More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth
Ask Governor Mills to let LD 1971 , an act which forbids Maine Law Enforcement and other public offices from doing the work of ICE, go into law. (She can no longer sign it, but she can veto it.) Go here to email or call her at (207) 287-3531. Remember in Nazi Germany, and in many other fascist government take-overs, action starts with scapegoating a perceived “outside” group of people such as Immigrants, Jews, Roma, Buddhists, etc. For more holding ICE accountable actions, go to the More Actions section below.
Ask our Senators and Congressional Representatives to demand a resignation or begin impeachment proceedings for Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense. He is now guilty of war crimes due to his ordering the killing of wounded combatants on a boat blown up twice in September by US drones. Both King and Collins voted AGAINST his nomination in the first place. For more information on this go here. They should demand his immediate resignation NOW.
While you are at it, Ask Representatives Pingree and Golden to support the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act bill presented by Seth Moulton and others. (This war on Venezuela is about OIL – Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, and it is a distraction from the…..EPSTEIN FILES)
On last Tuesday, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), along with Reps. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07), announced the introduction of new legislation, called the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act, at a press conference by the House steps.
The No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act prohibits the executive branch from spending any federal funds on the use of military inside Venezuela or against Venezuelan forces, including remote or intermittent strikes, unless Congress passes a specific Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).
Congressman Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who served four tours in Iraq, emphasized that the legislation is urgently needed in light of recent developments. For a live stream broadcast of his press conference go here.
Holding ICE accountable: Home Depot Actions – For more Anti-Ice activities go to: Ice Out of Home Depot to sign a petition sent to Home Depot headquarters, personalize this letter to Home Depot Execs and send it to them, and publicly comment on Home Depot’s social media posts with these demands: Publicly condemn ICE raids, Stop cooperating with ICE – close stores and parking lots to agents, Protect workers and customers from attacks, Help detained victims and support their families, Release security video and other footage of enforcement actions at Home Depot stores. (Thanks to Mid Maine Indivisible for this info.)
Last week Trump posted execution threats towards Democratic lawmakers who are all former military/CIA who posted a video asking troops not to obey illegal orders: Ask Pingree and Golden to join the effort begun yesterday by Representative Al Greene to begin Trump impeachment hearings. There is no walking this threat of violence back. Go here for a script for your call.
Mutual Aid
ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.” Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.
Arts and Politics!
Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page. According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds. Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month.
GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS (just pick one!)
- Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here.
- Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
- Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to let LD 1971 become law, by not signing and not vetoing it: Go here to make a comment on this on her website. (She can’t sign the bill anymore, but can veto it.)
- Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
- From Linda: I testified in support of LD 99 in 2020 and was thrilled that it was passed into law. LD 99 requires MainePERS to divest from all fossil fuel investments. The MainePERS Board was given until December 31, 2025, to comply with this law and has made almost no forward motion. If you would like to sign our petition in support of divesting, it would be appreciated.
- From Topsham Representative Rafael Macias: Rafael is sponsoring LD 1383 in this coming legislature starting in January to require PERS to divest from all war related industries. More information on this below in the StateWide Action section.
- Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.
Statewide Actions
- More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
- The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rights is launching a statewide campaign in support of LD 1383, a bill to end our local complicity in all genocides and the persecution and detention of our neighbors by keeping our state’s investments aligned with our values. Time is short: to secure its passage, the bill must be brought to the floor in January.
You can learn all about our campaign in this one page toolkit with easy links to background info on LD 1383 and where folks can write their own letters to reps in just minutes.
Please write a letter to your state legislative representatives - Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat. Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here. Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
- Check out the No Kings Alliance page for weekly updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
- Check out Graham Platner’s Online Town Hall Mon, Dec 8 @ 5pm to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
- The Maine Library Commission has delayed a vote taken recently to require small public libraries throughout rural Maine to hire a lead librarian, and stay open a specific number of hours weekly. Libraries that do not conform to the rule would not be eligible for inter-library loans or the digital lending services the state provides. No funds were offered to small libraries to meet this new rule. This ruling, if enacted would affect libraries all over the state, and force closings and restrict services. Please email Brian Cundick, Chair of the Commission, at bryce.cundick@maine.edu, to let him know you oppose this ruling and why. For more details on this situation and what libraries would be affected go to the Maine Monitor’s article on this issue. We should not be making it harder for small, rural, all volunteer libraries to operate in Maine. Knowledge is power. (Thanks to Elisabeth for this lead.)
(The Library Commission, a 17-member board appointed by the Governor, is broadly representative of the state’s library community. The Commission establishes the policies and operations of the State Library, gives advice and makes recommendations on the expenditure of state and federal funds, and establishes guidelines and policies for statewide library programs.)
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. If you have items for our weekly newsletter, please email me and I will pass them on.
There is a community member who is looking to provide home cleaning services in the Waterville area for $25 an hour. Send an email with subject “Cleaning” to get in contact for scheduling! You would be providing income for a local mother with an infant son to care for.
Are you interested in helping New Mainers learn/improve their English? 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. You can also Donate to the Capitol Area New Mainers Project’s rapid response fund. CANMP is actively helping those affected by ICE abductions, both with legal funding and other financial support for family members.
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and partners are organizing an ICE watch Hotline in Maine. They need volunteer hotline operators to answer phones from Mainers concerned about ICE sitings. They are looking for folks fluent in one or more of the following: Spanish, French and Portugese. 207-544-9989Tuesday, December 9th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) New Location at the corner of Main Street and Waterville Commons Drive Stand with us to Boycott Home Depot as well as support local businesses this shopping season. Check out Ice Out of Home Depot for what our demands are. We will be holding our vigil there for the month of December. See attachment below.
Wednesday, December 10th: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville, 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, December 4th, Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm: stop the coup, support Democracy, Notice the new time on this one!
First Saturday of Each Month: Somerset Stands Up Rallies 2:30–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.
Sunday, November 23d : 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 WatervilleSOLIDARITY
*Consider supporting Graham Platner. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. Volunteer here. Platner will be coming to a town near you; check out his schedule on his website or above, and then make your decision!
Mills is a good alternative to support if she wins the primary in June. We must oust Collins!
*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 on Zoom.
* Consider hanging the “Republicans raised your health care costs by $1300” on walls and bulletin boards. For more info go here.
With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
Emanuel
ps. Please let me know if you don’t wish to get these Action Alerts, and please feel free to pass all or parts of these alerts on to others you know. Note my email is changed to emanuel.pariser@gmail.com
In a democracy, you believe it or not; in a dictatorship, you believe it or else. — Evan Esar
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
Senator Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Senator Susan Collins
DC: (202) 224-2523
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019
Waterville: (207) 873-5713
Congressman Jared Golden
DC: (202) 225-6306
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767
Find your State Representative:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Our government in Augusta:
Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800
Questions or comments? Contact George!
