Dear Friends: Spring is here and it feels like we are entering a new chapter in our nation’s history as we get adjusted to the fact that our President is out to destroy our government and is doing so quickly. And in response, we need to demonstrate more frequently. The emotional adjustment to a new chapter is good in some ways because the shock of it all can make it hard to think. It is not healthy to stay shocked or enraged 24/7. However, it is dangerous if we become complacent and – as humans do – begin to adjust to the “new abnormal” of a destructive President and give it some … [Read more...]

Dear Friends:   Trump/Musk continue the wanton destruction of our economy, government and security. I’ve stopped trying to find any meaning behind what they do other than achieving the destruction of our nation to serve the interests of Vladimir Putin and line the pockets of Trump and billionaires.    As we go into the weekend and a likely government shutdown, it is crucial that people turn out to make clear we will not stand for the destruction of our nation. I encourage you to call your Senators and Congress members to vote NO on the Federal “defunding budget.” Also, it is … [Read more...]

Dear Friends: I was pleased to listen to Andrea Pitzer’s latest podcast about the betrayal of Ukraine and hear her recommend flying Ukrainian flags among other things to do. The Ukrainian flag I put up last week over I-395 was old and the strong winds tattered it. Before that happened however, I saw that someone had tried to secure it for me several times. On Friday, I took a new Ukrainian flag and an American flag and put them up again. Two people stopped to help and several people on the highway below and driving by gave honks of support. These small acts of protest are very … [Read more...]

Dear Friends:  As it becomes clearer that our President is a Russian asset and Putin is running the United States’ foreign policy without firing a shot, and while Elon Musk sledge hammers our government and Trump eviscerates our security….don’t give up!  Here is another excellent podcast from Andrea Pitzer’s “Next Comes What” about how important and effective resistance by regular people can be: “Jamming the Musk Machine — Effectively Tackling Authoritarianism.” Effective resistance is happening around the country, but it still needs you to work. Read her post – “Sand in … [Read more...]

Dear Friends: Spring is around the corner. And resistance is starting to sprout in many ways and places. If you haven’t seen it, check out what the National Park Service workers did at El Capitan, the 3,000-foot peak in Yosemite. To protest the administration’s employee cuts, they hung an American flag upside down which is traditionally a sign of distress or national threat. The deep fake video of Trump kissing Elon’s feet was quite clever. It was broadcast on every monitor in the HUD building on Monday. HUD officials couldn’t figure out how to stop it and had to manually unplug … [Read more...]

Dear Friends: Humor is a great tool to fight bullies and authoritarian governments. I offer this spot-on quip below referencing the recent Delta Airlines crash. And will point out that the reason no one died was professionalism and high safety standards required by our government. Good government saves lives. Inspiration is crucial, too. If you missed Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s speech I urge you listen to the end of it. It’s under 10 minutes and he says just what needs to be said about what is going on in this country today, and he gives concrete examples of how Federal … [Read more...]

Dear Friends:  Is somebody doing something? Yes, and you can too. I know it’s difficult to watch as every day the Musk/Trump administration continues to break our government. Destruction and irresponsibility are easy. Building and responsibility are not. It can feel that there is no real opposition or much we can do, but there is. I recommend this article for some perspective; “Is Somebody Doing Something?!: Yes. Let me break it down for you.” Author Jay Quo tells us what people are doing, from Federal government security officials to Senators, and the filing of lawsuits to … [Read more...]

Dear Friends:  I suspect nearly all my readers have family members, good friends and colleagues who are dedicated and hardworking civil servants. Civil servants make our Federal government and its programs work. They help the nation and the world to function. What, exactly, our government does is very unclear to most Americans. They are about to find out – I think – with some painful lessons. I’ve decided that Trump, Musk and all do not understand government service because they do not understand generosity of spirit or why people would want to work to improve the lives … [Read more...]