Congress' Top Bananas Visit South Lake Tahoe

     If you had a difficult time breathing yesterday on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe it is because all the air was being sucked south to facilitate the 20th Annual Meeting on Lake Tahoe.  The list of politicians is enough to make your head spin:
Harry Reid, former Senate Majority Leader(D., NV), soon to retire
Barbara Boxer, (D., CA), soon to retire, one of longest serving women in Congress
Dianne Feinstein, (D., CA) , chairwoman Senate Intelligence Cmtte), one of longest serving women
Jerry Brown, (D.) Gov. of California, one of only governors to serve 3 terms in office(split), early environmentalist, practitioner of Zen Bhuddism, married, no children, Jesuit trained.
President Barack Obama, (D), in his last 5 months as POTUS, keynote speaker at 20th Summit Meeting.
       This is another opportunity to share Lake Tahoe with the world.   The pristine quality of the lake environment, the natural setting, and the natural history of the site combine to make the location one of the most celebrated in the USA.  No wonder all the politicians show up: it's a win-win situation for all.
    The Prez listed all the wonderful things done by his administration to ensure the future of the lake for generations to come:  money for reduction of forest fuels(those piles of logs in your back yard); money to keep runoff pollution from entering the lake; money for research; money for water quality monitoring; money for jobs around the lake; and more(money for the Salton Sea).  It's enough to make your head spin, even if you live elsewhere.
      The Prez also announced creation of 2 new national monuments:  Papahanaumokuakea Marine Monument, the largest in the world, off the island of Hawaii; and the Katahdin Woods and Waters in the State of Maine, a site of native American importance.
      So, yes, it's been a great Summit, for 2016.  Next year will be different as so many of the attendees of 2016 will be retired and sent out to pasture in 2017.  Time marches on.