maine’s Senate will get the message that if they intend to represent the citizens of Maine then they must be prepared to support a health care solution supported by their constituency.

“And that solution, a single payer, universal health insurance plan, is spelled out clearly for them on these `ballots,’ ” said Curtis Hewitt, director of the canvass effort.

At a news conference at alliance headquarters, members said Maine voters are fed up with rising health care costs and limited access to the system.

The organization offered no figures but said a state-run health care system would be less expensive than the current system that cost Maine more than $3 billion last year.