Friday, February 21, 2025
LWV-Downeast
We want to talk about private equity, what is it? Does private equity contribute to wealth and income inequality, erode confidence in shared services and institutions, and undermine faith in capitalism and democracy? Does it always work that way? Has private equity come to Maine? How can Maine protect its people from the worst outcomes?
Special Guests:
- Brendan Ballou, former federal prosecutor and Special Counsel for Private Equity at the U.S. Department of Justice, author of the book, Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America.
- Hon. Traci Gere, Maine State Representative, (D-Kennebunkport), Housing and Economic Development Committee (Chair).
- Chris Noble, Policy Director, Private Equity Stakeholder Project,
- Pat Schwebler is Co-Director of the Cooperative Development Institute's New England Resident-Owned Communities (NEROC) Program. Her background is in real estate, finance, nonprofits, and business management.
Learn more:
- Maine - Private Equity State Risk Index (2018-2022), Private Equity Stakeholder Project
- Private equity’s appetite for hospitals may put patients at risk | Harvard, December, 2024
- Residents of a Mobile Home Park Join Forces to Buy Their Community | The New York Times, October, 2024
- Rents skyrocketed after out-of-state investors bought Maine mobile home parks | Bangor Daily News, March 2024
- The US Treasury Department announces intention to extend anti-money laundering rules to private equity and venture capital funds | Dentons, March 2024
- Investors are snapping up 1 in 5 Maine homes | Bangor Daily News, October, 2023
- Book Review: ‘Plunder,’ by Brendan Ballou; ‘These Are the Plunderers,’ by Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner | The New York Times, July, 2023
- Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink | KOVNO COMMUNICATIONS
- Understanding the 9 Types of Private Equity Funds | Visible, December, 2021
- Century-old Maine fuel company’s sale follows trend of private equity interest in oil | Bangor Daily News, October, 2021
- Do Private Equity Buyouts Get a Bad Rap? | Working Knowledge, January, 2020
Tune into the broadcast at 4:00 p.m., Friday, February 21, on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, streaming at weru.org. If you miss the broadcast, check back here for the audio archive. Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes | iOS | Android | RSS | Feed | Instructions.