Maine Working Group

We are Maine Elders committed to building a network of our peers to mobilize our time, resources, and life skills to prevent the destruction of our democracy and our climate.

Here in Maine winters are shorter and milder. The summer’s longer and hotter. The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99 percent of the world’s oceans. Our State slogan, Maine: the Way Life Should Be, no longer comforts us for we fear for the future of our saltmarshes and forests, our celebrated fishing industry, the moose and the butterflies, our children and grandchildren. Everything is at risk.

We Mainers have a state government we trust by and large, but on a national level we see politicians married to the demands of their Big Money donors and a democracy whose very existence is threatened.

Living at a time when we face the dual threat of the demise of democracy and the planet’s life support systems is both frightening and exhausting. We can choose to ignore it and leave these threats to the next generation, or we can see this moment in time as an extraordinary opportunity to influence the future not only of life here in Maine, but of life on the planet for thousands of years to come.

We Elders at Third Act Maine choose not to turn away, because we know that action paired with connection to others is the antidote to despair. The fact is that people over sixty hold 70% of the nation’s personal wealth, and we vote in higher numbers than any other age group. There still exists a powerful way to make our voices heard: teaming up with seniors across the country to stop the flow of dollars to Big Oil, and to make American elections free and fair. Please join us!

We aim to be an inclusive collection of Elders and welcome others of diverse races, ethnicities, cultures, faith traditions, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, and communities. We are committed to the Working Principles [link] of Third Act.

 

 

Defund Fossil Fuels

Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America are playing a key role in propping up the oil and gas industry that is polluting our atmosphere. We Maine Elders don’t want our money to be used to bankroll climate destruction. By signing the pledge (add hyperlink) we commit to cutting up our credit cards and closing our accounts at these banks, if they are still funding climate-destroying fossil fuel projects at the end of 2022. If we don’t bank at these institutions now, we pledge not to do so in the future. We can do something real to protect a livable planet!

1. We are not asking you to close any accounts now. Signing the pledge is enough to do for now! It means we are putting the dirty banks (Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, which have lent the fossil fuel industry a trillion dollars since the Paris Climate accords) on notice that we may close our accounts if the banks don’t agree to stop financing fossil fuels. The key is acting together. If we just cut up our credit card this afternoon or switch our bank account tomorrow, it will be a noble gesture—but one that’s likely to go unnoticed. We need to be acting in larger numbers. That’s why we’re going to spend this year organizing, leading up to a moment at the end of 2022 when banks can decide whether or not to go along with our requests. If they don’t, then together we take action—and we double our efforts for next year. A “National Cut Up Your Credit Card Day” will likely be in Spring, 2023. We need lots of organizations and lots of people all coordinating together to make the biggest impact!
2. We are asking you to consider opening a new bank account and/or credit card this year at somewhere other than the dirty banks. Opening a new checking or savings account generally is free and does not cost anything. There could be a minimum balance requirement, but there are many better banks with no minimum account balance requirements. You can start to try out the new account well before ever closing the old one. You could put a very minimal amount of money there.
3. For a credit card, you could open a new account without closing your old credit card. There are many credit cards offered by better banks and credit unions that do not have annual fees, still provide perks like cash back and no foreign transaction fees, etc. And opening one well in advance of closing an old one can help alleviate your concerns.

Note: The banks and credit card companies that you switch to are not going to be fault-free. Doubtless there’s not a financial institution on earth that isn’t financing something dodgy or grim. But this is the first step in a long journey of going green. As the end of the year approaches, Third Act will have resources dedicated to learning about your options and making the switch easier, so stay tuned here [add hyperlink to website] for updates.

We are not asking you to switch your mortgage or retirement and investment accounts or pension funds. There are separate campaigns on those topics to pressure those companies to change, as well. And there are certainly “green” investment choices that you can make on your own.

In the months ahead, Third Act will be offering a speaker series with certified “green” financial planners where you can ask questions and get advice about banks, credit cards, as well as retirement and investment and other options. Check back here [add hyperlink to website] for the dates and information you’ll need to learn more.

Beyond the pledge, we at Third Act Maine will be taking bold actions to put further pressure on banks to quit investing in fossil fuels. We’ll align our actions with youth and other groups for added impact. We’re committed to working within our own Maine communities to implement Third Act’s goals and campaigns in a way that is meaningful to Maine Elders because absolutely everyone has a role to play, all the way through their lives.

Protecting Democracy

We are Maine Elders who recall the significant progress made towards advancing reproductive rights, voting rights, racial and marriage equality as well as towards ensuring clean air and safe water. It was uneven progress, and imperfect—we are still a long way from racial and economic justice—but the arc was bending in the right direction.

Alarmingly, the vision of a free and diverse citizenry has stoked a backlash from those for whom such progress is intolerable and who would prefer to install an authoritarian, anti-democratic regime at every level. This country is now facing deliberate plans, through voter suppression, gerrymandering, and manipulation of election results, to create a permanent right-wing “majority” impervious to popular election

At Third Act Maine we aim to firmly oppose those plans. We intend to work with Third Act National to support alliances to stop the anti-democratic schemes that are afoot. We know that broad reforms must be pursued, but our immediate goal is to oppose voter suppression both in Maine and in battleground states throughout the country. Join us! There is much to do and you are needed!