Katie Simpson, Office Manager for Senator Collins Today in Portland.
Northe Saunders With His Son, Thomas 2 l/2, At the Protest Today.
Ashley McCurry with Her Daughter, Kennedy, 2 l/2, on Her Shoulder.
Fifty parents with their young children, probably the same ages of those locked up in cages on the southern border with Mexico. descended on Senator Susan Collins’ (R) office in downtown Portland with questions – they had questions galore and came away with no answers. That’s because Katie Simpson, office manager, is not a policy person she advised everyone. She would pass our comments and questions on to the Senator. No answers would be forthcoming today – or probably ever.
Senator Collins’ approval numbers have been dramatically descending ever since she voted in favor of Justice Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court – with a pathetic justification supporting her vote. Prior to that mistake of hers, she supported the Trump Tax Plan that benefits large corporations and not her constituents. She did not support the Affordable Care Act either.
Collins ignored and did not attend a recent Portland meeting called by Mayor Strimling on the recent influx of immigrants here. Her representative, Katie Simpson, attended but had no message to deliver on behalf of her employer when asked to speak. Both Governor Mills and Congresswoman Pingree attended and spoke. Collins’ lack of interest was the message to Portlanders.
Collins’ failure to speak out on the child abuse occurring in our southern border is the latest in the list of offenses that threaten her re-election next fall. Democrats regard her as a vulnerable candidate for re-election. The outrage by the nation and Mainers on her failure to speak out on this child abuse has only added to that vulnerability. Several years ago, columnist Bill Nemitz wrote in the “Portland Press Herald” that Collins would have more power now. Why doesn’t she use it? Trump won’t like it. That’s why!
Katie Riley and Fionna Nilsson. (If I’ve got Them Switched, my Apologies)!
“The reason I am involved is because I am a mother and have a daughter. If you took my daughter, Kennedy, away, I could not manage my emotions,” said Ashley McCurry, executive director of Emerge Maine. “If I had a child in a cage, I would do everything possible to get him out and we need the Senator to publicly acknowledge the problem and develop a plan to fix it,” Northe Saunders said. (See above left photo).
Eve Raimon asked: “What is the Senator’s policy on separation of children from their parents? No answer. No surprise.
This blogger asked why couldn’t we meet with a policy person who could give us some answers to our questions. No answer. No surprise. She’s the office manager.
Fionna Nilsson said: “The only thing that separates us from mothers at the border is chance.”
“The inhumane conditions are the product of a cruel and intentional strategy by the Trump administration to terrorize the immigrant communities, traumatize immigrants and dismantle our asylum laws,” said Maria Fallayttar, Executive Director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership, a non-profit organization. “From warehousing children in inhumane detention centers, threatening independent raids to breaking up families, and covering up reports of migrants dying in US custody, we must come together to permanently end family detention and separation, ensure all families are reunited and close the camps,” she concluded.
“We’re making plans to celebrate our country during a holiday when we normally feel patriotic. How can we feel pride in our country when we are placing children in concentration camps all over the country.?” asked McCurry (See above right photo)
Collins is doing a 180 and Maine voters are watching.