To the Editor:

I am writing to enthusiastically support Mia Sacks for Princeton Council.

Mia’s depth of experience in social justice is evident from her remarkably impressive professional resume, but I know Mia in a different context: as a supremely committed, civically-engaged Princeton resident. Mia and I met seven years ago when our children started school at Littlebrook together. As a new Princeton resident, I quickly came to realize that Mia was the person to turn to with any question about local governance. Wondering about the supplier of our public school lunches? Mia was on the committee that worked to identify a more nutritious, environmentally responsible meals provider. Want to learn how to lower the district school buildings’ energy use? Mia was chair of the Princeton Green Schools Coalition and brought state officials to town to present options. Curious about the town’s new sustainability plan? As a Sustainable Princeton board member, Mia has been an integral part of developing the Climate Action Plan for Princeton. Want to learn about the schools’ focus on wellness? Mia helped write the new PPS Wellness Policy and has been working with Wellness Committees in the individual schools to conduct CDC health and wellness evaluations. Unable to stay at the school board meeting/town council meeting/planning board meeting until midnight to hear the outcome of the debate? Text Mia: she undoubtedly stayed to the bitter end, and has an expert’s understanding of all the policy nuances.

Municipal governance can often be seen as a thankless task. Council members devote long, unpaid hours to addressing questions and deciding on policies that some people, in an age when national and international politics occupies so much of our attention, may dismiss as trivial. But this perspective misses the big picture. As both a Princeton resident and someone who studies local government law, I believe that electing dedicated, inspiring local leadership is one of the most powerful opportunities we as a town have to make a positive difference in our own lives and those of our local and global neighbors. Committed public servants like Mia — professionals who have committed their lives to social justice and who see the critical connections between the day-to-day decisions of town governance and the most pressing international issues of our time — are an invaluable asset to all of us. Mia has already demonstrated her remarkable commitment to both international justice and local, participatory democracy. Her zeal for digging into the details of local policy, together with her ability to see the connections between those details and the big, important picture, make her an outstanding candidate for our town council. I strongly urge Princeton residents to join me in voting for Mia in the June 4th Democratic primary.

Jane Manners
Wheatsheaf Lane