9/7/2021

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            I understand you are headed to NY & NJ today. In fact, you are going to my husband’s old stomping grounds in Somerset County where the Raritan River overflowed. He used to lament the changes that happened over the years when strawberry fields were torn up to build condos & the woods where the Revolutionary War was fought were turned into assisted living facilities.

I’m afraid that the USACE predicted that Manville would get the brunt of this flooding event. They estimated flood damage claims there would exceed $20 million while other towns in the vicinity would have between $100,000 & $1 million. Even though they predicted Manville would be hard hit, their calculations indicated that further study wouldn’t be worth it. Please encourage them to revisit the MILLSTONE RIVER BASIN, NEW JERSEY FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT STUDY FEASIBILITY REPORT so they can see if some of their assumptions were off.

            I was discouraged to see that the NUG in Myanmar is calling for armed revolt. Dawa Lashi La posted a FB declaration telling the ethnic armies to stand under one banner to fight the junta. The young folks are calling this D-Day. While I am in awe of their courage, I do not believe that violence will solve the problem. This may be an effort to get the attention of the UN as they decide who gets to represent Myanmar on Sept. 15. Please check in with Ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield to see if she has any intel about how the Credential Committee is going to go on this.

            Please send my sympathies to all of the folks in NY & NJ as they recover from Ida & let’s keep trying to figure out this climate change problem.

            BYBS,