​On this Labor Day, let us reimagine a better way forward and an economic structure that benefits the many, not just the few at the top.   

With wealth and income inequality growing, the looming threat of AI radically shifting who works and who gets to work, a healthcare system that bankrupts people, a retirement system that pushes seniors into poverty, a housing environment that prices people out of homes, and food pantries stretched to the max as so many Americans struggle to make ends meet, something’s got to change. The system and structures we have in place are no longer working for the average American. People feel shut out, disheartened, and overwhelmed by the weight of just trying to live our lives the best we can. The deck feels stacked against us. 

We have a moral obligation to lift up vulnerable members of our community. Poverty isn’t acceptable in the most powerful nation on Earth. Bold leadership is required to ensure every family has an equal opportunity to earn the American Dream, which feels out of reach today. No one should go hungry. Everyone should have a roof over their heads. These are basic necessities for our shared human experience. When your baseline needs are met, without the constant worry of where your next meal is coming from or how you’re going to pay rent this month, you are more likely to become productive members of society and contribute to a higher calling. People should have a baseline income floor.

No single solution will wave a magic wand, but we must throw out the old playbook and develop innovative ways to improve our collective quality of life and secure a better future. Today I’m announcing my support, not for a specific candidate, but for a policy movement in Counties for a Guaranteed Income. I’m proud to be the first Maine elected official to join this coalition of voices to help people go from surviving to thriving. It should not be a radical concept to want the best for our friends, family, and neighbors, to have the ability to live happy, healthy, and successful lives. In fact, I believe it’s what makes us inherently human.

​We must do things differently.

York County Commissioner Justin Chenette has been named Maine County Commissioner of the Month for May 2025 in honor of his public service by Spirit of America Foundation’s Maine Chapter.
 
Justin was elected commissioner in 2022 and served a term as the Commission’s Vice Chair. As the first Millennial and openly LGBTQ+ individual ever elected to the York County Commission, Chenette led the effort to pass the first ever Pride Proclamation in the county’s history.
 
On the Commission, he played a pivotal role in historic investments for substance use recovery and first responder training by committing funds and directing the start of construction for two state-of-the-art centers using ARPA money. He also supported efforts for the county to operationalize a regional dredge to protect coastal communities.
 
“The work we do at the county level is meaningful and impactful,” says Chenette. “I share this recognition with my fellow commissioners in our efforts to ensure county level government provides real leadership on big issues like coastal erosion, homelessness, substance use recovery, and public safety.”​

​Our coastline should always demand our full attention. It’s critical that every level of government come together with solutions and actionable steps we can take to protect our homes, livelihoods, and natural resources. That’s exactly what the 6th annual Saco Bay Symposium tackled. Honored to join other government officials, scientists, and educators as a panelist for the discussion around how best Federal, state, local, and county governments can leverage our collective power to yield some good for storm mitigation, dune restoration, sand replenishment, jetty construction, and more.