3/15/2021

My Dear Friend, JRB,

            Sorry I missed our letter yesterday. I ran out of time. Don’t take it personally. My plans to make a lemon meringue pie in celebration of “Pi Day” had to be aborted as well. Worshipping with Friends took priority & then my service as recording clerk required me to spend an hour & a half taking notes at our Meeting for Business. TMI – but just to let you know you’re not the only one who has to juggle a lot of competing demands.

            I hope your buddy Gene Sperling (EBS) is better at budgeting his time than I am. He is going to have his hands full making sure that $1.9 trillion is spent as intended. I am not good at spending money. I finally deposited the second stimulus $$ to my bank account on Saturday. I have no idea how we’ll spend the next stimulus $$. As an environmentalist I am somewhat averse to stimulating the economy. Donella Meadows was my professor & her thoughts about the limits to growth have stuck with me. Her computer modeling of the flow of resources on the planet called for a “revision of policies and practices that perpetuate growth in material consumption and in population. “

Have you ever talked about the limits to growth with EBS? I love his ideas about economic dignity & agree wholeheartedly that the government should ensure that everyone has the capacity to care for their family. I would love it if you would both start talking about how that’s easier to do when families are small.

            I’m excited to see that Sec of State Blinken & Sec of Defense Austin are off to Japan & South Korea. I’m not thrilled about their new term “force multiplier” which to me sounds like macho BS. It’s great that they are rebuilding lines of communication. I hope that they are discussing Myanmar. Speaking of which, I’m sure you share my dismay at the gruesome killing of Zaw Myat Lynn, an NLD leader dragged from his home on 3/8. I was disappointed that the WP & NYT did not cover this story.

            BYBS,