PORTLAND, Maine — An organization launched by activists including U2 singer Bono to fight poverty and disease around the world is taking an interest in the U.S. Senate race in Maine.
The ONE Campaign kicks off its ONE Vote 2012 on Tuesday with an event at the Maine Historical Society.
Mike Salamon, East Coast field organizer, said the nonpartisan organization with more than 8,100 members in Maine, is reaching out to Democrat Cynthia Dill, Republican Charlie Summers and independent Angus King.
He says One Vote 2012 is targeting Maine because of the soon-to-be empty Senate seat. He says the organization doesn’t endorse candidates but wants to educate them about the foreign policy importance of fighting extreme poverty and preventable diseases in Third World countries.
This is a group barking up the wrong tree. The voters in Maine don’t care about extreme poverty or preventable diseases in other countries, at least other than the occasional news snippet on television. Americans certainly don’t want any tax money spent on those people.
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I don’t think we know what poverty is. Maine’s per capita personal income is about $38,000 compared to the $42,000 for the USA in general. Hungary, which doesn’t seem to be a particularly poor nation, has a per capita income of about $17,000. Algeria (probably getting closer to poverty here) has a per capita income of about $6000. Bangladesh is under $2000.
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Frankly these folks are full of smelly stuff. I care about family, friends & neighbors, in that order. My reach extends to the borders of my town. What happens in other countries is the problem of the citizens of those countries.
I favor my tax dollars staying close to home. I will vote accordingly.