News release
March 19, 2025 (Brewer, ME) ━ One by one, a diverse group of Mainers including a fired federal worker, business and fishing groups, a veteran, and a SNAP participant spoke about the real-world harm that has been inflicted by the chaotic decision-making of the Trump Administration.
Ocean Crawford, a mother of three from Bangor who is earning her degree from Eastern Maine Community College said, “My children have benefited greatly from MaineCare for all their medical needs as well as dental. SNAP has provided not only nutrition but supported their physical and mental wellbeing. These programs are for the children. Children are our future.”
The speakers who gathered in Brewer today put a face to the constant stream of headlines about the ongoing actions by the federal government to block, freeze, and reverse critical federal investments and eliminate staff positions.
A letter signed by 39 local organizations and businesses including Luke’s Lobster, local nonprofit organizations, alewife harvesters, organized labor, and the Maine Medical Association was also sent to Maine’s Congressional delegation urging them to protect Maine from indiscriminate funding cuts and firings.
“Without adequate staffing, the visitor experience at Acadia National Park could suffer. Visitors could see longer lines, unclean restrooms, closed campgrounds, and overflowing trash cans,” said Everal Eaton, Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. “At the Bar Harbor Chamber, some of our business members are concerned about how this could impact their bottom line this season and beyond.”
“Unfortunately, current sweeping cuts — without a solid plan in place — have near-term unintended consequences that could be devastating for Maine’s fishing and seafood businesses — a negative impact on Maine’s economy and communities, and a loss of seafood on our dinner plates and school lunch menus,” said Jill Harlow of the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association. “We are hopeful that, with the continued steadfast support of Maine’s delegation, there will be opportunities to make changes to achieve better outcomes for Maine’s small fishing businesses and the families they support.”
The Mainers who spoke as part of the roundtable all asked Maine’s Congressional delegation to act more urgently to protect workers, families, and small businesses from further harm by choosing Maine people over tax breaks for billionaires and preserving the constitutional role of Congress to make decisions about spending for their constituents.
“I believe there is no higher calling than public service. It allows me to do the work I love for the people of Maine,” said wildlife biologist Tessa Corsetti. “This experience has been extremely wasteful and deeply traumatic. Wildlife management and conservation play a vital role in supporting Maine’s economy and culture, and much of this work is done by civil servants. Federal agencies are being gutted, and the policies that protect wildlife and our public lands are under threat. Who will protect these precious resources if not us?”
“The deep cuts to staff and programs at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services will jeopardize the fragile progress we are beginning to see on the Opioid Crisis,” said Scott Gagnon, who used to connect Mainers to mental health and substance abuse resources. “With deep cuts to Regional Offices and 988 staff, states like Maine will be left without federal support for maintaining and growing the 988 Suicide Prevention hotline. This puts lives at risk.”
“People can’t just say they support the troops to be patriotic and feel good. We actually require support, and this is one area where we currently need support and action to help us ensure we can maintain a certain quality of life for our families,” said Allen White, Air Force veteran and former employee at Togus VA Medical Center. “What is being done is fundamentally wrong, and there needs to be some type of accountability to the veterans who were wrongfully terminated.”
