I am deeply disappointed in Rep. Jared Golden due to his recent mischaracterization of Indivisible. (Full disclosure: I am both a member of Indivisible and I made a small contribution to his last election campaign.)

I have not been given any money, dark or light, by Indivisible or George Soros. When I need supplies for my work with this organization, it comes out of my pocket (which isn’t very deep).

I joined Indivisible because of the policies of the Trump administration. They threaten my ability to live indoors and eat regularly. At 77, Social Security forms the major part of my income and it is under threat from budget cuts, employee layoffs and crashing of its computer system due to DOGE actions. As a veteran, they threaten services to me and my fellow veterans. They threaten my future.

At some point in time I will no longer be able to live on my own and will need a nursing home. My current income would allow me to spend only a few days in a nursing home. The solution would be for me to go onto Medicaid. This administration is trying to craft a budget that would cut billions from this program for the poor and elderly. The tariffs threaten my modest lifestyle and my current livelihood.

I work part time at a small business where the overwhelming majority of the parts we use to repair customers’ possessions must be sourced from China. Other policies threaten to shorten my life, such as delaying the COVID vaccine, cutting clean air standards and ending research into workplace safety. Finally, there are the policies that I find immoral and unethical such as denial of due process, silencing student protests, cutting staff for hurricane forecasting and more.

Rep. Golden’s worrying about my local chapter’s connection to the national organization is foolish at best. Indivisible national is not a sinister organization trying to sow division. Its power comes from the actions of the local chapters.

My local chapter of Indivisible is not under the control of the national group. It does not tell us what to do or what to think. We are Mainers, after all. Each chapter is free to take part in an action or not.

I and other members of the group will refer to the national website (notice we refer when we need to) on how to do something, as none of us is a professional organizer. Just as when I built a shed, I looked things up and used the information to build what I needed. We use the information from the website to create a unique something our group needs.

Indivisible is not against bipartisanship. In fact, we wish there were bipartisanship on issues like the president or any of his designees cannot cut or withhold funds that have been appropriated by Congress. What I am against is the specific things you supported. The SAVE Act is a solution to a nonexistent problem. Trump’s approach to tariffs is destructive to our economy as well as world trade. A targeted approach to tariffs, on a specific industry or specific country, can be sound policy.

I find Rep. Golden’s reasons for not holding question-and-answer type town halls to be weak-kneed and pitiful.

The reason he is getting so many requests for town halls from both Indivisible members and nonmembers is the sweeping changes by the Trump administration that are affecting people’s lives. We know we can contact your office and tell you what we think. We want to know what you think. We don’t want mealy mouthed talking points. Why did you do what you did? How can you help us? Perhaps having a respectful exchange with your constituents may change your mind.

To paraphrase Harry Truman: Rep. Golden, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.