A few tips for the hard times

Our country has been bankrupted by wars, corporate and political corruption, and tax breaks for the rich. Times are getting harder and harder. We know all this. What can we do to survive?

Money can be raised to help Maine people by:

. Eliminating corporate subsidies, tax breaks and Pine Tree Zones. Corporations complain, but they pay fewer taxes than they did 25 years ago. This would give us hundreds of millions every year.

. Saying “yes” to new taxes if they benefit Maine’s people. Tax luxury boats, expensive cars, jewelry, furs and personal incomes over $500,000; no taxes should be taken from personal incomes below $25,000.

. Eliminating the Chancellor’s Office of the University of Maine System, saving about $10 million to $15 million a year.

. Building community gardens and driving able-bodied people on welfare and their children to the gardens regularly to grow their own food, saving us money and teaching self-reliance.

. No tax rebates because they do not help the neediest. In order to qualify for a tax rebate, one must make enough money to pay taxes. Many Mainers do not. Instead, the state should allocate grants so that every adult in Maine has at least $1,000 a month to live on.

. Social Security tax stops being taken out of people’s paychecks after they’ve grossed $102,000 in any given year. I propose Maine start taking the same amount at that point, then start again after the $102,000 mark is reached each year. No one making that kind of money will even notice.

. Eliminate the Pesticide Control Board from the Department of Agriculture and move it to the Department of Environmental Protection’s hazardous chemicals division, saving $2 million to $3 million a year.

. Encourage people to share their homes, and give willing homeowners grants to make a separate apartment, either to save fuel in winter or year-round. The state could lease large homes so several women on welfare and their children could live together. Single moms can then share food costs, household chores, and get jobs because they share child care.

. The state must set the example on energy conservation by turning off room lights in all state buildings during daylight hours, letting the sun provide natural light; encouraging agencies to set thermostats at no more than 62 degrees in winter and 78 in summer; turning out streetlights nearly everywhere – this alone would save huge amounts of energy and money throughout Maine. The state should not encourage more methane burners as at the Pine Tree Landfill in Hampden, since methane is a key greenhouse gas. And it should not encourage the importation of LNG on the beautiful Down East Coast, since burning LNG also leads to global warming. Maine should get out of the New England power pool so we’re not paying for energy facilities to run the wasteful cities to our south.

. Any new prison should be a large, organic farm so inmates can grow their own food and be taught useful life skills.

. The state should purchase all the oil for Maine using the state’s buying power, then pass those savings to oil dealers, who will pass the savings on to customers.

. The state should buy efficient wood stoves and sell them at cost to low-income people who need them, along with a safety course. Everyone should have backup for when the power goes out.

. “Economic development” (read “I want to make money from this”) people bemoan the fact that Maine has many older and retired people. This should be cause for rejoicing. Older people spend locally, are involved in virtually no crime or drug dealing, have no small children to raise our school taxes, have low accident rates, and are good citizens. Maine should encourage people to retire here.

. On health care, let’s pool our money and self-insure. These groups already have health care: Social Security and disability recipients (about 35 percent of Maine people), prisoners, members of the military and state employees, the Legislature, the governor, American Indian tribes, and some fortunate corporate employees who haven’t had their health care packages shredded yet. This means there can’t be too many left uninsured.

. Stop allowing out-of-state garbage into Maine (millions of tons every day). Compost food waste, recycle everything possible, take buildings apart carefully so still-good materials can be reused. This will save tipping fees and help keep our woods and waters clean.

. Banks should be leaned on to provide low-interest rates to lower-income people struggling to pay their mortgages. This is an important task for the governor.

. In order to create real change, we need to have real democracy where we, the people, make the decisions that affect our lives. This country has been disgraced by the actions of a few in the eyes of the world. We here in Maine can help restore the respect of the world by our good deeds.

. Do right, and risk consequences.

Nancy Oden of Jonesboro is an environmental and political activist. She can be reached at cleanearth@acadia.net. Her Web site is www.cleanearth.net.