Sunday, April 8, 2018

Maine Secedes from the Union; A Utopian Fantasy









Maine Secedes from the Union: A Utopian Fantasy
Mary-Ellen Pecci
Purdue University Global


Maine Secedes from the Union: A Utopian Fantasy

TO: The Legislature of United States of America.
FROM: The Senate Subcommittee on State Affairs: The Organized Territory of Maine
DATE: April 4, 2018
SUBJECT: Maine Secedes from the Union

Due to U.S. Government cut backs and tax exemptions the State of Maine will secede from the union and form its own socially centered government. The new state is called (OTM), Organized Territory of Maine. As a courtesy to the United States of America, herein are the guidelines voted on by the people and accepted by the newly elected governor. The newly formed governing agencies look forward to restructuring criminal justice/education, trade, immigration, and health and human services, transportation and environmental protection.  Other institutions will also be restructured. Data on these will be available in annual reports. 

The population of the State of Maine holds the oldest demographic, other than Florida, of any state in the Union per capita. The population over 50 years old is 38.7%. It also is one of the ‘whitest’ states, (Policy Academy, 2012).  Cuts in budgets to Medicaid, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services and other detrimental welfare economic institutions, and the loss of immigrant workers to an already socioeconomic stressed state have instigated the move to secede.

Criminal Justice—Department of Corrections: A sub-agency under the Department of Education
The first institution that will experience a new face will the (DOC) Department of Corrections.  It will now fall under the (DOE), Department of Education.  Prisons and jails will be turned into classrooms where students will be connected by computers to their respective classes.  There will be a focus on psychology, sociology, business administration, public administration and technology. Education through undergraduate school will be free to all citizens. The non-profit organization of (RTM), Retired Teachers of Maine, will be organizing the programing and classes for the DOC branch of the DOE.  Fund raising activities for future grants for students who will proceed in a master’s degree and/or doctorate degree program will also be a function of RTM.  We fully expect issues of drug use will slowly fade from the crime scene pallet once education has taken up space in the culture and society of those who are addicted. Support of society and peers will promote reform. Presently, in capitalistic societies there is a propensity for denial amongst theorist as to the influence of social environment as Wikstrom & Treiber (2016)  portray in this circular conclusion:
“Our findings support the assertion that the relationship between social disadvantage and crime involvement may be explained by the fact that more young people who experience childhood disadvantage at home and in their neighborhoods are likely to develop a high crime propensity and be exposed to criminogenic settings, but that these are far from inevitable outcomes of growing up disadvantaged.” 

Grants will be available for higher education. Those students that have been accurately accessed as of true criminal mind will serve their sentences in the capacity of class room instructors, correcting papers, and providing encouragement to students until they are deemed no longer a threat to society. 

Trade—Department of Economic and Business Affairs
The (DEBA) Department of Economic and Business Affairs will regulate trade.  The (OTM) will focus on building an economic base that revolves around solar power, wind power, wave power and other energy efficient businesses. The northern half of the state, old abandoned farms, are ripe for development of manufacturing and assembly of energy efficient goods. This will promote home and small business development in that part of the territory. Wright (2012) explains one way capitalism contradicts the full realization of democracy;  it allows private wealth to affect access to political power which creates workplace dictatorships. Therefore OTM will provide strong tax incentives for companies to form as an ‘employee owned’ company. Foreign trade will be a necessity both import and export. OTM negotiators will be ethical and forward thinking experts in their fields. Our nonprofit chambers of commerce will work with other nonprofits involved in educating business and international trade. One such organization is, (NEXCO.org, (n.d.).

Immigration—Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services
The (DCIS) Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services is another institution which will have a new face. It will oversee entry of those from other countries with an eye toward persons who have experience in the fields of technology of which we need their skills. OTM will continue to use the process of investigation that the U.S. has in place before accepting entry. Once accepted and working or in school for one year-- citizenship will be available with certain formalities but at little cost. The nonprofit group Legal Eagle for Change will help process documents. Children of immigrants that are born in OTM will automatically be citizens.  Children brought in when under the age of 15 will also be granted citizenship on the granting of a parents citizenship. The nonprofit organization, Scouting for Citizens, will be responsible for overseeing settlement to and in communities where specific skills are in need. The present group of DACA immigrants will be first to be accepted into OTM.

