The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set newsroom policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com. Megan Michaud is vice president of programs and policy at the Maine Center for Economic Policy. As rising costs add financial pressure and the economy continues to reset from the shocks of the pandemic, all Mainers — whether they’re from Limestone, Lewiston, Presque Isle or Portland — should have what they need to overcome these challenges. Emergency relief during the initial months of the pandemic helped most families and workers survive the immediate crisis.