Hailey Morton Levinson and Shelby Scharp
Recorded
December 5, 2023
Archived
December 5, 2023
01:11:02
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
osh000118
Description
One Small Step conversation partners Hailey Morton Levinson (38) and Shelby Scharp (47) sit down for a conversation in person at the Teton County Library. Both women work in hospitality for family owned and run businesses, are mothers, wives, and involved in local organizations: Hailey as the mayor of the Town of Jackson and Shelby as a member of the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board.Subject Log / Time Code
Hailey Morton Levinson (HML) and Shelby Scharp (SS) each express why they wanted to have this conversation. SS says she thinks the community is very divided and she wants to be more a part of the community. HML believes all people want to live healthy and happily.
SS ask HML about growing up in Jackson and her family’s history in hospitality. Her parents own and she manages The Inn on the Creek (in Jackson, Wyoming).
SS talks about her upbringing in Steamboat, CO and her family’s business and how she came to run a family business (a guest ranch) with her husband in Jackson Hole, WY as an adult.
SS talks about her god grandmother, Hazie Werner, who worked in a sporting goods store, grew worms in her basement, and sent all three kids to the Olympics. Through tears, SS tells a story about how Hazie taught her to make room for everyone, have patience and grit, and to grow old gracefully in the place that you love.
HML talks about her maternal grandmother, Sally Rugg, (born in 1927) who persevered after losing her first born child and then her husband while pregnant and raising a one year old. She also taught her that politics is “how you look out for each other”.
HML mentions the raid of the ‘90s when federal immigration agents took all of the Latinos in Jackson Hole. She was only 10 and remembers the stress and fear when the staff at the motel her parents owned disappeared. Federal politics influence the local community. And as a town council member she now has influence over that and doesn’t want to see people treated that way.
SS talks about getting Rush Limbaugh’s book for Christmas as a kid, which now does not resonate with her, but did at one time. Family owned businesses make communities and are full of potential. Uncapped growth is a principle on the right.
HML asks SS if she would like to see less regulation knowing that it's the big businesses that will out compete the small businesses.
SS talks about her idea of capitalism and that in the town of Jackson it's a dirty word.
HML talks about the juxtaposition between her two jobs: as innkeeper and as mayor. She serves breakfast to people who are happy to be here and listens to people who are unhappy about what’s happening here at town council meetings.
SS talks about buying 50 acres of “raw” land in Argentina and building a house all by themselves without needing any permits. “It felt like 1890” building a home and growing personally. And now that they are building a home in Jackson “the amount of regulation is unfathomable.”
HML talks about her political values; people are generally trying to do the right thing, but she thinks the tendency towards self interest will always win out. So she hears the frustration that things are over regulated, but things are not fair. The role of government is to level the playing field.
SS feels exhausted by national politics and is baffled by people who have the news on all the time.
HML mentions how people in Jackson don’t talk about the news or politics, but the small talk chit chat is about the weather and what sports you do.
SS feels disheartened that she’s seen local politics change in the last decade. Where once the community voted for the person, now they vote for the party. HML talks about running for office 3 times (in ‘12, ‘16, & ‘20) in a nonpartisan election and seeing how politicized the races have become.
HML says she agrees with SS’s views on capitalism but more on a lighter side. SS respects HML for her hard work as mayor.
Participants
- Hailey Morton Levinson
- Shelby Scharp