Department of Health and Human Services
The (DHHS) Department of Health and Human Services will be largely operated by nonprofits and volunteer services. Each agency under DHHS such as child protective services, elder protective services etc. will have a main office in the capital but each county will have major staffing by nonprofits where outreach will be simplified and close to those in need. The nonprofit groups overseeing clients will be staffed mostly by volunteers comprised of retired social services employees and educators assigned a specific town, city, or township. Weekly check-ins’ on clients and efficient reporting on conditions will be required by volunteer staff to the county nonprofit. The main DHHS office will be the information gatherer, statistics and analysis preparer and budget projector.

Department of Transportation
The (DOT) Department of Transportation will work closely with DCIS and DHHS to provide not only good infrastructure but also to provide “social transportation networks” that will promote emotionally healthy societal interaction as well as needed transportation for medical and life necessities. The elderly specifically are at risk of being cordoned off from society. The nonprofit “Hell on Wheels” will be responsible for grant writing and fund raising as well as trip organization. Funds will be needed for vehicles, repairs, and insurance.   Weekly bus transport to a mall, a state park, a museum are suggested. Drivers and monitors will be volunteers. 

Environmental Protection Agency
The (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency will play a major role in OTM. Gasoline mowers, leaf blowers and other gas operating landscaping equipment will be banned. Emissions control will be a priority. This type of equipment will no longer be sold. Powerful new designs in electric model landscaping equipment are now available. Incentives to purchase electric cars, SUV’s and pickup trucks will be instituted. Solar powered electric plug in stations will be on the budgetary agenda. EPA funding for grants to nonprofits will aide in educating the public and also provide grants toward technical school education. Our nonprofits will continue to work with international nonprofits such as The Ocean Conservancy, Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund.

Discussion
The International Bill of Human Rights will be the focus of government. The Constitution will be based on the United States Constitution but changes will be instituted that equate to the goals of the International Bill of Human Rights. Article I in the IBHR (1948) states all humans will act toward each other in the spirit of brotherhood. Article II forbids any kind of discrimination. Human dignity is the focus throughout. Adjustments in the new Constitution will be forthcoming. One initial change will be to the Second Amendment; only active militia in wartime can have possession of military style arms.

OTM will be a Social Democracy and as such the people will have a greater say then just provided by the voting booth. Wright (2012) offers a point regarding Capitalism; it excludes crucial decisions from public deliberation. Social justice is more than material it is the social condition. It involves equity, trust, respect, and solidarity. In order to achieve this we have to start off with a balanced society. There will be Medicare for all. (UBI) Unconditional Basic Income will be instituted. Citizens will be allotted an amount above the poverty level. There will be no other public programs of income support and no minimum wage as UBI compensates. This opens up the door for many volunteers as well as families to have the opportunity to achieve via further employment.  It removes the competition for unpaid internships and encourages worker cooperatives. Everyone will have “equal access” not just equal opportunity. ‘All access’ at all times is a guarantee where ‘opportunity’ can disappear if one fudges in the early stages. (Wright, 2012).

Conclusion

Organized Territory of Maine will mobilize and create collective social action and provide an equitable and flourishing lifestyle. We hope to beat Norway on the happiness scale. This experiment in new statehood will hopefully set an example for future states.






























References

(ACL) Administration for Community Living (2012). Policy Academy Maine State Profile. Retrieved from https://www.acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2016-11/Maine%20Epi%20Profile%20Final.pdf
NEXCO.org. Retrieved from http://www.nexco.org/about-us-2/
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Dec. 10, 1948). Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
Wikstrom, O.H. & Treiber, K. (2016). Social Disadvantage and Crime; A Criminological Puzzle. Am Behav Sci. 60(10): 1232–1259. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4962323/

Wright, E.O. (2012). Transforming Capitalism through Real Utopias.
American Sociological Review. XX(X) 1 –25. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1177/0003122412468882