Category: Call To Action

  • Action Monday, Sept. 29: “NO ON 1” Canvassing in Orono and Bangor, Troops in Portland, Oregon, Budget Showdown.

    Action Monday, Sept. 29: “NO ON 1” Canvassing in Orono and Bangor, Troops in Portland, Oregon, Budget Showdown.

    Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s call to action from us at Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible.

    New actions from Hancock Country Democrats (Action 167 – Sept. 28) and Bold Coast Civic Alliance (9/25).


    Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area! Tomorrow is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor followed by the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil.  


    Trump plans to occupy Portland, Oregon

    Donald Trump is again sending troops to an American city that he sees as “the enemy.” Using lies about crime and safety as justification, he is authorizing 200 Oregon National Guard troops to be sent to Portland, Oregon. Read more here at The Hill.

    We cannot allow his continued use of the military to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!


    We need volunteers for “No on 1”!!

    There are two canvassing opportunities in the Bangor/Brewer area coming up!!

    On Saturday, October 4, 2025 9:30 AM –  12:30 PM ET, there is a canvassing action in Orono from Webster Park. Launch event in Orono on Friday, October 3. Join us to sign up for a canvassing event and learn more about Question 1!”

    And on Sunday, October 5, 2025 1:00 PM –  4:00 PM ET, there will be one in Brewer from the Food and Medicine building. Volunteers from the Graham Platner For Senate campaign will join in on this canvass, so we’ll be sure to cover a lot of ground!

    These are in addition to the many other canvassing actions happening throughout the state! Visit Save Maine Absentee Voting for more details!

    And write a letter to the editor-there are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!


    Voting Rights Forum with Congressman Jamie Raskin

    Former Speaker of the House and candidate for Governor Hannah Pingree and Congressman Jamie Raskin, one of the nations leading constitutional law experts, invite you to a critical forum on voting rights and the forces threatening our democracy in Maine and across the country.

    Friday, October 3rd, in Portland! RSVP required to receive venue address, which will be shared a week before the event. 


    Graham Platner in Brewer Thursday, October 9th

    “We’ll be at the Eastern Maine Labor Council Hall from 6:00pm-7:00pm on. I hope you’ll come and check out this movement we’re building to defeat Susan Collins and her multi-billionaire backers. Come out, ask questions, and bring a friend or three. I’ll see you there.”


    ***Nationwide No Kings Protest!***
    ***October 18, 2025***
    ***Broadway Park, Bangor***
    Tell your friends!!!

    No Kings is a peaceful movement of millions of Americans from all walks of life rising up to make it clear: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. We never will. We’re organizing and taking action to defend each other and our communities, demand dignity, and say enough to all of the Trump administration’s power grabs.

    Millions of us took to the streets in June, and we’re doing it again on Saturday, October 18.

    The Indivisible Bangor protest will be at Broadway Park in Bangor at noon!

    Please bring non-perishables and personal care items for donations to local food cupboards.

    Click the link below for more info, especially parking info!
    And tell a friend! We want this to be even larger than June’s protest!


    Request your absentee ballot!

    Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?

    Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?

    Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!


    Hegseth shuts down advisory group for women in the military.

    From CNN: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had decided to eliminate the group, formally called the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, saying that the committee, ‘focused on advancing a divisive feminist agenda that hurts combat readiness.’”

    CNN goes on to say, “The move is the latest in a series by Hegseth that have eliminated efforts to increase the role of women in military leadership and planning.” Secretary Hegseth is on record as saying that he does not believe women should serve in combat.

    Our Independent Senator, Angus King, is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Our Congressperson from Maine’s Second District, Jared Golden, is on the House Armed Services Committee.

    Contact Sen. King and Rep. Golden and let them know that this is unacceptable.


    Volunteer on election day

    Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!


    Jimmy Kimmel

    ***UPDATE***
    Sinclair (statement) and Nexstar (statement) stations are now broadcasting “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

    Nexstar coming to Bangor

    Nexstar Media Group is the media company that is major player in this decision. It was announced last month that Nexstar is in the process of buying Tegna for $6.2 billion. Tegna owns channel 2, WLBZ (NBC)in Bangor and its sister station channel 6, WCSH (NBC) in Portland. Read the AP article here.

    Sinclair Broadcasting Group is the second largest tv station operator in the U.S. after Nexstar and is the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group. They own channels 13, WGME (CBS affiliate)Portland, and 23, WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville.

    Both Sinclair and Nexstar are conservative corporations that dictate the local news broadcasts, sometimes using the same scripts in their stations across the country.


    COIVD vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine

    On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”

    Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.


    CARE OVER CUTS: REINING IN THE TRUMP CHAOS

    Trump’s authoritarian rise is being funded by our tax dollars. The national Indivisible Project has everything you need to know about passing a federal budget by September 30th; how Republicans and Democrats must rein in Trump’s regime, protect access to healthcare, and take away his slush funds for terrorizing our communities; and what you can do.

    One way or another, the Trump regime’s weaponization of federal power – terrorizing communities, ripping away life-saving government services, and showering tax giveaways on the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of people already struggling to get by – must be stopped. Learn more about this fight below and take action to demand your Members of Congress take away Trump’s blank check to visit devastation on our communities, economy, and democracy.


    Join Indivisible Bangor!

    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 member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

    New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!


    Make Some Calls!

    It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

    Write Some Emails!

    If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons.


    We are on Blue Sky!

    Check us out on this social media site that is similar to that other one that has changed hands recently, but with less nonsense!

    Follow us! Invite your friends! Comment! You’ll be glad you did!


    The ACLU Maine has a “Know Your Rights” plan for students going back to school. “Politicians are attacking students’ and teachers’ rights throughout the country, including here in Maine – but as the Supreme Court ruled in 1969, students do not ‘shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.’” Click the button for these important details.


    We have an 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!

    ****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

    And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.


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

    And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!


    Action Monday September 29th: Contact King and Collins to Ask Them to Support the Democrat’s Budget Bill Demands or Shut the Government Down

    Hi Folks, it’s Monday and we have a win.  Both Nexstar and Sinclair are putting Jimmy Kimmel back on the air. Amazing! More on this here.

    There are only 48 hours left before the Government Shuts Down. Keep the heat on our Congressional Representatives (Especially Senator King ) (+ Collins – if you’re an optimist) to demand that they only support a budget that restores Medicaid Cuts , that the ACA’s tax credits be renewed which will prevent insurance premiums going up by 75%,  that the US Military be withdrawn from US cities, and the illegal abduction of immigrants cease or else they will vote against the Continuing Resolution to fund the budget

    For much more detail on this see “Action 167.”

    Go here for a full rundown on the “HOMAN FILES” situation from Representative Jamie Raskin. Call your Reps about the immediate release of these files. Corruption, corruption, corruption.

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    • Call on Senator King, Collins and your Representative to pledge that they will vote against funding the Government until agreed upon demands are met:  Go here for a script for this call (Indivisible’s campaign on this) 5calls also has some background on this. For more background information go to “Care Over Cuts” For even more background go here. Check out the letter attached below as well.
    • Call on Representative Pingree and Golden to demand the release of the Homan Files:  According to reliable sources, the FBI has video of our man Homan accepting $50,000 in a Cava bag in return for a promise to give undercover agents Government Contracts once Trump gets back into office. Learn more here.
    • Support efforts in your area for the homeless: Volunteer, donate, take action as this vulnerable group gets targeted by the administration.
    • Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Canvassing this weekend for this effort! Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot herenow. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).  

    Statewide Actions

    • Support the effort to defeat the Voter ID referendum Question One, which takes away our right as Mainers to use absentee ballots. We can vote NO on Question 1, donate, and canvass to defeat this voter suppression initiative. Go to SaveAbsenteeMe to pledge to vote no, and sign up for canvassing This Weekend! Question One will have significant support as it is paired with the Red Flag initiative cited below.
    • Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
    • Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine on this Tuesday at the Waterville UU Church.  Poster ideas also attached below.
    • 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.
    • Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go 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. 
    • For statewide NoKings2 Actions go to the Activate Maine calendar, and Mobilize to see if there is an event planned near you for October 18th.  If there isn’t one within an hour’s drive plan one for your community!!
    • Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, Thursday, 9/25 Portland Bunker Brewing 6pm; Wednesday 10/1: Rockport, American Flatbread 6 pm; Thursday, 10/2, Brunswick, Curtis Memorial Library 6pm.  rsvp@tinyurl.com/grahamrsvp or go to Grahamforsenate.com

    As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

    ~~~Mid Maine Indivisible

    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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

  • Action 167 – Stand Firm!

    Background: Recall that the Big Ugly Budget Bill passed the House and Senate with Vance casting the tiebreaking vote on July 3. Maine’s entire delegation voted against it. (1) But the Congressional budget and spending process is ridiculously complicated (2) and there still needs to be a vote on 13 separate spending plans to avoid a shutdown (total or partial) (3). In the House vote September 19, Jared Golden voted with the Republicans. He was the only Democrat to defect, and apparently his vote wasn’t needed anyway: he could have stood with his fellow Democrats. (4) Now the Republicans’ proposal goes to the Senate, where it is expected to fail. This means a probable shutdown on October 1, either total or partial. So what? Brookings outlines the effects – see (5). One has to wonder whether the perpetrators of Project 2025 aren’t secretly hoping for a shutdown. After all, they have already wreaked unimaginable havoc on the government, and they are undoubtedly looking forward to pinning the blame on the Democrats. But that is unfair. We members of the public need to stand on principle, that’s our job. We hire our legislators to perform the balancing act among competing interests. For a thoughtful discussion about “messaging the shutdown”, see (6).

    Action: This is copied from an email sent today by Shelly, who writes: Today’s action is to fight for a fair budget:

         Contact Senator King and Senator Collins to reject any proposed budget that unfairly doesn’t meet the needs of all Americans. If the government has run out of money, it’s not the fault of poor and working people–the blame lies solely on political gamesmanship at the highest levels. Regular people don’t deserve to be punished.

         King: He needs to stay strong in his support of the demands Democrats are making for changes to the Republican proposed budget. A shutdown might be necessary at this point—even though it’s not a good thing for anyone—and King must help Democrats push the true story that if a shutdown happens, it was forced on the country by the Republican party whose members don’t have the balls to stand up to Trump. 

         Collins: She’s been saying the right thing (or whispering it), but we all know what she says has nothing to do with the way she votes. Some billionaire will give her bucketloads of money at the last minute, and she’ll cave. That is the wrong thing to do: unethical, immoral, and shows clear disinterest in the needs of her constituents. We need an economy that works for all of us—where poor and working people can live good lives and not struggle just to get by. 

         We need to flood their offices with calls and letters demanding: 

     Fund Health Care: Restore Medicaid & Medicare and extend ACA tax credits. 

     Fund Housing: Permanently affordable housing—not harassment of unhoused people. 

     Invest in Clean Energy & Clean Water: Protect our environmental agencies that go after polluters, and invest in affordable clean energy and emergency response to climate disasters. 

     Defund Fascism: Cut the military and ICE budgets. 

     Tax the Rich: Make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share. 

    Urgency: Apparently the Senate won’t be in town to vote until Monday, which gives them less than 48 hours to avoid a shutdown. (They’ve been on recess since Sept. 17th.) So call ASAP. You know how to do this by now!

    Extra Credit:

    (1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_Act

    (2)https://www.nvfc.org/the-federal-budget-process-fact-sheet/

    (3) https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-passes-gop-bill-avert-shutdown-senate-likely-reject-rcna232242

    (4) https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/19/house-approves-stopgap-funding-bill-putting-shutdown-ball-in-the-senates-court-00572968

    (5) https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-is-a-government-shutdown-and-why-are-we-likely-to-have-another-one/

    (6) https://reframingamerica.substack.com/p/messaging-the-shut-down?publication_id=875433&post_id=174471577&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=8g9ww&triedRedirect=true

  • Action Friday, Sept. 26:  Orono Grad Student Union Rally TODAY, “NO ON 1” Canvassing in Orono and Bangor, Budget Showdown.

    Action Friday, Sept. 26: Orono Grad Student Union Rally TODAY, “NO ON 1” Canvassing in Orono and Bangor, Budget Showdown.

    Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s call to action from us at Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible.

    New actions from Hancock Country Democrats (Action 166 – 9/25) and Bold Coast Civic Alliance (9/25). And be sure to check out the call to action from Mid Maine Indivisible that discusses a boycott of Sinclair advertisers in Portland.


    Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area! There is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor followed by the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil.  


    Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?

    Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?

    Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!


