Letter from Marvin Gilmore, 26 Mt. Vernon Street, in support of the compromise submitted by Councillor Simmons on economic empowerment cannabis applicants

Good Evening Everyone. My name is Marvin Gilmore, I reside at 26 Mount Vernon Street and I am a proud African American man who is the grandson of slaves. In my professional life since the war, I have been involved in many different efforts to encourage economic empowerment among the black community, and now, at 95 years young, l am here as an Economic Empowerment Applicant seeking to enter the Cannabis industry. Her in Cambridge, we have a chance to meaningfully include communities of color in a new and exciting business. However, respectfully to all parties, the various sides that have dominated the debate have overlooked the realities and real world impacts these proposed policies have on businesses like mine, Western Front, LLC. The bulk of our money has been spent paying rent on buildings for months, sitting idle without build-out or ability to file state applications. The rest has gone to lawyers, architects and other associated fees. These are real -- not insignificant ---costs. As you can appreciate, for a black small business owner, time and money come in very short supply. That is why, on behalf of the majority of the local, Cambridge-based, state-certified Economic Empowerment Applicants --- most of whom are here tonight --- we wholeheartedly support the further compromise brought forward by Councilor Simmons.

I won't belabor the fine points of the amendment here, but this amendment gives Economic Empowerment applicants what they need - -- access to capital and operational support. Councilor Simmons' amendment is a real solution to the problems faced by me and other Economic Empowerment applicants. This amendment is a thoughtful way to provide much needed funds and support so that Economic Empowerment applicants can actually enter the business, open retail Cannabis establishment and prosper. This amendment can, and should, be a national model for how equity is achieved through collaboration. I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, AND I WIL SAY IT AGAIN. I AM HERE TO TELL EACH OF YOU, THAT THE WAY WE START RESOLVING ISSUES AROUND EQUITY IS BY WORKING TOGETHER, NOT AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. THIS MEANS ALL OF US, ALL ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTS APPLICANTS, ALL RMDS AND ALL CITY OFFICIALS. THIS AMENDMENT PROVIDES A PATHWAY TO A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EXISTING RMDS AND THE HOPEFUL ECONOMIC

EMPOWERMENT APPLICANTS. I BELIEVE THIS PARTNERSHIP IS NEEDED, AND IN THIS COUNTRY, IT IS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER. I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND I URGE ALL OF YOU TO VOTE UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOR OF COUNCILOR SIMMONS' AMENDMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.