9/2/2021

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            How was your meeting with VOZ yesterday? Did you hit it off? I was disappointed to see that you promised $60 million in new security assistance including new Javelin “man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile.” I will remind you, this kind of thing just fuels the military industrial complex that Ike warned about. Why are we sending taxpayer $$ to Raytheon to build a “fire & forget missile?” Should anyone forget that they fired a missile?

            Speaking of firing a missile, the SCOTUS just did that by letting this crazy TX abortion law go through. Allowing citizens to enforce a law through frivolous law suits sets such a dangerous precedent – it may be time to add some seats to the SCOTUS to return us to sanity.

            I understand that you will be visiting with Jewish leaders today. I’m sure they have been praying for all affected by Hurricane Ida. It looks like the folks in NYC have been as badly harmed as the people in LA. Maybe worse. At least in NOLA, all of the Jewish institutions sustained minimal damage. That was a huge relief for the new Museum of Southern Jewish Experience which just opened up. It looks like the Jewish community of LA will find a way to celebrate Shmita so they can start the year spiritually refreshed.

            As I was pondering Rosh Hashanah, I thought of the folks in Surfside, FL who lost their loved ones in June’s building collapse. Today’s NYT featured an article explaining its cause. It was disturbed to learn that in addition to design & construction flaws, some palm trees in planters contributed to deterioration of the deck above the parking garage. Who knew that some planters could cause so much harm?

            I hope things calm down so you can get back to work on the Infrastructure plans. That Sept 27 deadline is just a few weeks away, but I don’t have to tell you that.

BYBS,