    UMaine Graduate Workers Union, UAW Rally TODAY

    Support our friends in the UMaine Graduate Workers Union, UAW in a Rally for Fair Contract Now today, September 26, at MLK Plaza, 1:30pm, on the University of Maine Campus. Tell the University of Maine System to give the UMGWU a fair contract after 600+ days of bargaining.

    It is recommended that people RSVP so that the Grad Workers can get an idea of attendance. Click the link for the RSVP form.


    We need volunteers for “No on 1”!!

    There are two canvassing opportunities in the Bangor/Brewer area coming up!!

    On Saturday, October 4, 2025 9:30 AM –  12:30 PM ET, there is a canvassing action in Orono from Webster Park. Launch event in Orono on Friday, October 3: :Join us to sign up for a canvassing event and learn more about Question 1!”

    And on Sunday, October 5, 2025 1:00 PM –  4:00 PM ET, there will be one in Brewer from the Food and Medicine building. Volunteers from the Graham Platner For Senate campaign will join in on this canvass, so we’ll be sure to cover a lot of ground!

    These are in addition to the many other canvassing actions happening throughout the state! Visit Save Maine Absentee Voting for more details!


    Voting Rights Forum with Congressman Jamie Raskin

    Former Speaker of the House and candidate for Governor Hannah Pingree and Congressman Jamie Raskin, one of the nations leading constitutional law experts, invite you to a critical forum on voting rights and the forces threatening our democracy in Maine and across the country.

    Friday, October 3rd, in Portland! RSVP required to receive venue address, which will be shared a week before the event. 


    Graham Platner in Brewer Thursday, October 9th

    “We’ll be at the Eastern Maine Labor Council Hall from 6:00pm-7:00pm on. I hope you’ll come and check out this movement we’re building to defeat Susan Collins and her multi-billionaire backers. Come out, ask questions, and bring a friend or three. I’ll see you there.”


    ***Nationwide No Kings Protest!***
    ***October 18, 2025***
    ***Broadway Park, Bangor***
    Tell your friends!!!

    No Kings is a peaceful movement of millions of Americans from all walks of life rising up to make it clear: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. We never will. We’re organizing and taking action to defend each other and our communities, demand dignity, and say enough to all of the Trump administration’s power grabs.

    Millions of us took to the streets in June, and we’re doing it again on Saturday, October 18.

    The Indivisible Bangor protest will be at Broadway Park in Bangor at noon!

    Please bring non-perishables and personal care items for donations to local food cupboards.

    Click the link below for more info! And tell a friend! We want this to be even larger than June’s protest!


    Hegseth shuts down advisory group for women in the military.

    From CNN: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had decided to eliminate the group, formally called the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, saying that the committee, ‘focused on advancing a divisive feminist agenda that hurts combat readiness.’”

    CNN goes on to say, “The move is the latest in a series by Hegseth that have eliminated efforts to increase the role of women in military leadership and planning.” Secretary Hegseth is on record as saying that he does not believe women should serve in combat.

    Our Independent Senator, Angus King, is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Our Congressperson from Maine’s Second District, Jared Golden, is on the House Armed Services Committee.

    Contact Sen. King and Rep. Golden and let them know that this is unacceptable.


    Volunteer on election day

    Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!


    Jimmy Kimmel

    ***UPDATE for Portland***
    According to the WMTM programming listing, Jimmy Kimmel is airing on this Sinclair station again. But let’s keep the pressure on Sinclair and Nexstar!

    The sacking of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC is another appeasement by Disney, the parent company of ABC. In December, “Trump reached a $16 million settlement with ABC…over remarks made on air by Stephanopoulos.” Donald Trump has also attacked and received money from Paramount, the parent company of CBS over a 60 Minutes story on Kamala Harris.

    On Thursday, “Trump suggested networks that give him bad publicity should ‘maybe’ have their licenses taken away.” Read the Washington Post gift article here (you may have to create a free WaPo account to read it).

    This is one more step in the administration’s quest to control the media and stifle dissent (and with the aid of Nexstar and Sinclair). Each capitulation by the media companies emboldens the administration. It is not unreasonable to conclude that the president may soon punish ordinary citizens (New York Times gift article).

    ALSO-Nexstar coming to Bangor

    Nexstar Media Group is the media company that is major player in this decision. It was announced last month that Nexstar is in the process of buying Tegna for $6.2 billion. Tegna owns channel 2, WLBZ (NBC)in Bangor and its sister station channel 6, WCSH (NBC) in Portland. Read the AP article here.

    Sinclair Broadcasting Group is the second largest tv station operator in the U.S. after Nexstar and is the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group. They own channels 13, WGME (CBS affiliate)Portland, and 23, WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville.

    Both Sinclair and Nexstar are conservative corporations that dictate the local news broadcasts, sometimes using the same scripts in their stations across the country.

    One of the most effective ways to make an impact is to boycott the companies that advertise on these stations. And not just boycotting them, but contacting them to let them know exactly why you aren’t buying their products. If you have a Sinclair or Nexstar station in your area, note the advertisers and call or email them. And tell your friends in other cities and towns who these companies are that are supporting Sinclair, Nexstar, and ABC/Disney.

    Read more strategies in this article. This is not over and we can expect more censorship from the FCC and Donald Trump.


    COIVD vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine

    On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF). This standing order “is an official directive that enables authorized health care professionals (such as physicians, nurses, and pharmacists) to administer a medication or vaccine to groups of patients without a patient-specific prescription. It can streamline access, reduce barriers, and ensure consistency across the state.”

    Under the standing order issued earlier this month, “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”

    Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.


    CARE OVER CUTS: REINING IN THE TRUMP CHAOS

    Trump’s authoritarian rise is being funded by our tax dollars. The national Indivisible Project has everything you need to know about passing a federal budget by September 30th; how Republicans and Democrats must rein in Trump’s regime, protect access to healthcare, and take away his slush funds for terrorizing our communities; and what you can do.

    One way or another, the Trump regime’s weaponization of federal power – terrorizing communities, ripping away life-saving government services, and showering tax giveaways on the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of people already struggling to get by – must be stopped. Learn more about this fight below and take action to demand your Members of Congress take away Trump’s blank check to visit devastation on our communities, economy, and democracy.


    Join Indivisible Bangor!

    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 member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

    New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!


    Save Maine Absentee Voting

    There is a LOT of misinformation out there concerning Question 1, the voter suppression question that will be on the ballot THIS November.

    Help spread the word about how this is written to make voting more difficult for voters by restricting access to absentee ballots, a method of voting that thousands of us Mainers use every election.

    For instance, Question 1 will eliminate ongoing absentee ballots, even though this has been a boon for Maine seniors and Mainers with disabilities.

    Visit the Save Maine Absentee Voting site to learn more. Then speak to your friends, your family, your neighbors, and even strangers!

    And write a letter to the editor-there are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!


    Make Some Calls!

    It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

    The telephone numbers to the four Maine representatives in Washington are always listed in this newsletter, but for those of you reading this who live in another state, the site 5calls.org is the best way to find the contact info for your reps. AND, they have a list of the important issues to discuss when calling. It’s a super source and it’s easy to remember! Call early and often!

    Write Some Emails!

    If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, visit our Direct Action page for the links that go right to their email option.


    California Redistricting Question-they need your help!

    The California redistricting question, Proposition 50, will be on their ballot this November. This is intended to be a voter-approved plan to counter the Trump-directed gerrymandering that Gov. Abbot enacted in Texas to give Republicans five more seats in the House. Missouri legislators are looking to do a similar action.

    If you’d like to help, there are phone banking opportunities! Help out our fellow Americans in California with their “Yes on 50” campaign from the comfort of your home here in beautiful Maine!

    Vote Forward has now started a letter writing campaign to reach voters in California on this issue, so if letter writing is more your speed, consider joining that campaign.


    One of our members has started a letter/petition to the President of the University of Maine at Orono to preserve their DEI policies.

    “As students, faculty, staff, and alumni of The University of Maine at Orono, and people who support universities maintaining their DEI policies, we urge you to do your utmost to preserve the DEI policies at the University of Maine at Orono. We understand the complications and dangers involved in doing so, and we also appreciate your efforts to continue these policies while changing DEI names to avoid negative consequences from the Trump administration. However, we are concerned that as pressures mount there may be more motivation to agree to changes in DEI policies in addition to name changes, and we are concerned that this would compromise the basic values that are at the foundations of this university. We appreciate the statements of Interim Dean of Students Andrea Gifford in her reassurance that the university’s DEI policies are not changing in spite of the name changes, and it is our hope that this continues.”

    The petition is open to signatures from anyone supportve of maintaining DEI policies at the university, regardless of whether or not you are affiliated with the school. Please sign! And please sign the second petition that applies to all universities in the U.S.


    We are on Blue Sky!

    Check us out on this social media site that is similar to that other one that has changed hands recently, but with less nonsense!

    Follow us! Invite your friends! You’ll be glad you did!


    The ACLU Maine has a “Know Your Rights” plan for students going back to school. “Politicians are attacking students’ and teachers’ rights throughout the country, including here in Maine – but as the Supreme Court ruled in 1969, students do not ‘shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.’” Click the button for these important details.


    We have an 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!

    ****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

    And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.


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

    And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!


    Action September 26th: Ask Your Congressional Representative to Support the Every Kid Outdoors Program + Ramp Up the Heat on Sinclair

    Hi Folks, it’s Friday, the end of our first week in fall, and we’ve got RAIN. The plants are smiling.

    Here’s a simple action for today relating to the outdoors: support the Every Kid Outdoors Program by contacting your Congressional Representatives and asking them to support reauthorization of this wonderful program that gives every fourth grader and their family a free annual pass to National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. Go here to make that request.  More details below.

    If you have more energy here is your assignment (taken from Abbie McMillen’s bulletins)

    Economic Boycotts work especially in times of economic insecurity. Disney’s value is purported to have dropped by 4 – 5 billion dollars when subscribers cancelled their subscriptions in light of Kimmel’s show being yanked.

    To drill down on Sinclair Broadcasting in Maine (Channel 13 WGME (Portland) and  Channel 23WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville) do the following:

    • find out who the advertisers are on channels 13 and 23,
    • develop contact info for the advertisers (e.g. their customer relations departments), 
    • contact them, and
    • spread the word. To leverage your work, send us an email with what you find out.

    Note:  Nexstar is planning a merger with Tegna which owns a number of stations in Maine.

    Here is a corruption alert: Tom Homan, “Border Czar”,  was caught on video accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen who wanted contracts with the next Trump administration. Apparently he promised them access in exchange for a bag of bills. Now the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are demanding the FBI release that video. Let’s ask our Representatives in the House to demand the release of the “Homan Files”.

    Go here for a full rundown on the “HOMAN FILES” situation from Representative Jamie Raskin. Call your Reps about the immediate release of these files.

    Keep the heat on our Congressional Representatives (Especially Senator King) to demand that they only support a budget that restores Medicaid Cuts be Restored, that the ACA’s tax credits be renewed which will prevent insurance premiums going up by 75%,  that the US Military be withdrawn from US cities, and the illegal abduction of immigrants cease or else they will vote against the Continuing Resolution to fund the budget

    Note:  Four of us had a productive meeting with Ben Tucker (King’s Office) and Chuck  (don’t have correct spelling of his last name – Collins’ Office) who listened carefully to our concerns for 90 minutes.

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    • Send an email to Representative Pingree or Golden to support the Every Kid Outdoors Program Reauthorization: Sierra Club is asking for this action – go here to send a message to them and for more Sierra Club environmental actions go here.
    • If you are in the Portland Area and watch Channel 13 and Channel 23 (covers Waterville as well) they are Sinclair owned: Get a list of who advertises on those channels. Call those businesses and let them know that if they don’t pull their ads – you will boycott their business, as these media stations have supported the firing of Kimmel. Sinclair has said they will not reinstate the Kimmel show at this point. Read this article that supports local boycotts as particularly effective. Share the list of local advertisers with us and we will publish it tomorrow.
    • Call on Representative Pingree and Golden to demand the release of the Homan Files:  According to reliable sources, the FBI has video of our man Homan accepting $50,000 in a Cava bag in return for a promise to give undercover agents Government Contracts once Trump gets back into office. Learn more here.
    • Call on Senator King and your Representative to pledge that they will vote against funding the Government until agreed upon demands are met:  Go here for a script for this call (Indivisible’s campaign on this) 5calls also has some background on this. For more background information go to “Care Over Cuts” For even more background go here. Check out the letter attached below as well.
    • Support efforts in your area for the homeless: Volunteer, donate, take action as this vulnerable group gets targeted by the administration.
    • Sign the petition to demand Fox fire Brian Kilmeade for his reprehensible comments about the homeless: Sign the petition here. If you are so moved you can write a Letter to the Editor, and/or call Fox Headquarters. Go here to get three different ways to contact Fox.
    • Sign the petition to ask the President of UMO to maintain their DEI policies: Universities are one of the pillars of our democracy and they must not cave to the racist and mysogynist preferences of our current government. State Universities are in the crosshairs. Let’s give Maine’s system the public support for showing a backbone. Go here to sign the petition.
    • Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot herenow. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).  

