Golden Hosts Town Halls, Roundtables Across Second District
Over July district work period, Golden hears from Mainers in Penobscot, Washington, Franklin, Hancock, and Androscoggin Counties.
LEWISTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) held three roundtables, a town hall, and two coffee hours over a busy July district work period last week. Golden has made it a priority to hear directly from the Mainers he represents, visiting more than 50 towns and cities in the Second District during his first six months in office.
On Monday morning, Congressman Golden met with the Greater Franklin Development Council for a roundtable discussion on growing and expanding small businesses in Franklin County. At the roundtable, the congressman talked with local small businesses owners about how to better connect them with Small Business Administration (SBA) lending, mentorship, and other resources. Later in the week, Golden held a similar roundtable with New Mainer small business owners at his Lewiston office. The congressman met with both new and seasoned small business owners from Maine's immigrant communities to discuss the resources available through the SBA and what his staff can do to connect these important small businesses.
Later that day, Congressman Golden held a town hall in East Millinocket where he discussed ways to grow Maine's economy in rural areas. Together, Golden and the audience talked about the importance of broadband access for rural Maine and the need for workforce development to attract new businesses to towns like East Millinocket and Lincoln.
Tuesday morning, Congressman Golden met with doctors and health care professionals for a healthcare roundtable in Bangor. They discussed strategies to lower health care costs and work towards universal, affordable coverage for all Americans.
Wednesday took Golden to the Blue Hill Peninsula, where he held an open coffee hour for local residents at the Blue Hill Public Library. He also met with local small business leaders and workers in Stonington, including Greenhead Lobster, Fin & Fern, and the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries later in the day.
Golden ended his day in Stonington meeting with lobstermen from several different communities. The group discussed the impacts of NOAA's proposed regulations on Maine's lobstering community, as well as next steps to fight back against implementation of the new rules.
