Happy New Year

Peace Economy Project Members and Friends:
Happy New Year! A new year, new congress and a new president; yet most of same old issues are still here that concern our group. As President Trump takes office there is no shortage of confusion about the Administration’s position on domestic and international affairs. Some of the new President’s statements have pleased us, as for example his “jaw boning” at Lockheed Martin and Boeing to further reduce the cost of their new planes. We have also welcomed the statements coming from General Maddis, the nominee for the Department of Defense, and Congressman Mike Pompeo, the nominee for the CIA, that they have no intent to return to water boarding and other “enhance interrogation” (i.e. torture) techniques of the kind that President Trump advocated during the campaign.
On balance there is much to worry about based on the President’s many statement and tweets arguing for a bigger military and even a new nuclear arms race. Needless to say we will follow these and related issues in the months ahead. We will also hope that you will contact us with pertinent observations and subjects that you would like us to investigate.
Thank you Allison. Allison Reilly has decided to resign as Executive Director. Accordingly we are back in the business of recruiting a new director. If you know of anyone with good research and communication skills, please let us hear from you, or them.   In the meantime, Virginia Nesmith, a previous PEP director  and a long-time friend of PEP will keep the office going, working on a part time basis.