    Statewide Actions

    • Support the effort to boycott Sinclair Station local advertisers (Channels 13 and 23). If you get a list of the local advertisers for these two stations, please send them to me and I will add them to our action email tomorrow. Links or phone numbers with each advertiser would be great.
    • Support the effort to defeat the Voter ID referendum Question One, which takes away our right as Mainers to use absentee ballots. We can vote NO on Question 1, donate, and canvass to defeat this voter suppression initiative. Go to SaveAbsenteeMe to pledge to vote no, and sign up for canvassing in early October. Question One will have significant support as it is paired with the Red Flag initiative cited below.
    • Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
    • Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine on this Tuesday at the Waterville UU Church.  Poster ideas also attached below.
    • 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.
    • Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go 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. 
    • For statewide NoKings2 Actions go to the Activate Maine calendar, and Mobilize to see if there is an event planned near you for October 18th.  If there isn’t one within an hour’s drive plan one for your community!!
    • Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, Thursday, 9/25 Portland Bunker Brewing 6pm; Wednesday 10/1: Rockport, American Flatbread 6 pm; Thursday, 10/2, Brunswick, Curtis Memorial Library 6pm.  rsvp at tinyurl.com/grahamrsvp or go to Grahamforsenate.com

    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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    MORE ACTIONS

    *Consider supporting Graham Platner who has announced his run against Collins. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. His entry will force Mills to make a decision on her run. Volunteer here.

    *If you prefer, write your letter to Governor Mills thanking her for her stand against Trump, and her opening up Covid Vaccines for all,  and ask her to run against Collins. Hand written if possible.  Mail to: State House Station 1, Augusta, Maine, 04333. A primary between Mills and Platner would be awesome!

    *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. 

    With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere! 

    As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

    ~~Mid Maine Indivisible

    For a full discussion of why it is crucial that the Democrats vote to shut the Government Down at the end of   this month go to the Ezra Klein show on this subject here.

     “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” 

           “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”  

            “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul”

    ~~John Muir 

  • Action 166 – Boycott Sinclair

    Background: It is difficult for me (Betty) to comment on things related to television, because we haven’t had TV enabled in our house for 40 years. However, television is extremely important, and increasingly dangerous, in shaping public opinion. I remember participating in a protest at Sinclair Broadcasting’s headquarters in Maine, out on Washington Ave in Portland – probably on a cold October evening in 2004 (1). In the ensuing years, Sinclair has only gotten worse. (2) It’s not just the latest outrage that has captured public attention (i.e. Sinclair’s refusal to re-instate Jimmy Kimmel’s show on their network). Sinclair has for years forced their local news anchors to read canned right-wing propaganda pieces. (3) Now they are trying to glom onto even more broadcast bandwidth in an effort to expand their propaganda, by merging with Tegna (4) which owns stations in Maine. Could it be that they are trying to curry favor with Trump’s FCC in advance of the merger?

    Action:  Stop watching or listening to Sinclair stations, and boycott any large, national advertisers who sponsor Channel 13 (WGME Portland) and Channel 23 (WPFO Fox). This is effective – you may have noticed how rapidly Disney caved over the Kimmel cancelation, due to public pressure. But it works only if you let the advertisers know of your intention to boycott unless they stop advertising on Sinclair stations.

    Regarding local businesses who may be advertisers on these channels, be mindful of the following: “Local businesses are not thriving in this economy, contacting these businesses is to make them aware of the situation. This is not intended to shame or punish them. Local businesses are the heart of our communities and they too are affected by the decisions of large conglomerates. Tell your local business to not waste their dollars on these stations.”  Note that ad buys are often done by middlemen and the local business may not even know every place their ads appear. You can help them understand that their ads on Sinclair may be turning off customers.

    So your action assignment, should you choose to undertake it, is to find out who the advertisers are on channels 13 and 23, develop contact info for the advertisers (e.g. their customer relations departments), contact them, and spread the word.  To leverage your work, send us an email with what you find out.

    To find the most current advertisers, you will probably need to watch Channels 13 and 23 at different times of the day. You could try putting the station on mute and just glancing at it when an ad comes on, which we understand is about every 15 minutes or so. We’ve tried other shortcuts to finding a list of advertisers, but Sinclair is pretty cagey about listing their sponsors anywhere on the web.

    Also, Jessica Craven of “chop wood, carry water” has details on this action as well as many, many others (5). 

    Extra Credit: 

    (1) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/sinclair-under-fire-for-decision-to-air-anti-senator-kerry-film

    (2) https://www.mediamatters.org/sinclair-broadcast-group

    (3) on your search engine, type in “brainwashing by Sinclair Broadcasting”. You may get the full rundown, like I did on Safari’s “AI Overview”.

    (4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegna_Inc

    (5) Jessica Craven’s “Chop Wood, Carry Water” action on this subject is at https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/chop-wood-carry-water-923-b5b

  • Bold Coast Civic Alliance Action Items- Thursday, September 25

    Don’t forget that many of our Action Items are ongoing, not limited to the time when you first see them. You can always go back to an earlier email to find more information you might have forgotten or to redo actions that bear repeating! 

    Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!) Scroll down to the matching number of your option: 

    1. Continue the fight for free speech 
    2. Fight for food security 
    3. Support LGBTQ+ youth 
    4. Fight the administration’s efforts to protect its lawbreaking lackeys 
    5. Protest Pete Hegseth’s ongoing attempts to reduce the role of women in the military 
    6. Support California’s Proposition 50, also known as the “Election Rigging Response Act” 
    7. Consider volunteering at your town office on November 4th 
    8. REMEMBER: October 18th is the next big nationwide protest day! 

    Reminder: When you call vs when you email via our reps’ websites (best way to contact them in writing), don’t forget to begin with: “Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent calling from [zip code]. That is important, because if they don’t know you’re actually a constituent, your opinion will be ignored. 

    Contact info: 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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    (Please note that for those of you receiving this email who are not represented by Senators or House members in our district, I have to leave it up to you to find the contact info for your own representatives.) 

    Actions 

    1) Continue the fight for free speech: 

        Now that we’ve enjoyed our brief victory with the return of Jimmy Kimmel, we need to recognize that it wasn’t a complete victory: ABC affiliates under both Nexstar and Sinclair are still preempting Kimmel’s show. Meanwhile, Nexstar and Sinclair are both trying to buy Tegna, which owns News Center Maine in Bangor/Portland. Mainer’s need News Center Maine to remain a friendly, local station focused on real journalism, not to join the raft of local broadcasters squeezed under the umbrella of a company eager to pander to the anti-free-speech demands of the Trump administration. 

         Call or write to News Center Maine, Tegna, Nexstar, Sinclair, and the FCC to object to the muzzling of newscasters and journalists and urging them to support our constitutional right to freedom of speech. 

    ® News Center Maine:  

              WCSH 6: One Congress Sq, Portland, ME 04101, (207-828-666 and 800-464-1213) 

              WLBZ 2: 329 Mount Hope Ave, Bangor, ME 04401, (207- 942-4821 and 800-244-6306) 

    ® Tegna Inc.: 8350 Broad Street, Suite 2000, Tysons, VA 22102 (phone: 703-873-6600)  

              President and CEO: Mike Steib 

    ®Nexstar: 545 East John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700, Irving, TX 75062 (972-373-8800) 

              Chairman and CEO: Perry A. Sook 

    ® Sinclair: 10706 Beaver Dam Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21030 (410-568-1500) or https://sbgi.net/contact-us/  

              President and CEO: Christopher S. Ripley 

              Executive Chairman: David D. Smith 

    ® FCC: 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554 (888-225-5322) 

              Chairman: Brendan Carr 

    2) Fight for food security

        The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 — soon to be introduced — would repeal the damaging budget reconciliation cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

         Use the FRAC Action Network to send a ready-to-go email to your Members of Congress urging them to reject any Farm Bill that does not address the recent, devastating SNAP cuts and to actively pursue every legislative avenue to restore SNAP. https://secure.everyaction.com/xf5JzY9MDEGusDx_2WNpsQ2 

    3) Support LGBTQ+ youth

        Senators Baldwin and Murkowski have introduced the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act, a bipartisan bill to re-establish the national emergency suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. Contact Senators King and Collins and urge them to co-sponsor this important bill. 

    4) Fight the administration’s efforts to protect its lawbreaking lackeys: 

         Contact Jared Golden to urge him to demand the release of the video of Border Czar Tom Homan accepting a bribe. More here: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/judiciary-democrats-demand-doj-fbi-release-recordings-of-tom-homan-receiving-50000-cash-bribe 

    5) Protest Pete Hegseth’s ongoing attempts to reduce the role of women in the military: 

        Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said in no uncertain terms that women should not serve in combat. Now he has announced that he is eliminating the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, saying that it, “focused on advancing a divisive feminist agenda that hurts combat readiness.” You can read more about the background of this very helpful committee here: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/hegseth-shuts-down-women-advisory-military 

         Contact Senator Angus King, who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Representative Jared Golden, who is on the House Armed Services Committee, to let them know that the elimination of this Defense Advisory Committee is unacceptable.  

    6) Support California’s Proposition 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act: 

        Join Vote Forward’s letter writing campaign to California voters: https://votefwd.org/district/CA_2025_C4_PROP50_LBW 

    7) Consider volunteering at your town office on November 4th

        We know that the GOP will be doing everything possible to make voting harder for everyone. More friendly faces at the voting sites could help. If you have the time and energy, volunteer to work the Nov. 4th election in your town. If you’re not sure whom to call, check here: https://www.maine.gov/sos/elections-voting/find-a-municipal-clerk-or-registrar 

    8) Make plans for the next nationwide No Kings Protests on October 18th

        This is important! The last No Kings Day brought millions to the streets to protest the current administration’s illegal/unethical/unconstitutional overreach. We need to get as many people as possible out to protest on 10/18. We have to demonstrate visibly and volubly that the resistance is stronger and more determined than ever—and growing. Put the date on your calendars. Make arrangements to get there. Bring friends and family. Be there! 

    Yours in Civic Action, 

    Bold Coast Civic Alliance

  • Action Thursday, Sept. 25, Bangor:  Orono Grad Student Union Rally 9/26, “NO ON 1” Canvassing, Budget Showdown.

    Action Thursday, Sept. 25, Bangor: Orono Grad Student Union Rally 9/26, “NO ON 1” Canvassing, Budget Showdown.

    Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s call to action from us at Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible.

    AND new actions from Hancock Country Democrats (Action 165 – 9/18) and Bold Coast Civic Alliance (9/22). And be sure to check out the call to action from Mid Maine Indivisible that discusses a boycott of Sinclair advertisers in Portland.


    Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area! There is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor followed by the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil.  


    Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?

    Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?

    Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!


    UMaine Graduate Workers Union, UAW Rally TOMORROW

    Support our friends in the UMaine Graduate Workers Union, UAW in a Rally for Fair Contract Now on September 26, at MLK Plaza, 1:30pm, on the University of Maine Campus. Tell the University of Maine System to give the UMGWU a fair contract after 600+ days of bargaining.

    It is recommended that people RSVP so that the Grad Workers can get an idea of attendance. Click the link for the RSVP form.


    We need volunteers for “No on 1”!!

    There are two canvassing opportunities in the Bangor/Brewer area coming up!!

    On Saturday, October 4, 2025 9:30 AM –  12:30 PM ET, there is a canvassing action in Orono from Webster Park. Launch event in Orono on Friday, October 3: :Join us to sign up for a canvassing event and learn more about Question 1!”

    And on Sunday, October 5, 2025 1:00 PM –  4:00 PM ET, there will be one in Brewer from the Food and Medicine building. Volunteers from the Graham Platner For Senate campaign will join in on this canvass, so we’ll be sure to cover a lot of ground!

    These are in addition to the many other canvassing actions happening throughout the state! Visit Save Maine Absentee Voting for more details!


