1/14/19

My dear Friend and President, DJT,

You'll be happy to hear that at 5:15 AM this morning the TSA line at SMF was ok. My ELD got through it with ease and had plenty of time to get to her gate. According to her text, boarding at the gate was a "nightmare" but that's often the case even when the government is not shut down. She is heading back to Richmond, IN via Dayton, and hopefully the rest of her journey will be better.

Speaking of journeys, you are heading off to NOLA today. What do you plan to tell the farmers? According to the Jan 10 NYT, some farmers are at a breaking point. As you well know, many folk, especially dairy farmers, were quite fragile before the shutdown, but now that the Ag Dept is shutdown, they can't get the loans they need to stay afloat. This is the time of year when growers figure out what to plant, how many acres to cultivate and whether or not to sell futures. The added uncertainty of the shutdown makes it harder for them to make those decisions. I'm sure you'll get a warm welcome at the Farm Bureau today. They are excited about their Centennial so it should be fun, but some in the crowd may be worried. I hope you can allay their fears. Getting rid of some tariffs might help.

While you are in NOLA, go stop by the National WWII Museum, formerly known as the D'Day Museum. My uncle, Stephen, helped to get it started in 2000 because he had so many artifacts from his interviews with WWII vets that he wanted to put them on display. Who knew that it would become a highly rated museum and one of NOLA's top attractions. Going there will help you better understand the horrors of war and make you think twice about starting one.

Hugs to your family,

RCA