Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The stories I mention in this blog headline came with these headlines:

• Experts deliver options to plug $421 million gap in Medicaid funding

• Oregon Health Authority director resigns

As for my memories:  I represented major health care organizations as a lobbyist at the State Capitol in Oregon for about 25 years and these stories, published in July 2026, could have occurred many times in previous years.

Because, health care is a controversial topic anywhere, including in Oregon.

It’s tough to provide enough money to fund growing low-income health care needs, plus it is tough to keep leaders at the top of a health care management pyramid.

Before a few further comments from me, here is more information on both stories:

Million Medicaid Gap:  In a presentation to the Oregon Health Policy Board , the Governor’s Advisory Group on Medicaid Sustainability reviewed a report with 40 options to find savings in the Oregon Health Plan to close a $421 million gap in the 2027-29 budget cycle.

Key recommendations are to find administrative efficiencies before cutting benefits, maintain dental coverage instead of cutting it, and reduce covered services based on clinical evidence.

Governor Tina Kotek tasked the group, led by former Oregon Health Authority leader Bruce Goldberg and the Governor’s health policy advisor Kristina Narayan, with finding ways to keep Oregonians insured and maintain meaningful benefits despite major cuts from the federal government.  HR 1, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, will result in an estimated $9.4 billion loss in federal Medicaid funds by 2031.  Kotek will make final proposals for Medicaid savings in her Recommended Budget, due to the Legislature on December 1.

Oregon Health Authority Director Resigns:  Early this month, Kotek accepted the resignation of Oregon Health Authority Director Dr. Sejal Hathi.  She then appointed former director of the State Department of Human Resources, Fariborz Pakseresht, to serve as Interim Director, effective July 6.

Back to my thoughts.

First, I fought for years for more money for Medicaid, the program that tries to meet the needs of low-income citizens, including in Oregon.

But Medicaid competes for funding against such stalwarts as K-12 education and public safety.  So, it always a battle and, of course, it’s made worse these days because Donald Trump wants to cut all programs other than those from which he benefits.

As for the Oregon Health Authority director, she came to Oregon a couple years ago with high marks from her tenure in health programs in Washington, D.C.  But she didn’t last long.

In a bit of twist, the guy who is helping Governor Kotek find ways to cut Medicaid (the first story) is Dr. Bruce Goldberg, a former Health Authority director himself.  So he illustrates that former directors can find a new professional life.

Enough from my past health care past.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Those who know me know that I like words better than numbers, charts, graphs and even, most of the time, photos.

So I could have opened one of five departments I manage – the Department of Words Matter.  Instead, I just post this.

The following paragraph comes from a column by Frank Bruni, who writes for the New York Times and teaches at Duke University.

In each weekly column, he appends submissions from readers about good words they have read in columns other than his own.

Here is one that appeared this morning:

“In Defector, David Roth nailed the president’s style of, um, oratory:  ‘Things come out of Donald Trump’s mouth, then just keep on coming out of it.  And Trump has wed incontinent words to incoherent actions.  The sum of the wreckage this has made is staggering; fixing it will take a long time or not happen at all.  This is just one of those things you have to walk around knowing.”

This was submitted by a reader from New Jersey and it captures very well the tendency by president Donald Trump to allow words to spew out of his mouth, even if they make no sense.  He just speaks without thinking.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I have labeled Mark, who wrote the book of Mark in the Bible, as a journalist because that’s what he did.

He interviewed the Apostle Peter and others, then wrote down what he heard.

So, he was a “journalist.”  One of the early ones.

And, this label appeals to me because, when I started professional life, I was a journalist, too.  Surely, not as good a one as Mark, but I still loved writing back then, as well as now in retirement.

So, I give Mark his due.

His book in the Bible was written from this perspective:

“Mark’s Gospel was aimed largely at a Gentile (non-Jewish) audience in Rome.  Its purpose is to portray Jesus as the powerful but suffering Son of God, emphasizing His actions and servant-like ministry.”

Without having been on-site for much of Jesus’ life on earth, Mark still develops a sound chronicle of His life and ministry before his death.

Worth reading!

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Thomas Friedman showed up again this week with a great summary of what motivates president Donald Trump.  [Notice that I did not put the word president in capital letters, for Trump doesn’t deserve that elevation.]

Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and a weekly columnist who writes extensively in the NY Times on foreign affairs, global trade, the Middle East, globalization, and environmental issues.

Here is his assessment of Trump:

“One thing about President Trump:  He is consistent.  He never surprises you on the upside.  He has never been remotely interested in being the president of all the people, only his base.  He never tries to win by addition, only by division — only by us versus them.”