    Voting Rights Forum with Congressman Jamie Raskin

    Former Speaker of the House and candidate for Governor Hannah Pingree and Congressman Jamie Raskin, one of the nations leading constitutional law experts, invite you to a critical forum on voting rights and the forces threatening our democracy in Maine and across the country.

    Friday, October 3rd, in Portland! RSVP required to receive venue address, which will be shared a week before the event. 


    Graham Platner in Brewer Thursday, October 9th

    “We’ll be at the Eastern Maine Labor Council Hall from 6:00pm-7:00pm on. I hope you’ll come and check out this movement we’re building to defeat Susan Collins and her multi-billionaire backers. Come out, ask questions, and bring a friend or three. I’ll see you there.”


    ***Nationwide No Kings Protest!***
    ***October 18, 2025***
    ***Broadway Park, Bangor***
    Tell your friends!!!

    No Kings is a peaceful movement of millions of Americans from all walks of life rising up to make it clear: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. We never will. We’re organizing and taking action to defend each other and our communities, demand dignity, and say enough to all of the Trump administration’s power grabs.

    Millions of us took to the streets in June, and we’re doing it again on Saturday, October 18.

    The Indivisible Bangor protest will be at Broadway Park in Bangor at noon!

    Please bring non-perishables and personal care items for donations to local food cupboards.

    Click the link below for more info! And tell a friend! We want this to be even larger than June’s protest!


    Hegseth shuts down advisory group for women in the military.

    From CNN: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had decided to eliminate the group, formally called the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, saying that the committee, ‘focused on advancing a divisive feminist agenda that hurts combat readiness.’”

    CNN goes on to say, “The move is the latest in a series by Hegseth that have eliminated efforts to increase the role of women in military leadership and planning.” Secretary Hegseth is on record as saying that he does not believe women should serve in combat.

    Our Independent Senator, Angus King, is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Our Congressperson from Maine’s Second District, Jared Golden, is on the House Armed Services Committee.

    Contact Sen. King and Rep. Golden and let them know that this is unacceptable.


    Volunteer on election day

    Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!


    Jimmy Kimmel

    The sacking of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC is another appeasement by Disney, the parent company of ABC. In December, “Trump reached a $16 million settlement with ABC…over remarks made on air by Stephanopoulos.” Donald Trump has also attacked and received money from Paramount, the parent company of CBS over a 60 Minutes story on Kamala Harris.

    On Thursday, “Trump suggested networks that give him bad publicity should ‘maybe’ have their licenses taken away.” Read the Washington Post gift article here (you may have to create a free WaPo account to read it).

    This is one more step in the administration’s quest to control the media and stifle dissent (and with the aid of Nexstar and Sinclair). Each capitulation by the media companies emboldens the administration. It is not unreasonable to conclude that the president may soon punish ordinary citizens (New York Times gift article).

    ALSO!!!

    Nexstar Media Group is the media company that is major player in this decision. It was announced last month that Nexstar is in the process of buying Tegna for $6.2 billion. Tegna owns channel 2, WLBZ (NBC)in Bangor and its sister station channel 6, WCSH (NBC) in Portland. Read the AP article here.

    Sinclair Broadcasting Group is the second largest tv station operator in the U.S. after Nexstar and is the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group. They own channels 13, WGME (CBS affiliate)Portland, and 23, WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville.

    Both Sinclair and Nexstar are conservative corporations that dictate the local news broadcasts, sometimes using the same scripts in their stations across the country.

    One of the most effective ways to make an impact is to boycott the companies that advertise on these stations. And not just boycotting them, but contacting them to let them know exactly why you aren’t buying their products. If you have a Sinclair or Nexstar station in your area, note the advertisers and call or email them. And tell your friends in other cities and towns who these companies are that are supporting Sinclair, Nexstar, and ABC/Disney.

    ***This just in! ABC/Disney has put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air!**

    However, Sinclair will not air the show. Read more here. Contact WGME in Portland and tell them you want Jimmy Kimmel back on their station. And contact their advertisers!

    Read more strategies in this article. This is not over and we can expect more censorship from the FCC and Donald Trump.


    COIVD vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine

    On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF). This standing order “is an official directive that enables authorized health care professionals (such as physicians, nurses, and pharmacists) to administer a medication or vaccine to groups of patients without a patient-specific prescription. It can streamline access, reduce barriers, and ensure consistency across the state.”

    Under the standing order issued earlier this month, “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”

    Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.


    CARE OVER CUTS: REINING IN THE TRUMP CHAOS

    Trump’s authoritarian rise is being funded by our tax dollars. The national Indivisible Project has everything you need to know about passing a federal budget by September 30th; how Republicans and Democrats must rein in Trump’s regime, protect access to healthcare, and take away his slush funds for terrorizing our communities; and what you can do.

    One way or another, the Trump regime’s weaponization of federal power – terrorizing communities, ripping away life-saving government services, and showering tax giveaways on the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of people already struggling to get by – must be stopped. Learn more about this fight below and take action to demand your Members of Congress take away Trump’s blank check to visit devastation on our communities, economy, and democracy.


    Join Indivisible Bangor!

    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 member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

    New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!


    Save Maine Absentee Voting

    There is a LOT of misinformation out there concerning Question 1, the voter suppression question that will be on the ballot THIS November.

    Help spread the word about how this is written to make voting more difficult for voters by restricting access to absentee ballots, a method of voting that thousands of us Mainers use every election.

    For instance, Question 1 will eliminate ongoing absentee ballots, even though this has been a boon for Maine seniors and Mainers with disabilities.

    Visit the Save Maine Absentee Voting site to learn more. Then speak to your friends, your family, your neighbors, and even strangers!

    And write a letter to the editor-there are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!


    Make Some Calls!

    It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

    The telephone numbers to the four Maine representatives in Washington are always listed in this newsletter, but for those of you reading this who live in another state, the site 5calls.org is the best way to find the contact info for your reps. AND, they have a list of the important issues to discuss when calling. It’s a super source and it’s easy to remember! Call early and often!

    Write Some Emails!

    If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, visit our Direct Action page for the links that go right to their email option.


    California Redistricting Question-they need your help!

    The California redistricting question, Proposition 50, will be on their ballot this November. This is intended to be a voter-approved plan to counter the Trump-directed gerrymandering that Gov. Abbot enacted in Texas to give Republicans five more seats in the House. Missouri legislators are looking to do a similar action.

    If you’d like to help, there are phone banking opportunities! Help out our fellow Americans in California with their “Yes on 50” campaign from the comfort of your home here in beautiful Maine!

    Vote Forward has now started a letter writing campaign to reach voters in California on this issue, so if letter writing is more your speed, consider joining that campaign.


    One of our members has started a letter/petition to the President of the University of Maine at Orono to preserve their DEI policies.

    “As students, faculty, staff, and alumni of The University of Maine at Orono, and people who support universities maintaining their DEI policies, we urge you to do your utmost to preserve the DEI policies at the University of Maine at Orono. We understand the complications and dangers involved in doing so, and we also appreciate your efforts to continue these policies while changing DEI names to avoid negative consequences from the Trump administration. However, we are concerned that as pressures mount there may be more motivation to agree to changes in DEI policies in addition to name changes, and we are concerned that this would compromise the basic values that are at the foundations of this university. We appreciate the statements of Interim Dean of Students Andrea Gifford in her reassurance that the university’s DEI policies are not changing in spite of the name changes, and it is our hope that this continues.”

    The petition is open to signatures from anyone supportve of maintaining DEI policies at the university, regardless of whether or not you are affiliated with the school. Please sign! And please sign the second petition that applies to all universities in the U.S.


    We are on Blue Sky!

    Check us out on this social media site that is similar to that other one that has changed hands recently, but with less nonsense!

    Follow us! Invite your friends! You’ll be glad you did!


    The ACLU Maine has a “Know Your Rights” plan for students going back to school. “Politicians are attacking students’ and teachers’ rights throughout the country, including here in Maine – but as the Supreme Court ruled in 1969, students do not ‘shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.’” Click the button for these important details.


    We have an 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!

    ****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

    And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.


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

    And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!


    Action Thursday September 25th: Begin a Boycott of Sinclair Stations in Maine and Their Advertisers to Support Free Speech 

    Hi Folks, we know that authoritarian governments don’t like Free Speech. Even Joe Rogan, Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson oppose the yanking of Jimmy Kimmel from ABC. Well, ABC put him back on but Nexstar and Sinclair that own about 30% of ABC local affiliates are NOT putting him back on.

    Time to practice our economic boycott strategies. Sinclair owns Channel 13 WGME (Portland) and  Channel 23WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville. Call their advertisers and tell them you will stop purchasing from them unless they pull their ads or Sinclair puts the show back on air. Here is a great toolkit from Jen Craven on who to call, how to call and where to call. It even has a national crowd sourced list of advertisers for the affiliates.

    Maine is a tiny market, so it hasn’t been added to the list – but you could do that work and add it to the list.  Ask Chatgpt which local Maine advertisers advertise on channel 13 and 23.

    Note:  Nexstar is planning a merger with Tegna which owns a number of stations in Maine.

     Go here for a full rundown on the “HOMAN FILES” situation from Representative Jamie Raskin.

    Keep the heat on our Congressional Representatives (Especially Senator King) to demand that they only support a budget that restores Medicare Cuts be Restored, that the ACA’s tax credits be renewed which will prevent insurance premiums going up by 75%,  that the US Military be withdrawn from US cities, and the illegal abduction of immigrants cease or else they will vote against the Continuing Resolution to fund the budget

    Members of the MPA (Maine People’s Alliance) Federal Issues Group are working on a letter (see draft attached) that you can use as an email or script for these calls. I have a meeting with King’s office in Augusta for Thursday at one to present the letter. If you are interested in joining that meeting, let me know. If you wish to have your name attached to the letter please let me know as well.  Name and Town would be great. 

    For the HeartFor Your Heart this First Week of Fall: When we speak, our voice often shows if we are acting from centeredness or off balance. Centeredness holds the moment including our own experience with an acceptance of the way things are. 

    ~~Nancy Hathaway  Center for Studying Mindfulness 

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Saint Francis and the Sow

    by Galway Kinnell

    The bud

    stands for all things,

    even for those things that don’t flower,

    for everything flowers from within, of self-blessing;

    though sometimes it is necessary

    to reteach a thing its loveliness,

    to put a hand on its brow

    of the flower

    and retells it in words and in touch

    it is lovely

    until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;

    as Saint Francis

    put his hand on the creased forehead

    of the sow, and told her in words and in touch

    blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow

    began remembering all down her thick length,

    from the earthen snout all the way

    through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail,

    from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine

    down through the great broken heart

    to the blue milked dreaminess spurting and shuddering

    from the fourteen teats in to the fourteen mouths sucking and blowing

    beneath them:

    the long perfect loveliness of sow.

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    • If you are in the Portland Area and watch Channel 13 and Channel 23 (covers Waterville as well) they are Sinclair owned: Get a list of who advertises on those channels. Call those businesses and let them know that if they don’t pull their ads – you will boycott their business, as these media stations have supported the firing of Kimmel. Sinclair has said they will not reinstate the Kimmel show at this point. Read this article that supports local boycotts as particularly effective. Share the list with us and we will publish it tomorrow.
    • Call on Representative Pingree and Golden to demand the release of the Homan Files:  According to reliable sources, the FBI has video of our man Homan accepting $50,000 in a Cava bag in return for a promise to give undercover agents Government Contracts once Trump gets back into office. Learn more here.
    • Call on Senator King and your Representative to pledge that they will vote against funding the Government until agreed upon demands are met:  Go here for a script for this call (Indivisible’s campaign on this) 5calls also has some background on this. For more background information go to “Care Over Cuts” For even more background go here. Check out the letter attached below as well.
    • Support efforts in your area for the homeless: Volunteer, donate, take action as this vulnerable group gets targeted by the administration.
    • Sign the petition to demand Fox fire Brian Kilmeade for his reprehensible comments about the homeless: Sign the petition here. If you are so moved you can write a Letter to the Editor, and/or call Fox Headquarters. Go here to get three different ways to contact Fox.
    • Sign the petition to ask the President of UMO to maintain their DEI policies: Universities are one of the pillars of our democracy and they must not cave to the racist and mysogynist preferences of our current government. State Universities are in the crosshairs. Let’s give Maine’s system the public support for showing a backbone. Go here to sign the petition.
    • Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot herenow. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).  

