A Change in Tone, Littleton
You may have noticed, those of you who have been reading these posts, that on March 25th, they took a decidedly different tone.
That’s because, on March 25th, I handed in nomination papers, and my name would be placed on the May 11th ballot.
On March 25th, I became a candidate for local office.
On the 22nd, the previous Friday, at 4:55 PM, after waiting in the hallway outside the Town Clerk’s office for an hour hoping that anyone might step up and run against Chuck, I saw pulling nomination papers as a fait accompli and accepted it for what it was: the next logical step in my very not-boring life.
And from that moment, I held myself out as a single-issue candidate: one hellbent on ending poverty in Littleton.
How did this come about?
Last March, I shared my anti-poverty idea with Chuck, who quoted scripture last night, because I thought he’d be warm to my anti-poverty idea—because he’s the sort of guy who would quote scripture at Candidates’ Night.
Last March, Chuck didn’t even have to “court” this (benevolent) business. It came to him.
My idea was this: Since the license to sell recreational cannabis has to go to someone, why not award it to someone who promises to pay workers twice minimum wage and promises to give all the profits to the poor here in town?
A few months later, in early summer, I circled back to Chuck and asked for help in getting in touch with David Giannetta (holder of recreational cannabis license whose HCA Chuck negotiated, 10-year term with estimated profits in the one million dollar range/per year) and with Jason Sidman (holder of expired HCA with Select Board {also negotiated by Chuck} and, nevertheless, the recent recipient of a renewed Special Permit, via the Planning Board, to continue to grow cannabis right here in Littleton).
In July, I walked the Russell Street track with Mark and met Karen for lunch (went Dutch) and told them what I’d told Chuck. Then, in August, I spoke to Gary on the phone.
All summer and fall, I pressed copies of POVERTY, BY AMERICA into the hands of town leaders and several Rotary members, some of whom were at Candidates’ Night last night.
I was clear with my plan. I told people in places of leadership and active community members that “when the Apothecary’s special permit runs in September, I’m going to apply for the license. I will pay my employees twice minimum wage and 100% of the profits will go into the hands of Littletonians living in poverty.”
Now, I’m not going to recap what I wrote between November 16th (Day One of sixty-seven consecutive daily posts) and March 16th (the last post before pulling papers for Select Board).
It’s all here.
You can read it if you’ve not already.
Since March 25th, I’ve been a candidate for Select Board with the objective of ending local poverty.
In my posts since then, I’ve shared office hours, I’ve shared my candidate’s “lawn sign,” I’ve shared a non-fiction reading list, I’ve shared a fiction reading list, I’ve shared movies that made strong impressions on me.
A “get to know the candidate” for those who might just be hearing about me. Maybe people new to town or teenagers voting for the first time.
So, here’s where I’d start in the fight to end local poverty:
With a policy change, which might read something like this:
In the issuance of licenses to sell alcohol or recreational cannabis, the Select Board shall give preference to those businesses that commit to tow things: 1. paying their employees at least twice minimum wage and 2. giving 100% of its profits to impoverished Littletonians.
That’s it.
Just a simple preference.
Enshrined in policy.
Littleton’s Select Board is the policy-making board.
Back in January, town counsel came before the Select Board and told the board that it needed to adopt a “social equity policy” for the town that would give “preference”—in policy—to some applicants over others, based on “social equity” markers, when awarding one of Littleton’s two recreational cannabis licenses.
This, however, was not the first time that town counsel had brought this policy matter to the Select Board. Last August, the Select Board packets contained a couple of examples of other towns’ already adopted “social equity policies” and a draft policy for the Select Board to sign.
Seven months ago.
They didn’t sign it in August, they didn’t sign anything in January, and they haven’t signed anything yet.
I believe the deadline to adopt this “social equity policy” as it pertains to cannabis licensing in Littleton is May 1st. I don’t see this happening on time.
Policy is important to me, because, as you see above, policy can be used for good.
On May 11th, your vote for me is a vote to end local poverty and a way to show the leadership in town that Littletonians want this policy change.
We can End Local Poverty,
Jenna