Thomas McLaughlin's column on income inequality published by Press Herald

The Nov.19, 2012 Portland Press Herald published a column by Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, Ph.D., UNE associate professor and co-director for the Social Work Center for Research and Evaluation, who wrote on the issue of the long-term aspects of income inequality in Maine and the nation.

McLaughlin concludes his column: "It is time that we, as a state, engage in open and frank discussions surrounding the long-term impact of what has happened and what the larger implications to our state and our nation are as we continue this trend.

"The debate should be free and open and include all aspects of the issue, from individual income and the concepts of 'how much is enough' to how we fund social service and social welfare programs for those 'who don't have enough.' In the end, we will not agree that we have become unequal, but we will begin the process of discussing our inequality and its longer-term impacts on all of our citizens." Read the column.

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