    Statewide Actions

    • Support the effort to boycott Sinclair Station local advertisers (Channels 13 and 23). If you get a list of the local advertisers for these two stations, please send them to me and I will add them to our action email tomorrow. Links or phone numbers with each advertiser would be great.
    • Support the effort to defeat the Voter ID referendum Question One, which takes away our right as Mainers to use absentee ballots. We can vote NO on Question 1, donate, and canvass to defeat this voter suppression initiative. Go to SaveAbsenteeMe to pledge to vote no, and sign up for canvassing in early October. Question One will have significant support as it is paired with the Red Flag initiative cited below.
    • Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
    • Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine on this Tuesday at the Waterville UU Church.  Poster ideas also attached below.
    • 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.
    • Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go 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. 
    • For statewide NoKings2 Actions go to the Activate Maine calendar, and Mobilize to see if there is an event planned near you for October 18th.  If there isn’t one within an hour’s drive plan one for your community!!
    • Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, Thursday, 9/25 Portland Bunker Brewing 6pm; Wednesday 10/1: Rockport, American Flatbread 6 pm; Thursday, 10/2, Brunswick, Curtis Memorial Library 6pm.  rsvp@tinyurl.com/grahamrsvp or go to Grahamforsenate.com

    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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    MORE ACTIONS

    *Consider supporting Graham Platner who has announced his run against Collins. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. His entry will force Mills to make a decision on her run. Volunteer here.

    *If you prefer, write your letter to Governor Mills thanking her for her stand against Trump, and her opening up Covid Vaccines for all,  and ask her to run against Collins. Hand written if possible.  Mail to: State House Station 1, Augusta, Maine, 04333. A primary between Mills and Platner would be awesome!

    *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. 

    With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere! 

    As always, throw a little sand in their gears!

    -Mid Maine Indivisible

    For a full discussion of why it is crucial that the Democrats vote to shut the Government Down at the end of   this month go to the Ezra Klein show on this subject here.

    From the Department of  “This Sounds Familiar”: Abscam, sometimes written ABSCAM, was a Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s that led to the convictions of seven members from both chambers of the United States Congress and others for bribery and corruption.[1] The two-year investigation initially targeted trafficking in stolen property and corruption of prominent business people, but later evolved into a corruption investigation. The FBI was aided by the United States Department of Justice and convict Mel Weinberg in videotaping politicians accepting bribes from a fictitious Arabian company in return for various political favors.[2]

    More than 30 political figures were investigated, and six members of the United States House of Representatives and one member of the United States Senate were convicted.[3]   Wikipedia

  • Action Wednesday, Sept. 24, Bangor: Weekly Vigils, “NO ON 1” Canvassing, Budget Showdown, and Mid Maine Indivisible

    Action Wednesday, Sept. 24, Bangor: Weekly Vigils, “NO ON 1” Canvassing, Budget Showdown, and Mid Maine Indivisible

    Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s call to action from us at Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible.

    AND new actions from Hancock Country Democrats (Action 165 – 9/18) and Bold Coast Civic Alliance (9/22).


    Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area! There is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor and TODAY is the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil.  


    Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?

    Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?

    Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!


    Voting Rights Forum with Congressman Jamie Raskin

    Former Speaker of the House and candidate for Governor Hannah Pingree and Congressman Jamie Raskin, one of the nations leading constitutional law experts, invite you to a critical forum on voting rights and the forces threatening our democracy in Maine and across the country.

    Friday, October 3rd, in Portland! RSVP required to receive venue address, which will be shared a week before the event. 


    ***Nationwide No Kings Protest!***
    ***October 18, 2025***
    ***Broadway Park, Bangor***
    Tell your friends!!!

    No Kings is a peaceful movement of millions of Americans from all walks of life rising up to make it clear: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. We never will. We’re organizing and taking action to defend each other and our communities, demand dignity, and say enough to all of the Trump administration’s power grabs.

    Millions of us took to the streets in June, and we’re doing it again on Saturday, October 18.

    The Indivisible Bangor protest will be at Broadway Park in Bangor at noon!

    Please bring non-perishables and personal care items for donations to local food cupboards.

    Click the link below for more info! And tell a friend! We want this to be even larger than June’s protest!


    We need volunteers for “No on 1”!!

    There are two canvassing opportunities in the Bangor/Brewer area coming up!!

    On Saturday, October 4, 2025 9:30 AM –  12:30 PM ET, there is a canvassing action in Orono from Webster Park. Launch event in Orono on Friday, October 3: :Join us to sign up for a canvassing event and learn more about Question 1!”

    And on Sunday, October 5, 2025 1:00 PM –  4:00 PM ET, there will be one in Brewer from the Food and Medicine building. Volunteers from the Graham Platner For Senate campaign will join in on this canvass, so we’ll be sure to cover a lot of ground!

    These are in addition to the many other canvassing actions happening throughout the state! Visit Save Maine Absentee Voting for more details!


    Volunteer on election day

    Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!


    Jimmy Kimmel

    The sacking of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC is another appeasement by Disney, the parent company of ABC. In December, “Trump reached a $16 million settlement with ABC…over remarks made on air by Stephanopoulos.” Donald Trump has also attacked and received money from Paramount, the parent company of CBS over a 60 Minutes story on Kamala Harris.

    On Thursday, “Trump suggested networks that give him bad publicity should ‘maybe’ have their licenses taken away.” Read the Washington Post gift article here (you may have to create a free WaPo account to read it).

    This is one more step in the administration’s quest to control the media and stifle dissent (and with the aid of Nexstar and Sinclair). Each capitulation by the media companies emboldens the administration. It is not unreasonable to conclude that the president may soon punish ordinary citizens (New York Times gift article).

    ALSO!!!

    Nexstar Media Group is the media company that is major player in this decision. It was announced last month that Nexstar is in the process of buying Tegna for $6.2 billion. Tegna owns channel 2, WLBZ (NBC)in Bangor and its sister station channel 6, WCSH (NBC) in Portland. Read the AP article here.

    Sinclair Broadcasting Group is the second largest tv station operator in the U.S. after Nexstar and is the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group. They own channels 13, WGME (CBS affiliate)Portland, and 23, WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville.

    Both Sinclair and Nexstar are conservative corporations that dictate the local news broadcasts, sometimes using the same scripts in their stations across the country.

    One of the most effective ways to make an impact is to boycott the companies that advertise on these stations. And not just boycotting them, but contacting them to let them know exactly why you aren’t buying their products. If you have a Sinclair or Nexstar station in your area, note the advertisers and call or email them. And tell your friends in other cities and towns who these companies are that are supporting Sinclair, Nexstar, and ABC/Disney.

    ***This just in! ABC/Disney has put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air!**

    However, Sinclair will not air the show. Read more here. Contact WGME in Portland and tell them you want Jimmy Kimmel back on their station. And contact their advertisers!

    Read more strategies in this article. This is not over and we can expect more censorship from the FCC and Donald Trump.


    CARE OVER CUTS: REINING IN THE TRUMP CHAOS

    Trump’s authoritarian rise is being funded by our tax dollars. The national Indivisible Project has everything you need to know about passing a federal budget by September 30th; how Republicans and Democrats must rein in Trump’s regime, protect access to healthcare, and take away his slush funds for terrorizing our communities; and what you can do.

    One way or another, the Trump regime’s weaponization of federal power – terrorizing communities, ripping away life-saving government services, and showering tax giveaways on the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of people already struggling to get by – must be stopped. Learn more about this fight below and take action to demand your Members of Congress take away Trump’s blank check to visit devastation on our communities, economy, and democracy.


    Join Indivisible Bangor!

    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 member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

    New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!


    Save Maine Absentee Voting

    There is a LOT of misinformation out there concerning Question 1, the voter suppression question that will be on the ballot THIS November.

    Help spread the word about how this is written to make voting more difficult for voters by restricting access to absentee ballots, a method of voting that thousands of us Mainers use every election.

    For instance, Question 1 will eliminate ongoing absentee ballots, even though this has been a boon for Maine seniors and Mainers with disabilities.

    Visit the Save Maine Absentee Voting site to learn more. Then speak to your friends, your family, your neighbors, and even strangers!

    And write a letter to the editor-there are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!


    Graham Platner in Brewer Thursday, October 9th

    “We’ll be at the Eastern Maine Labor Council Hall from 6:00pm-7:00pm on. I hope you’ll come and check out this movement we’re building to defeat Susan Collins and her multi-billionaire backers. Come out, ask questions, and bring a friend or three. I’ll see you there.”


    Make Some Calls!

    It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

    The telephone numbers to the four Maine representatives in Washington are always listed in this newsletter, but for those of you reading this who live in another state, the site 5calls.org is the best way to find the contact info for your reps. AND, they have a list of the important issues to discuss when calling. It’s a super source and it’s easy to remember! Call early and often!

    Write Some Emails!

    If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, visit our Direct Action page for the links that go right to their email option.


    California Redistricting Question-they need your help!

    The California redistricting question, Proposition 50, will be on their ballot this November. This is intended to be a voter-approved plan to counter the Trump-directed gerrymandering that Gov. Abbot enacted in Texas to give Republicans five more seats in the House. Missouri legislators are looking to do a similar action.

    If you’d like to help, there are phone banking opportunities! Help out our fellow Americans in California with their “Yes on 50” campaign from the comfort of your home here in beautiful Maine!

    Vote Forward has now started a letter writing campaign to reach voters in California on this issue, so if letter writing is more your speed, consider joining that campaign.


    One of our members has started a letter/petition to the President of the University of Maine at Orono to preserve their DEI policies.

    “As students, faculty, staff, and alumni of The University of Maine at Orono, and people who support universities maintaining their DEI policies, we urge you to do your utmost to preserve the DEI policies at the University of Maine at Orono. We understand the complications and dangers involved in doing so, and we also appreciate your efforts to continue these policies while changing DEI names to avoid negative consequences from the Trump administration. However, we are concerned that as pressures mount there may be more motivation to agree to changes in DEI policies in addition to name changes, and we are concerned that this would compromise the basic values that are at the foundations of this university. We appreciate the statements of Interim Dean of Students Andrea Gifford in her reassurance that the university’s DEI policies are not changing in spite of the name changes, and it is our hope that this continues.”

    The petition is open to signatures from anyone supportve of maintaining DEI policies at the university, regardless of whether or not you are affiliated with the school. Please sign! And please sign the second petition that applies to all universities in the U.S.


    We are on Blue Sky!

    Check us out on this social media site that is similar to that other one that has changed hands recently, but with less nonsense!

    Follow us! Invite your friends! You’ll be glad you did!


    The ACLU Maine has a “Know Your Rights” plan for students going back to school. “Politicians are attacking students’ and teachers’ rights throughout the country, including here in Maine – but as the Supreme Court ruled in 1969, students do not ‘shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.’” Click the button for these important details.


    We have an 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!

    ****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

    And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.


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

    And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!


    Action Wednesday September 24th: Call on Representatives Pingree and Golden to Release the Homan Files + Increase Pressure on Local Sinclair Advertisers to Reinstate Jimmy Kimmel

    Hi Folks, we know that authoritarian governments are almost always corrupt. Trump and his family have amassed literally billions of dollars since coming into office. Corruption is not a popular American value. Although Trump has been given immunity for all his actions by the Supremes, his henchmen do not share in this immunity.

    Here is a corruption alert: Tom Homan, “Border Czar”,  was caught on video accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen who wanted contracts with the next Trump administration. Apparently he promised them access in exchange for a bag of bills. Now the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are demanding the FBI release that video. Let’s ask our Representatives in the House to demand the release of the “Homan Files”. Go here for a full rundown on this situation from Representative Jamie Raskin.

    On the Kimmel FreeSpeech Issue: Sinclair is refusing to put Kimmel back on their channels.  They own Channel 13 WGME (Portland) and  Channel 23WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville. Call their advertisers and tell them you will stop purchasing from them unless they pull their ads or Sinclair puts the show back on air. Boycotts Work!!

    Keep the heat on our Congressional Representatives (Especially Senator King) to demand that they only support a budget that restores Medicare Cuts be Restored, that the ACA’s tax credits be renewed which will prevent insurance premiums going up by 75%,  that the US Military be withdrawn from US cities, and the illegal abduction of immigrants cease or else they will vote against the Continuing Resolution to fund the budget. This means the government will be shut down. For a full discussion of what this means go here. The Senate needs 60 votes to pass this measure so Democrats have some power in the negotiations.

