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By SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer Thursday, August 02, 2007

To help them reach their goals, the Maine Civic Engagement Project, or Maine Blueprint, announced Wednesday that it has hired Maine Democratic Party Chairman Ben Dudley to serve as its first executive director.

"This type of work suits me really well," said Dudley, 37. "There's a nonpartisan political piece and a real strong policy component that I missed when I left the Legislature last year."

Dudley will continue as party chairman until a new leader is selected Aug. 12. He begins his new job the following day.

Maine Blueprint is a collaborative of 40 progressive nonprofits and 100 individuals who began meeting nearly two years ago, said Sarah Standiford, executive director of the Maine Women's Lobby. They have now raised enough money to hire an executive director who will advance the group's profile and its goals.

Although it won't be their main goal, Maine Blueprint will offer its perspective on matters of public policy to counter the conservative Maine Heritage Policy Center in Portland, Standiford said.

"There have been strategic investments made on the right," she said. "Maine Heritage Policy Center has yielded results in the public sphere about what people believe the problems to be."

But Maine Blueprint -- with members from environmental, gay rights and civil rights groups -- will offer a different perspective, she said.

Jason Fortin, a spokesman for the policy center, said Standiford's comments show that his group is a growing political force in Maine.

"If they're forming a new organization to counter our work, it's a testament to the quality of our research and our organization," he said.

Founded in November 2002, the policy center releases regular reports on the state's taxes, health care, income and schools. The group authored the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, a measure that would have capped spending that was rejected by voters last fall, and is hosting former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush later this month at a fundraiser in South Portland.

Maine Blueprint will conduct voter research to help it achieve its goals, recruit and train candidates for office and push to advance public policy. Coalition members said they haven't yet set specific goals, but their Web site names affordable health care, a healthy environment and good wages as part of its mission.

Funding for Maine Blueprint comes from a variety of national, regional and local sources, Standiford said. Among them are the Proteus Fund, a Massachusetts foundation that "supports organizations working to advance social justice and the common good."

She also named the Beldon Fund, which gives money to support environmental groups, and in-state donors who have given the group more than $20,000 each, she said.

This year's budget is less than $600,000, Standiford said.

Standiford, who serves as the group's committee chairwoman, said the group is progressive -- which is now used instead of liberal in political circles -- and nonpartisan.

"As far as I'm concerned, there are progressive Republicans, independents, Greens and Democrats," she said. "This is beyond party."

Christopher St. John, executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said the coalition will provide training opportunities for members, such as helping them communicate effectively with the public.

Last fall, the group worked with other organizations to defeat the Taxpayer Bill of Rights citizen initiative.

"We come from a variety of perspectives and are interested in developing ways to improve the environment for policies our separate organizations are interested in," he said.

For the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the coalition provides an opportunity to work in a large group.

"It will help us think bigger and be smarter about public policy that gets developed," said Joan Welsh, deputy director of NRCM.

Also, the groups will have a way to continue to work together beyond single-issue campaigns.

"At times in the past, we would come together to work on various issues, but we haven't stayed connected," she said.

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com

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