Reflecting on the Election

By Chris Galgay, President
Maine Education Association

My emotions about the 2009 elections are mixed but, I am relieved that this long campaign is over. MEA had formal positions opposing Questions 1, 2, and 4 and had a vital interest in the outcome of Question 3.

Fortunately, Maine voters rejected the Excise Tax Cap and TABOR II Tax Cap. If these referendums had passed, it would have further crippled the funding of public education already damaged by the cutting frenzy of the past few years.

During this campaign, MEA demonstrated what our collective action can accomplish.  Although our media campaign was a major part of our success, it was really the ground game that put us over the top and resulted in such a large margin of victory. 

Many of you talked to your colleagues about the devastating effects the passage of Questions 2 and 4 would have on our schools. You organized meetings in your buildings to spread the message and you volunteered at phone banks to call voters and explain the devastating effects these referendums would have on our students' future.

The power of a 25,000-member association working together to advocate for our common vision of "Great Public Schools for Every Maine Student" resulted in an overwhelming margin of victory. Hopefully, this will put to rest the desire of out-of-state-groups to govern Maine with ridiculous formulas. 

Locally elected delegates at MEA's 2009 Representative Assembly (RA) in May voted overwhelmingly to oppose Question 1, the referendum to overturn Maine's Marriage Equality Law.  As an association that has opposed any form of discrimination for many years, the results on Question 1 are disappointing. 

Not all of our members share this disappointment and I heard from them.  Many asked why we would weigh in on this question. They questioned why we would take a position on a matter that they believed had nothing to do with education. 

Our position was determined by RA delegates who affirmed our opposition to any form of discrimination based upon Article II of the MEA Constitution that defines "Promote and Protect Human and Civil Rights" as a primary purpose.

Those contacting me said Question 1 had nothing to do with education, and yet the entire campaign to support Question 1 was about what would, in their opinion, happen in our public schools if the veto did not pass.

Question 3, repealing the school consolidation law posed a dilemma because no one knew what would happen if it was repealed. Over the last two years MEA has worked with local associations on the merger process and learned first-hand that the law needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of all districts.  

As I sat through the 2009 legislative session, it was clear that our legislators had also heard about the problems with consolidation and wanted to take action. But, with repeal on the November ballot, they could not act on amendments without a two-thirds majority.  

MEA supported the bill suspending penalties for one year that did pass and, we will work with the legislature to find solutions to the problems. The debate on consolidation is not over.

The road ahead for financial support of public education is going to be a very difficult. To meet these challenges, MEA members must stand together and advocate for safe and properly funded public education in every town and on every college and university campus. Please do your part to build support for great public schools.