    Members of the MPA (Maine People’s Alliance) Federal Issues Group are working on a letter (see draft attached) that you can use as an email or script for these calls. I am hoping to set up a meeting with King’s office in Augusta for Thursday (hopefully) to present the letter. If you are interested in joining that meeting, let me know. If you wish to have your name attached to the letter please let me know as well.  Name and Town would be great. 

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    • Call on Representative Pingree and Golden to demand the release of the Homan Files:  According to reliable sources, the FBI has video of our man Homan accepting $50,000 in a Cava bag in return for a promise to give undercover agents Government Contracts once Trump gets back into office. Learn more here.
    • Call on Senator King and your Representative to pledge that they will vote against funding the Government until agreed upon demands are met:  Go here for a script for this call (Indivisible’s campaign on this) 5calls also has some background on this. For more background information go to “Care Over Cuts” For even more background go here. Check out the letter attached below as well.
    • If you are in the Portland Area and watch Channel 13 and Channel 23 (covers Waterville as well) it is Sinclair owned: See who advertises on the evening news. Call those businesses and let them know that if they don’t pull their ads – you will boycott their business, as these media stations have supported the firing of Kimmel. Sinclair has said they will not reinstate the Kimmel show at this point. Read this article that supports local boycotts as particularly effective.
    • Support efforts in your area for the homeless: Volunteer, donate, take action as this vulnerable group gets targeted by the administration.
    • Sign the petition to demand Fox fire Brian Kilmeade for his reprehensible comments about the homeless: Sign the petition here. If you are so moved you can write a Letter to the Editor, and/or call Fox Headquarters. Go here to get three different ways to contact Fox.
    • Sign the petition to ask the President of UMO to maintain their DEI policies: Universities are one of the pillars of our democracy and they must not cave to the racist and mysogynist preferences of our current government. State Universities are in the crosshairs. Let’s give Maine’s system the public support for showing a backbone. Go here to sign the petition.
    • Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot herenow. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).  

    Statewide Actions

    • Support the effort to boycott Sinclair Station local advertisers (Channels 13 and 23). If you get a list of the local advertisers for these two stations, please send them to me and I will add them to our action email tomorrow. Links or phone numbers with each advertiser would be great.
    • Support the effort to defeat the Voter ID referendum Question One, which takes away our right as Mainers to use absentee ballots. We can vote NO on Question 1, donate, and canvass to defeat this voter suppression initiative. Go to SaveAbsenteeMe to pledge to vote no, and sign up for canvassing in early October. Question One will have significant support as it is paired with the Red Flag initiative cited below.
    • Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
    • Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine on this Tuesday at the Waterville UU Church.  Poster ideas also attached below.
    • 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.
    • Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go 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. 
    • For statewide NoKings2 Actions go to the Activate Maine calendar, and Mobilize to see if there is an event planned near you for October 18th.  If there isn’t one within an hour’s drive plan one for your community!!
    • Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, Thursday, 9/25 Portland Bunker Brewing 6pm; Wednesday 10/1: Rockport, American Flatbread 6 pm; Thursday, 10/2, Brunswick, Curtis Memorial Library 6pm.  rsvp@tinyurl.com/grahamrsvp or go to Grahamforsenate.com

    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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    MORE ACTIONS

    *Consider supporting Graham Platner who has announced his run against Collins. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. His entry will force Mills to make a decision on her run. Volunteer here.

    *If you prefer, write your letter to Governor Mills thanking her for her stand against Trump, and her opening up Covid Vaccines for all,  and ask her to run against Collins. Hand written if possible.  Mail to: State House Station 1, Augusta, Maine, 04333. A primary between Mills and Platner would be awesome!

    *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. 

    With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere! 

    As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

    ~~Mid Maine Indivisible

    For a full discussion of why it is crucial that the Democrats vote to shut the Government Down at the end of   this month go to the Ezra Klein show on this subject here.

    From the Department of  “This Sounds Familiar”: Abscam, sometimes written ABSCAM, was a Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s that led to the convictions of seven members from both chambers of the United States Congress and others for bribery and corruption.[1] The two-year investigation initially targeted trafficking in stolen property and corruption of prominent business people, but later evolved into a corruptioninvestigation. The FBI was aided by the United States Department of Justice and convict Mel Weinberg in videotaping politicians accepting bribes from a fictitious Arabian company in return for various political favors.[2]

    More than 30 political figures were investigated, and six members of the United States House of Representatives and one member of the United States Senate were convicted.[3]   Wikipedia

  • Bold Coast Civic Alliance Action Items- Monday, September 22nd

    Please note: When I share petitions to sign, please keep in mind that signing petitions, while worth doing, is nowhere near as strong as reaching out as an individual. A thousand calls and letters make far more noise than one letter with a thousand signatures. (Puts me in mind of the wonderful scene in Miracle on 34th Streetwhen all those huge bags of letters to Santa are dragged into the courtroom to prove that Santa is real.)  

    Action Items to choose from (or do all of them: your choice!): Scroll down to the matching number of your option. 

    1)      Fight to save freedom of speech 

    2)      Fight for a fair budget 

    3)      Support the Restore Trust in Congress Act 

    4)      Speak up against Trump’s use of the DOJ as his political retaliation enforcers 

    5)      National NO KINGS protests on October 18th

    6)      Maine-specific Actions 

    Reminder: When you call vs when you email via our reps’ websites (best way to contact them in writing), don’t forget to begin with: “Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent calling from [zip code]. That is important, because if they don’t know you’re actually a constituent, your opinion will be ignored. 

    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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    Actions 

    1)  Fight to save freedom of speech

    (UPDATE-Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air, but SInclair is refusing to broadcast the show on their stations. If you live near a Sinclair station, like WGME in Portland, contact the station and tell them to air it. Note the advertisers and contact them. This is likely not the end of the story ~~I.B.)

          We need to speak up against the weaponization of the FCC under Brendan Carr who just pressured and threatened ABC and its parent company, Disney, to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show because he criticized MAGA people. Carr, sounding like a movie mob boss, actually said, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” This is government censorship—maybe not absolute according to the letter of the law, but any other way you look at it, that’s exactly what it is. Read more on the background of this issue here: https://5calls.org/issue/free-speech-suppression/ 

         Actions:  

    •      Contact Senators King and Collins and House Rep Jared Golden to demand the resignation (or firing) of Brendan Carr, and urge them to call for an investigation into the FCC meddling in the content business and the threats being made against broadcasters and networks. 
    •       Contact Disney CEO Bob Iger (phone: 310-890-5241; email: Robert.A.Iger@disney.com) and urge him to immediately reverse the suspension of the Jimmy Kimmel show. Disney stood up to Florida; now it needs to stand up the Trump administration. Disney has the money, the position, and the power to fight for freedom of speech. It doesn’t need to collaborate with a dictator. 
    •      Write to ABC about the same issue. Go to https://support.abc.com/hc/en-us, then click “Submit Programing Feedback” (just under the search bar). Tell them that you’re done with ABC until it stops kowtowing to a dictatorship, or whatever else you might want to say. Free Press also has a website to help you call your nearest ABC affiliate: https://act.freepress.net/call/kimmel-calls/ 
    •      Sign a petition: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/551/365/912 
    •      Speak with your wallet: Cancel all streaming subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu and let them know why you’re doing it. Find a vacation somewhere other than Disneyland, Disneyworld, Epcot, etc. Stop supporting Disney (see companies, below) until they straighten out their act. If you watch broadcast TV, see if your local station is owned by Sinclair or Nextar: If it is, watch the local newscast, note the businesses advertising on the show, and call those businesses to let them know you will boycott them until they pull their ads from that station. (It can feel difficult to boycott a local business, but it will have an impact). 

         A related action: Contact Fox News and demand that Brian Kilmeade be fired for his horrific on-air suggestion that the homeless should be be given involuntary lethal injections—in other words, that the way the handle the homeless problem is to kill them all. Why is he still on the air, when Jimmy Kimmel (who made no threats to anyone in the comment for which he was suspended) was summarily thrown off the air? Absolutely unconscionable.  

         Ways to contact Fox News: https://www.wikihow.com/Contact-Fox-News.  

         You can also sign this petitionhttps://www.change.org/p/fire-brian-kilmeade-for-his-harmful-comments-about-homeless-people 

          This would be a good opportunity for a Letter to the Editor! 

    2)  Fight for a fair budget

    ® If anyone in our group votes elsewhere and has a Democratic Senator, you need to urge them to hold strong and push Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to fight for a spending bill that protects healthcare AND puts meaningful checks on Trump. He must let the Republicans shut down the government rather than enable Trump further by giving him a de facto blank check on government spending. If the government shuts down because Republicans won’t come to the table on a bipartisan basis, Donald Trump and Republicans will be to blame, not the Democrats (though Trump and his lackeys will blame the Dems anyway). 

    ® For those of us who vote in Maine:  

                  · Contact Senator King, Senator Collins, and House Rep. Golden and tell them to summarily reject any federal budget deal that has no safeguards for preventing administration overreach (a blank check). No budget should be approved unless it includes a PERMANENT extension of the ACA premium tax credits, a reversal of all cuts to Medicaid, and strong guardrails to prevent Trump from cutting funding that Congress has allocated.  

                   Put extra pressure on Susan Collins. She needs to understand how much a government shutdown would hurt businesses, workers, and families in Maine. Tell her we can see clearly how Republicans are more focused on censoring free speech than on the real issues people need solved, like healthcare. It’s time for Susan Collins to step up and publicly commit to preventing a government shutdown by working with Democrats on a bipartisan budget deal. 

    The Constitution is clear: Under Article I, Section 9, Clause 7, no money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. That means Congress—not the President—decides how taxpayer dollars are spent. This is not a partisan issue. The balance of power depends on Congress defending its constitutional responsibility. We want our representatives in Congress to: 

    — Block unlawful rescissions or withholding of funds already approved by Congress— Require that any spending changes receive congressional approval and transparent reporting 

    — Prevent unchecked executive overreach that erodes the separation of powers. 

    3)  Support the Restore Trust in Congress Act

         Representatives Magaziner, Roy, Burchett, Ocasio-Cortez, and others have introduced a bipartisan bill called The Restore Trust in Congress Act that would ban Congressional stock trading.  

    ® Contact Senators King and Collins and urge them to support a companion bill in the Senate. This is legislation that is supported by voters across the partisan spectrum.  

    ® Contact Representative Golden to demand that he sign on to the Restore Trust in Congress Act as a co-sponsor.  

    ® Call Mike Johnson’s office (202-225-4000, or 318-840-0309, or 318-497-6610 or 337-423-4232). Give them your name and tell them that you’re calling him in his capacity as Speaker of the House. Tell them that you expect him to bring this bill up for a vote in the House. Banning members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children from owning, buying, or trading individual stocks and other banned assets while in office. This is popular legislation with constituents of both major parties. It would not look good for Johnson to obstruct this bill, especially after his crass blocking of the release of the Epstein files. 

    4)  Speak up against Trump’s use of the DOJ as his political retaliation enforcers: 

                  Contact our Senators and House Representative to tell them to object to Trump’s weaponizing of the DOJ. He is using the DOJ to go after those he perceived as political enemies, while simultaneously forcing it to shut down investigations into crimes committed by his allies. The Trump Administration is engaging in unprecedented corruption while simultaneously throwing working Americans under the bus. This illegal and unethical behavior has to stop. Urge Senators King and Collins and Rep. Golden to call for hearings into the DOJ’s shutting down of Tom Homan’s bribery case, demand an end to the baseless investigations into Trump’s enemies, and get to work on legislation to help Americans.

    5)  October 18th:  Another national NO KINGS protest. Be there! 

                  Ellsworth:  Noon to 1:30pm at City Hall and Main Street  

    Bangor:  Noon – 2pm at Broadway Park  

    6)   Maine Specific Actions: 

    1.      Keep fighting the proposed Voter ID law, Question 1 on the upcoming Nov 4th referendum. If you want to use an Absentee Ballot (not a bad idea even if you won’t be away—it’ll show how many people rely on this method of voting), you can request one now: https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.plVOTE NO on Question 1! 

    2.      Support the proposed Red Flag Law, Question 2 on the Nov 4th referendum. More info here: https://www.mainegunsafety.org/ . VOTE YES on Question 2! 

