Action Wednesday, August 13th – Oppose the Nomination of EJ Antoni for Commissioner of Labor Statistics 

Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! 

Here is today’s Call to Action from Mid Maine Indivisible. Also, remember our weekly vigils here in the Bangor area! We have the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor, the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil(canceled for this week), followed by the Thursday Weekly Vigil at the Bangor City Hall with a NEW TIME at 5:00 pm! This is a new vigil and we need more participants!

***Note – Today’s Wednesday vigil in Orono is canceled this week!***

Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed! Weekly meetings on Zoom and monthly in-person.  Click here to sign up to join us!

Seats are filling up fast! Join U.S. Senate Candidate Jordan Wood for a community conversation in Bangor. Bring questions and engage directly with Jordan! Event will be on TOMORROW, August 14th in Bangor.  Click here for more info and to sign up!

The Mi’kmaq Nation’s Annual Mawiomi of Tribes is happening this coming weekend!!  August 15-17 in Caribou!  Click here for more information!

We’re having a Postcard Party! Thursday, August 21, at Food AND Medicine• 20 Ivers Street, Brewer, ME 04412, from 5:30 – 7:30. Details and sign up here!

The AFL-CIO Bus Tour Stops in Brewer! Tuesday, August 26, 2025•11:00 AM at the Eastern Maine Labor Council• 20 Ivers Street, Brewer, ME 04412.  Click here for more details!

Indivisible Bangor “Workers Over Billionaires Rally”
Labor Day, September 1, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in downtown Bangor!  Final details and sign up site coming! 

Later on Labor Day, the Eastern Maine Labor Council AFL-CIO & Food AND Medicine’s 22nd Annual Labor Day Celebration at 4:00 pm.  Click here for more details. Or just RSVP HERE!

We have another easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangor and tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here! Thank you!

And please check out the latest Action from Hancock County Democrats, Action 157. “Do something Sept. 1.” Past actions are listed here.

Lastly, our friends at the Bold Coast Civic Alliance have drawn up a super handy list of items we can address (7/31). Check it out here!

Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor

~~

Hi Folks, it’s hump day here in Vacationland!

Trump didn’t like the data coming out of the Labor Department last week, so he fired the Commissioner of Labor Statistics. He says the figures were rigged.  We know whose ship this is and who is doing the rigging. He now is nominating EJ Antoni of the Heritage Foundation to be Commissioner of Labor Statistics. We need to oppose this nomination as he is an ideologue and will be Trump’s Toady. Details below.

Texas Dems are in New York, Illinois and elsewhere and  are calling for national demonstration on  Saturday to bring light to the Texas attempt to steal the 2026 mid terms by gerrymandering 5 new Republican Districts.  Look for an event near you or create one!

  From Last Week:

Taking art and action to the Streets. Indivisible Cumberland County has created posters which can be put up on telephone poles – “Healthcare Shouldn’t Bankrupt Us” “Child Care Must be Affordable” “We Need Homes Not Palaces”. You can create your own – such as a favorite sign spotted recently: “Fight Truth Decay”, and “All Are Welcome Here”  If we can put lost cats and dogs on telephone polls we can also put up messages – everywhere.

Contact Karen if you would like to join this effort.

Note:  I have been alerted that overtly political messages could be deemed illegal as the poles belong to CMP, so think carefully about the message before you plaster!

TODAY’S ACTION (s)

  • Call Senators King and Collins and ask them to oppose the nomination of EJ Antoni for Commissioner of Labor Statistics:  Why? This position is supposed to be non-partisan so economists can base their plans for the economy on it. EJ has made it clear he is a Trump loyalist, and will slant the figures he uses to show that Trump and Co. are doing a great job. The Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, John Larsen has opposed this nomination. Our Senators should do the same. This action is direct from the authoritarian leader’s playbook – don’t like the stats? suppress them or manufacture better sounding ones. To learn more about Antoni go here.
  • Find or create an event this Saturday, August 16th to support the Texas Democrats who have left the State:  They are doing this to save our Democracy, and not allow the State of Texas to help Republicans steal the 2026 election.  Register your event here.
  • Set up a meeting with one member of our Congressional Delegation: I know it feels like it’s futile with some of them, but you never know where the tipping point is on any of these issues.Here are some of the guidelines that Indivisible Mid Maine uses for our meetings, and here is a list of some meetings we have organized and topics covered. Please contact Bonnie if you are interested in hearing more. 
  • Get a poster campaign going in your neighborhood – there are telephone poles everywhere:  Indivisible Cumberland County has some great ones you can use – click here – this will lead you to an email you can send to Jennifer Morris. Contact Karen for the Mid Maine Poster Campaign.Design your own signs and/or get an artist to design some for you. Remember poles belong to CMP and overtly political statements may be subject to legal action, however they seem to be ok with lost cats and dogs.
  • Statewide Actions This Week:
  • Meet Senate Candidate Jordan Wood in Bangor, Thursday August 14th,  sign up here.
  • Call the Maine Turnpike Authority to say NO to Chick-Fil-A as a vendor.
  • Start a Poster Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine or elsewhere!
  • Indivisible Cumberland is ramping up their activities – they want ideas for action – take their survey here.
  • Stand Up for Palestinan Rights:  For events going on around the state in support of the Palestinian people go to Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights here.
  • If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine,  ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public. 
  • Indivisible Actions – Register HereFor the One Million Rising action – register here  and watch the first session here. Watch the second session here.  Consider hosting a Community Resistance meeting using Indivisible outline and guidelines.
  • Keep your calendar open for Labor Day Mass Action September 1st!

