8/2/2021

Aug 2, 2021

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            What time is it on your Infrastructure Clock? It seems to be heading in a good direction. I hope it includes some $$ for the pavement research that we are doing at UCD. We’ve got a lot of heavy equipment that allows us to test out various asphalt formulations to see which ones lead to greater fuel efficiency. Isn’t that cool?

            I’m sure you know that Rep. Cori Bush spent some nights sleeping on the steps of the Capitol this weekend to draw attention to the plight of renters who may be evicted now that the CV moratorium is up. I was disappointed that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch failed to report on her action. Please call her to see how she’s doing.

            I have had only one night in my life where I had to sleep on a city street & it was due to stupidity rather than poverty. It was in Cadiz, Spain & I had to sleep outside of the train station so I would be on the 6:00 AM train to Madrid. Suffice it to say that I did not sleep well.

            My heart sinks when I consider how many people in the world do not have a safe, comfortable home, when so many in the USA have an excess of space. In addition to addressing the needs of the unhoused US citizens, I hope you continue to advocate for refugees so that more people from around the world can join us & add their energy to our communities. Operation Allies Refuge, for our Afghani helpers, is a good starting point. Let’s do more of that.

            I met an amazing refugee from Bhutan on Saturday. He is teaching fellow refugees how to be urban farmers in West Sacramento. I share his conviction that growing food not only provides healthy nutrition for our bodies, it heals our souls.

            BYBS,