    3.      Sign the petition to ask the President of UMO to maintain their DEI policies: Universities must hold firm against the hateful overreach of our wannabe dictator. You can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/maintaining-dei-policies-at-university-of-maine-at-orono

    4.      Remind Governor Mills that she must make it clear—right now—that if MAGA-led states redraw maps, Maine will respond in kind. According to Indivisible, “that public signaling matters. It changes the risk calculation for red states.” If you want more talking points, you can go here: https://indivisible.org/resource/redistricting-coup-underway 

    Yours in Civic Action, 

    Bold Coast Civic Alliance

  • Action Tuesday, Sept. 23, Bangor: Weekly Vigils, Jamie Raskin, Jimmy Kimmel, and Mid Maine Indivisible

    Action Tuesday, Sept. 23, Bangor: Weekly Vigils, Jamie Raskin, Jimmy Kimmel, and Mid Maine Indivisible

    Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s call to action from us at Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible.

    AND new actions from Hancock Country Democrats (Action 165 – 9/18) and Bold Coast Civic Alliance (9/8).


    Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area! TODAY is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor and tomorrow is the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil.  


    Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?

    Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?

    Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!


    Voting Rights Forum with Congressman Jamie Raskin

    Former Speaker of the House and candidate for Governor Hannah Pingree and Congressman Jamie Raskin, one of the nations leading constitutional law experts, invite you to a critical forum on voting rights and the forces threatening our democracy in Maine and across the country.

    Friday, October 3rd, in Portland! RSVP required to receive venue address, which will be shared a week before the event. 


    ***Nationwide No Kings Protest!***
    ***October 18, 2025***
    ***Broadway Park, Bangor***
    Tell your friends!!!

    No Kings is a peaceful movement of millions of Americans from all walks of life rising up to make it clear: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. We never will. We’re organizing and taking action to defend each other and our communities, demand dignity, and say enough to all of the Trump administration’s power grabs.

    Millions of us took to the streets in June, and we’re doing it again on Saturday, October 18.

    The Indivisible Bangor protest will be at Broadway Park in Bangor at noon!

    Please bring non-perishables and personal care items for donations to local food cupboards.

    Click the link below for more info! And tell a friend! We want this to be even larger than June’s protest!


    We need volunteers for “No on 1”!!

    There are two canvassing opportunities in the Bangor/Brewer area coming up!!

    On Saturday, October 4, 2025 9:30 AM –  12:30 PM ET, there is a canvassing action in Orono from Webster Park. Launch event in Orono on Friday, October 3: :Join us to sign up for a canvassing event and learn more about Question 1!”

    And on Sunday, October 5, 2025 1:00 PM –  4:00 PM ET, there will be one in Brewer from the Food and Medicine building. Volunteers from the Graham Platner For Senate campaign will join in on this canvass, so we’ll be sure to cover a lot of ground!

    These are in addition to the many other canvassing actions happening throughout the state! Visit Save Maine Absentee Voting for more details!


    Volunteer on election day

    Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!


    Jimmy Kimmel

    The sacking of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC is another appeasement by Disney, the parent company of ABC. In December, “Trump reached a $16 million settlement with ABC…over remarks made on air by Stephanopoulos.” Donald Trump has also attacked and received money from Paramount, the parent company of CBS over a 60 Minutes story on Kamala Harris.

    On Thursday, “Trump suggested networks that give him bad publicity should ‘maybe’ have their licenses taken away.” Read the Washington Post gift article here (you may have to create a free WaPo account to read it).

    This is one more step in the administration’s quest to control the media and stifle dissent (and with the aid of Nexstar and Sinclair). Each capitulation by the media companies emboldens the administration. It is not unreasonable to conclude that the president may soon punish ordinary citizens (New York Times gift article).

    ALSO!!!

    Nexstar Media Group is the media company that is major player in this decision. It was announced last month that Nexstar is in the process of buying Tegna for $6.2 billion. Tegna owns channel 2, WLBZ (NBC)in Bangor and its sister station channel 6, WCSH (NBC) in Portland. Read the AP article here.

    Sinclair Broadcasting Group is the second largest tv station operator in the U.S. after Nexstar and is the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group. They own channels 13, WGME (CBS affiliate)Portland, and 23, WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville.

    Both Sinclair and Nexstar are conservative corporations that dictate the local news broadcasts, sometimes using the same scripts in their stations across the country.

    One of the most effective ways to make an impact is to boycott the companies that advertise on these stations. And not just boycotting them, but contacting them to let them know exactly why you aren’t buying their products. If you have a Sinclair or Nexstar station in your area, note the advertisers and call or email them. And tell your friends in other cities and towns who these companies are that are supporting Sinclair, Nexstar, and ABC/Disney.

    ***This just in! ABC/Disney has put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air!**

    However, Sinclair will not air the show. Read more here. Contact WGME in Portland and tell them you want Jimmy Kimmel back on their station. And contact their advertisers!

    Read more strategies in this article. This is not over and we can expect more censorship from the FCC and Donald Trump.


    CARE OVER CUTS: REINING IN THE TRUMP CHAOS

    Trump’s authoritarian rise is being funded by our tax dollars. The national Indivisible Project has everything you need to know about passing a federal budget by September 30th; how Republicans and Democrats must rein in Trump’s regime, protect access to healthcare, and take away his slush funds for terrorizing our communities; and what you can do.

    One way or another, the Trump regime’s weaponization of federal power – terrorizing communities, ripping away life-saving government services, and showering tax giveaways on the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of people already struggling to get by – must be stopped. Learn more about this fight below and take action to demand your Members of Congress take away Trump’s blank check to visit devastation on our communities, economy, and democracy.


    Join Indivisible Bangor!

    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 member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

    New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!


    Save Maine Absentee Voting

    There is a LOT of misinformation out there concerning Question 1, the voter suppression question that will be on the ballot THIS November.

    Help spread the word about how this is written to make voting more difficult for voters by restricting access to absentee ballots, a method of voting that thousands of us Mainers use every election.

    For instance, Question 1 will eliminate ongoing absentee ballots, even though this has been a boon for Maine seniors and Mainers with disabilities.

    Visit the Save Maine Absentee Voting site to learn more. Then speak to your friends, your family, your neighbors, and even strangers!

    And write a letter to the editor-there are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!


    Graham Platner in Brewer Thursday, October 9th

    “We’ll be at the Eastern Maine Labor Council Hall from 6:00pm-7:00pm on. I hope you’ll come and check out this movement we’re building to defeat Susan Collins and her multi-billionaire backers. Come out, ask questions, and bring a friend or three. I’ll see you there.”


    Make Some Calls!

    It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

    The telephone numbers to the four Maine representatives in Washington are always listed in this newsletter, but for those of you reading this who live in another state, the site 5calls.org is the best way to find the contact info for your reps. AND, they have a list of the important issues to discuss when calling. It’s a super source and it’s easy to remember! Call early and often!

    Write Some Emails!

    If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, visit our Direct Action page for the links that go right to their email option.


    California Redistricting Question-they need your help!

    The California redistricting question, Proposition 50, will be on their ballot this November. This is intended to be a voter-approved plan to counter the Trump-directed gerrymandering that Gov. Abbot enacted in Texas to give Republicans five more seats in the House. Missouri legislators are looking to do a similar action.

    If you’d like to help, there are phone banking opportunities! Help out our fellow Americans in California with their “Yes on 50” campaign from the comfort of your home here in beautiful Maine!

    Vote Forward has now started a letter writing campaign to reach voters in California on this issue, so if letter writing is more your speed, consider joining that campaign.


    One of our members has started a letter/petition to the President of the University of Maine at Orono to preserve their DEI policies.

    “As students, faculty, staff, and alumni of The University of Maine at Orono, and people who support universities maintaining their DEI policies, we urge you to do your utmost to preserve the DEI policies at the University of Maine at Orono. We understand the complications and dangers involved in doing so, and we also appreciate your efforts to continue these policies while changing DEI names to avoid negative consequences from the Trump administration. However, we are concerned that as pressures mount there may be more motivation to agree to changes in DEI policies in addition to name changes, and we are concerned that this would compromise the basic values that are at the foundations of this university. We appreciate the statements of Interim Dean of Students Andrea Gifford in her reassurance that the university’s DEI policies are not changing in spite of the name changes, and it is our hope that this continues.”

    The petition is open to signatures from anyone supportve of maintaining DEI policies at the university, regardless of whether or not you are affiliated with the school. Please sign! And please sign the second petition that applies to all universities in the U.S.


    We are on Blue Sky!

    Check us out on this social media site that is similar to that other one that has changed hands recently, but with less nonsense!

    Follow us! Invite your friends! You’ll be glad you did!


    The ACLU Maine has a “Know Your Rights” plan for students going back to school. “Politicians are attacking students’ and teachers’ rights throughout the country, including here in Maine – but as the Supreme Court ruled in 1969, students do not ‘shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.’” Click the button for these important details.


    We have an 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!

    ****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

    And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.


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

    And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!


    Action Tuesday September 23d: Keep the Heat on Senator King and Our Other Representatives to Vote Against Funding the Budget Unless Demands Are Met 

    Hi Folks, we do have a win.  ABC is putting Jimmy Kimmel back on air! Apparently there was an uproar in Hollywood and elsewhere over his firing. Sinclair and Nexstar have not reinstated his show. For a bit more information go here.

    Sinclair owns Channel 13 WGME in Portland. Call their advertisers and tell them you will stop purchasing from them unless they pull their ads or Sinclair puts the show back on air.

    Keep the heat on our Congressional Representatives (Especially Senator King) to demand that they only support a budget that restores Medicare Cuts be Restored, that the ACA’s tax credits be renewed which will prevent insurance premiums going up by 75%,  that the US Military be withdrawn from US cities, and the illegal abduction of immigrants cease or else they will vote against the Continuing Resolution to fund the budget. This means the government will be shut down. For a full discussion of what this means go here. The Senate needs 60 votes to pass this measure so Democrats have some power in the negotiations.

    Members of the MPA (Maine People’s Alliance) Federal Issues Group are working on a letter (see draft attached) that you can use as an email or script for these calls. I am hoping to set up a meeting with King’s office in Augusta for later in the week to present the letter. If you are interested in joining that meeting, let me know.

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    • Call on Senator King and your Representative to pledge that they will vote against funding the Government until agreed upon demands are met:  Go here for a script for this call (Indivisible’s campaign on this) 5calls also has some background on this. For more background information go to “Care Over Cuts” For even more background go here. Check out the letter attached below as well.
    • Support efforts in your area for the homeless: Volunteer, donate, take action as this vulnerable group gets targeted by the administration.
    • Sign the petition to demand Fox fire Brian Kilmeade for his reprehensible comments about the homeless: Sign the petition here. If you are so moved you can write a Letter to the Editor, and/or call Fox Headquarters. Go here to get three different ways to contact Fox.
    • Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot herenow. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).  

    Statewide Actions

    • Support the effort to defeat the Voter ID referendum Question One, which takes away our right as Mainers to use absentee ballots. We can vote NO on Question 1, donate, and canvass to defeat this voter suppression initiative. Go to SaveAbsenteeMe to pledge to vote no, and sign up for canvassing in early October. Question One will have significant support as it is paired with the Red Flag initiative cited below.
    • Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
    • Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine on this Tuesday at the Waterville UU Church.  Poster ideas also attached below.
    • Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go 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. 
    • For statewide NoKings2 Actions go to the Activate Maine calendar, and Mobilize to see if there is an event planned near you for October 18th.  If there isn’t one within an hour’s drive plan one for your community!!
    • Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, Thursday, 9/25 Portland Bunker Brewing 6pm; Wednesday 10/1: Rockport, American Flatbread 6 pm; Thursday, 10/2, Brunswick, Curtis Memorial Library 6pm.  rsvp@tinyurl.com/grahamrsvp or go to Grahamforsenate.com

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    MORE ACTIONS

    MORE ACTIONS

    *Consider supporting Graham Platner who has announced his run against Collins. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. His entry will force Mills to make a decision on her run. Volunteer here.

    *If you prefer, write your letter to Governor Mills thanking her for her stand against Trump, and her opening up Covid Vaccines for all,  and ask her to run against Collins. Hand written if possible.  Mail to: State House Station 1, Augusta, Maine, 04333. A primary between Mills and Platner would be awesome!

    *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

    For a full discussion of why it is crucial that the Democrats vote to shut the Government Down at the end of   this month go to the Ezra Klein show on this subject here.

    “It is incomprehensible to me, the fear that can affect men in political offices. It is shocking the way they submit to forces they know are wrong and fail to stand up for what they believe. Can their jobs be so important to them, their pres- tige, their power, their privileges so important that they will cooperate in the degradation of our society just to hang on to those jobs?”                                 