Angus King             
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find Your State Senator: Here

Find your State Representative: 
By nameHere
By district: Here

LOCAL ACTIONS: Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here

Are you interested in helping New Mainers learn/improve their English? CANMP has a volunteer update you can join here on Tuesday August 12th, 6 – 7 pm at Bricks Coworking in Waterville.  To sign up for English tutoring or any of our other volunteer opportunities, please visit: Capital Area New Mainers Project (CANMP) to fill out a volunteer interest survey. An English Learning option at the Waterville library at 1:00 on Mondays is also an option for volunteers. Contact CANMP for the details.

Wednesday, August 13th: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville, Maine. Corner of Main and Chaplin St. Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, GRR! demonstrates every Wednesday across from Resolve, the local anti-abortion center. Please join us in assuring all Mainers have access to safe, legal, shame-free reproductive health care including abortions and contraceptive care. For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at recordconnection@gmail.com

Thursday, August 14th: 4 – 5 pm, Fairfield/Benton Bridge,  Stop the Coup + Save Democracy. 

First Saturday of each Month at 2:30: Somerset Stands Up Rallies-Margaret Chase Smith Bridge, downtown Skowhegan. Bring your signs, American flags, your voice, your friends, families and neighbors for this peaceful gathering of concerned residents of Somerset County. Next one is September 6th, 2:30

Saturday August 16th at North Street Playground, Waterville 12 – 2:00 – Waterville Democrats Summer BBQ, there is the possibility that Jordan Wood (candidate for Senate) and Troy Jackson (candidate for governor) will be there as well as local Democrat Representatives. A great opportunity to ask them questions and support the local Dems! See the poster below!

Sunday, August 17th: at 1:00 (and every Sunday): Stand with us against Trump/Stephen Miller; For Peace in the Middle East, For Ukraine, Stop the War in Iran, etc. on the Bridge by CVS in Waterville.

Tuesday, August 19th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday)  Stand against Tesla/Musk and the rising authoritarian state: around the Tesla Charging Station Elm Plaza on Main Street, Waterville. 

Monday, September 1st: 10 to 12:00 noon:  Indivisible Mid Maine is planning a short march and rally in Watervillewith speakers, music and snacks. We have several speakers lined up, including Jon Godbout (CANMP), Jesse Hargrove (Maine Ed Assoc), and Andy O’Brien (Maine AFL-CIO). We are hoping to help CANMP with donations from folks at the rally who can afford to give.

MORE ACTIONS

*If you haven’t yet, write your letter to Governor Mills thanking her for her stand against Trump, and asking her to run against Collins. SHE HAS NOT YET RULED THIS OUT! Hand written if possible.  Mail to: State House Station 1, Augusta, Maine, 04333. 

*If you would like to join Maine People’s Alliance Federal Lobby Group, please contact Jim Parakilas at jamesparakilas@gmail.com. We meet Mondays at 2 pm. Consider joining the MPA for trainings in June and July on resistance strategy, lobbying, and other areas. Contact Jim on this.

With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere! 

As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

-Mid Maine Indivisible

“Seven habits that help produce the anything-but-efficient markets that rule the world. 

1. Think short term. 

2. Be greedy. 

3. Believe in the greater fool 

4. Run with the herd. 

5. Overgeneralize 

6. Be trendy 

7. Play with other people’s money” ~ Paul Krugman (Nobel Prize Winning Economist)


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