    ― Shirley ChisholmUnbought and Unbossed     

  • Action Monday, Sept. 22, Bangor: Call out Collins and Golden, Save Maine Absentee Voting, Jimmy Kimmel, and Mid Maine Indivisible

    Action Monday, Sept. 22, Bangor: Call out Collins and Golden, Save Maine Absentee Voting, Jimmy Kimmel, and Mid Maine Indivisible

    Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s call to action from us at Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible.

    There’s a lot today, so read all you can and take action! Included are specific steps you can take to address the authoritarian action against Jimmy Kimmel.

    AND new actions from Hancock Country Democrats (Action 165 – 9/18) and Bold Coast Civic Alliance (9/8).


    Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you? Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025? Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!


    Voting Rights Forum with Congressman Jamie Raskin

    Former Speaker of the House and candidate for Governor Hannah Pingree and Congressman Jamie Raskin, one of the nations leading constitutional law experts, invite you to a critical forum on voting rights and the forces threatening our democracy in Maine and across the country.

    Friday, October 3rd, in Portland! RSVP required to receive venue address, which will be shared a week before the event. 


    ***Nationwide No Kings Protest!***
    ***October 18, 2025***
    ***Broadway Park, Bangor***
    Tell your friends!!!

    No Kings is a peaceful movement of millions of Americans from all walks of life rising up to make it clear: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. We never will. We’re organizing and taking action to defend each other and our communities, demand dignity, and say enough to all of the Trump administration’s power grabs.

    Millions of us took to the streets in June, and we’re doing it again on Saturday, October 18.

    The Indivisible Bangor protest will be at Broadway Park in Bangor at noon!

    Please bring non-perishables and personal care items for donations to local food cupboards.

    Click the link below for more info! And tell a friend! We want this to be even larger than June’s protest!


    We need volunteers for “No on 1”!!

    There are two canvassing opportunities in the Bangor/Brewer area coming up!!

    On Saturday, October 4, 2025 9:30 AM –  12:30 PM ET, there is a canvassing action in Orono from Webster Park. Launch event in Orono on Friday, October 3: :Join us to sign up for a canvassing event and learn more about Question 1!”

    And on Sunday, October 5, 2025 1:00 PM –  4:00 PM ET, there will be one in Brewer from the Food and Medicine building. Volunteers from the Graham Platner For Senate campaign will join in on this canvass, so we’ll be sure to cover a lot of ground!

    These are in addition to the many other canvassing actions happening throughout the state! Visit Save Maine Absentee Voting for more details!


    Volunteer on election day

    Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!


    Jimmy Kimmel

    The sacking of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC is another appeasement by Disney, the parent company of ABC. In December, “Trump reached a $16 million settlement with ABC…over remarks made on air by Stephanopoulos.” Donald Trump has also attacked and received money from Paramount, the parent company of CBS over a 60 Minutes story on Kamala Harris.

    On Thursday, “Trump suggested networks that give him bad publicity should ‘maybe’ have their licenses taken away.” Read the Washington Post gift article here (you may have to create a free WaPo account to read it).

    This is one more step in the administration’s quest to control the media and stifle dissent (and with the aid of Nexstar and Sinclair). Each capitulation by the media companies emboldens the administration. It is not unreasonable to conclude that the president may soon punish ordinary citizens (New York Times gift article).

    ALSO!!!

    Nexstar Media Group is the media company that is major player in this decision. It was announced last month that Nexstar is in the process of buying Tegna for $6.2 billion. Tegna owns channel 2, WLBZ (NBC)in Bangor and its sister station channel 6, WCSH (NBC) in Portland. Read the AP article here.

    Sinclair Broadcasting Group is the second largest tv station operator in the U.S. after Nexstar and is the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group. They own channels 13, WGME (CBS affiliate)Portland, and 23, WPFO (FOX affiliate)Portland – Waterville.

    Both Sinclair and Nexstar are conservative corporations that dictate the local news broadcasts, sometimes using the same scripts in their stations across the country.

    Contact ABC, Nexstar, and Sinclair and let them know this is wrong. Contact your senators and congressperson as well.

    One of the most effective ways to make an impact is to boycott the companies that advertise on these stations. And not just boycotting them, but contacting them to let them know exactly why you aren’t buying their products. If you have a Sinclair or Nexstar station in your area, note the advertisers and call or email them. And tell your friends in other cities and towns who these companies are that are supporting Sinclair, Nexstar, and ABC/Disney.

    Read more strategies in this article. More to come.


    CARE OVER CUTS: REINING IN THE TRUMP CHAOS

    Trump’s authoritarian rise is being funded by our tax dollars. The national Indivisible Project has everything you need to know about passing a federal budget by September 30th; how Republicans and Democrats must rein in Trump’s regime, protect access to healthcare, and take away his slush funds for terrorizing our communities; and what you can do.

    One way or another, the Trump regime’s weaponization of federal power – terrorizing communities, ripping away life-saving government services, and showering tax giveaways on the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of people already struggling to get by – must be stopped. Learn more about this fight below and take action to demand your Members of Congress take away Trump’s blank check to visit devastation on our communities, economy, and democracy.


    Join Indivisible Bangor!

    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 member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

    New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!


    Save Maine Absentee Voting

    There is a LOT of misinformation out there concerning Question 1, the voter suppression question that will be on the ballot THIS November.

    Help spread the word about how this is written to make voting more difficult for voters by restricting access to absentee ballots, a method of voting that thousands of us Mainers use every election.

    For instance, Question 1 will eliminate ongoing absentee ballots, even though this has been a boon for Maine seniors and Mainers with disabilities.

    Visit the Save Maine Absentee Voting site to learn more. Then speak to your friends, your family, your neighbors, and even strangers!

    And write a letter to the editor-there are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!


    Graham Platner in Brewer Thursday, October 9th

    “We’ll be at the Eastern Maine Labor Council Hall from 6:00pm-7:00pm on. I hope you’ll come and check out this movement we’re building to defeat Susan Collins and her multi-billionaire backers. Come out, ask questions, and bring a friend or three. I’ll see you there.”


    Make Some Calls!

    It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

    The telephone numbers to the four Maine representatives in Washington are always listed in this newsletter, but for those of you reading this who live in another state, the site 5calls.org is the best way to find the contact info for your reps. AND, they have a list of the important issues to discuss when calling. It’s a super source and it’s easy to remember! Call early and often!

    Write Some Emails!

    If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, visit our Direct Action page for the links that go right to their email option.


    California Redistricting Question-they need your help!

    The California redistricting question, Proposition 50, will be on their ballot this November. This is intended to be a voter-approved plan to counter the Trump-directed gerrymandering that Gov. Abbot enacted in Texas to give Republicans five more seats in the House. Missouri legislators are looking to do a similar action.

    If you’d like to help, there are phone banking opportunities! Help out our fellow Americans in California with their “Yes on 50” campaign from the comfort of your home here in beautiful Maine!

    Vote Forward has now started a letter writing campaign to reach voters in California on this issue, so if letter writing is more your speed, consider joining that campaign.


    One of our members has started a letter/petition to the President of the University of Maine at Orono to preserve their DEI policies.

    “As students, faculty, staff, and alumni of The University of Maine at Orono, and people who support universities maintaining their DEI policies, we urge you to do your utmost to preserve the DEI policies at the University of Maine at Orono. We understand the complications and dangers involved in doing so, and we also appreciate your efforts to continue these policies while changing DEI names to avoid negative consequences from the Trump administration. However, we are concerned that as pressures mount there may be more motivation to agree to changes in DEI policies in addition to name changes, and we are concerned that this would compromise the basic values that are at the foundations of this university. We appreciate the statements of Interim Dean of Students Andrea Gifford in her reassurance that the university’s DEI policies are not changing in spite of the name changes, and it is our hope that this continues.”

    The petition is open to signatures from anyone supportve of maintaining DEI policies at the university, regardless of whether or not you are affiliated with the school. Please sign! And please sign the second petition that applies to all universities in the U.S.


    We are on Blue Sky!

    Check us out on this social media site that is similar to that other one that has changed hands recently, but with less nonsense!

    Follow us! Invite your friends! You’ll be glad you did!


    The ACLU Maine has a “Know Your Rights” plan for students going back to school. “Politicians are attacking students’ and teachers’ rights throughout the country, including here in Maine – but as the Supreme Court ruled in 1969, students do not ‘shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.’” Click the button for these important details.


    We have an 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!

    ****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

    And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.


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

    And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!


    Action Monday September 21st: Contact King and Collins to Vote for the Democratic Budget Resolution + Ask Them to Speak Out Against the Violation of Freedom of Speech

    Hi Folks, it’s the Autumnal Equinox. Days and Nights are equal. A good time to balance eggs. It’s a fun thing to do with kids. Or just to test your calmness.

    This will also test your calmness:  Congress voted on the Continuing Resolution to fund the budget.  In the House Pingree voted against the Republican Bill and Golden voted FOR it. (remember he learned to play this game from Ms. Collins). In the Senate, King voted FOR the Democratic version of the bill, Collins voted FOR the Republican and against the Democratic Version.

    Call out Collins and Golden for voting against the interests of Mainers. Ask the whole delegation to demand that Medicare Cuts be Restored, that the ACA’s tax credits be renewed which will prevent insurance premiums going up by 75%, and that the US Military be withdrawn from US cities, or else they will vote against the Continuing Resolution to fund the budget. This means the government will be shut down. For a full discussion of what this means go here. The Senate needs 60 votes to pass this measure so Democrats have some power in the negotiations.

    If you are incensed about the firing of Jimmy Kimmel from ABC’s late night spot because of threatening statements by FCC Chair Brendan Carr, and the abject cowardice and greed of the ABC affiliates, make calls to your Congress People; background at 5calls.org. And, if you have a Nexstar or Sinclair TV station in your area, let local advertisers for the news know that you will boycott their store for advertising with this company (unless Kimmel is reinstated) if they don’t pull their ads. See more in this article, “Longtime TV weatherman reveals ‘effective tool’ Americans have to stop Trump’s censorship.”

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    • Call on Senator King and your Representative to pledge that they will vote against funding the Government until agreed upon demands are met:  Go here for a script for this call (Indivisible’s campaign on this) 5calls also has some background on this. For more background information go to “Care Over Cuts” For even more background go here
    • If you have a Nexstar or Sinclair station in your area: See who advertises on the evening news. Call those businesses and let them know that if they don’t pull their ads – you will boycott their business, as these media stations have supported the firing of Kimmel. WGME(13) in Portland is owned by Sinclair
    • Support efforts in your area for the homeless: Volunteer, donate, take action as this vulnerable group gets targeted by the administration.
    • Sign the petition to demand Fox fire Brian Kilmeade for his reprehensible comments about the homeless: Sign the petition here. If you are so moved you can write a Letter to the Editor, and/or call Fox Headquarters. Go here to get three different ways to contact Fox.
    • Sign the petition to ask the President of UMO to maintain their DEI policies: Universities are one of the pillars of our democracy and they must not cave to the racist and mysogynist preferences of our current government. State Universities are in the crosshairs. Let’s give Maine’s system the public support for showing a backbone. Go here to sign the petition.
    • Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot herenow. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).  

    Statewide Actions

    • Support the effort to defeat the Voter ID referendum Question One, which takes away our right as Mainers to use absentee ballots. We can vote NO on Question 1, donate, and canvass to defeat this voter suppression initiative. Go to SaveAbsenteeMe to pledge to vote no, and sign up for canvassing in early October. Question One will have significant support as it is paired with the Red Flag initiative cited below.
    • Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
    • Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine on this Tuesday at the Waterville UU Church.  Poster ideas also attached below.
    • 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.
    • Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go 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. 
    • For statewide NoKings2 Actions go to the Activate Maine calendar, and Mobilize to see if there is an event planned near you for October 18th.  If there isn’t one within an hour’s drive plan one for your community!!

    TODAY’S ACTION (s)

    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 Representative: 
    By nameHere
    By district: Here

    MORE ACTIONS

    *Consider supporting Graham Platner who has announced his run against Collins. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. His entry will force Mills to make a decision on her run. Volunteer here.

    *If you prefer, write your letter to Governor Mills thanking her for her stand against Trump, and her opening up Covid Vaccines for all,  and ask her to run against Collins. Hand written if possible.  Mail to: State House Station 1, Augusta, Maine, 04333. A primary between Mills and Platner would be awesome!

    *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

    For a full discussion of why it is crucial that the Democrats vote to shut the Government Down at the end of   this month go to the Ezra Klein show on this subject here.

    “At the end of the day, laughter is what connects us as human beings.”

    “Laughter is medicine, and the world is always in need of a prescription.”   Jimmy Kimmel