The best line above – “Trump never surprises you on the upside.”  Only the downside.

Think about for just a minute.  With Trump, things are always worse because of his involvement.  Never an improvement.

Friedman also adds this to indicate that he doesn’t fear the future:

“I believe the quest for national unity is the most underestimated political force in the country today.  It is not an accident that CNN reported last month thatnearly half of Americans say they don’t consider themselves a part of either major political party, the highest level of partisan independence measured by CNN polling in more than a decade.’

“I am sure that is true because I heard the best political analyst I know make the same point.  His name is Barack Obama.  Which brings me to a third variation of ‘This Land Is Your Land.’  It was Obama’s speech at the opening ceremony of his Presidential Center in Chicago.

“My favorite passage from Obama was this:

“As algorithms keep feeding us a steady stream of distraction and outrage, as only the loudest, most extreme voices get attention, fanning our prejudices, appealing to our basest, most tribal instincts, it’s tempting to give in to cynicism and even despair, to stop trying.

“We start thinking that appeals to democracy and civic participation are corny and old-fashioned and boring and naïve, that the very idea of working on behalf of the common good is a sucker’s bet, and that in order for us to win, somebody else has got to lose.  I get it.  I am not immune to anger or doubt, but I do know this:  When we lose faith in each other, when we stop believing that voting matters, that citizenship matters, that our collective voices matter, that how we treat each other no longer matters, and we give away our power to decide our own futures, we open the door to the most ruthless, or the most careless, or the most fearful among us, who see some groups and some people as more equal than others, and see government as nothing more than a way to divvy up the spoils and punish enemies and keep those who are different in their place.”

So, as a political junkie, I like what Friedman wrote and what Obama said.

But, when we see government like Trump does – a way to divvy up spoils to increase a personal bank account – we are in trouble.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

In my regular reading the other day, I came across two apt descriptions of Donald Trump who has led this country, the United States of America, astray as no one before him has done.

First, from the Bible, I read 11 Timothy chapter 3 where I found these words:

“There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with such people.”

The apostle Paul wrote these words to a younger man, Timothy, for whom he served as spiritual mentor.

For me, they ring true today as a description of Trump, though, of course, that is not how they were intended back when they were written or, today, how they should be interpreted accurately.  Still, Trump?

Second, from columnist Frank Bruni in the New York Times:

“As for shame, I’ve always maintained that Trump’s utter lack of it is his single greatest competitive advantage.  When nothing embarrasses you, when nothing is beneath you, when your very brand is perfidy and provocation, you deploy lies and employ tricks that your rivals don’t dare to.  You cast off the restraints that everyone else agreed on.  We’ve learned through Trump that American laws and institutions didn’t provide our most important protection against monarchy and madness.  

“The real guardrails were manners, dignity, decency.  Politicians feared that they’d disgrace themselves — and appall supporters — with behavior too regal and repugnant.  But not Trump.  He gleefully smashed norms, cast his destructiveness as boldness, sold his immorality as authenticity and found more buyers than many of us thought possible.”

Again, very accurate.

No shame by Trump, but it is to our joint shame that we let Trump get away with violating the spirit of America.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

New York Times editorial writers, on the occasion of America’s 250^th birthday, came up with a list of 25 reasons to be optimistic about America’s future.

For this blog, I used the same headline the NY Times did, so I attribute the words to the newspaper.

As I looked at the list, it struck me that Donald Trump, the U.S. president who wants to be king, has trampled on most of them.  At one point, I thought about describing his conduct on each of the 25, then I decided that wasn’t worth it.

Just know that Trump has shown he cares only about himself, not America.

Below, one day after our 250^th birthday, I repeat the NY Times list.  Kudos to the editorial writers for focusing on the positive, not the negative.

*********

FROM THE TIMES

The United States has had a tumultuous history, and there have always been reasons to worry about the country’s future.  The frosted glass of memory produces nostalgia for bygone eras.

Freedom and prosperity are never guaranteed, but it’s a mistake to bet against America.  That’s as true now as when the country was founded 250 years ago.

Here are 25 reasons to believe the best days are still ahead for the United States:

1

The U.S. remains a powerhouse in science. It has received almost 300 Nobel Prizes in chemistry, physics and medicine — more than three times any other country. It leads the world on clinical trials for experimental drugs and accounted for more than half of the global pharmaceutical market last year.

2

The U.S. boasts the top universities in the world. More than a million foreign students traveled to the U.S. for their college education in the 2024-25 academic year, far more than any other country. That contributed $55 billion to the U.S. economy.

3

Life expectancy reached a new high this year, despite dipping in recent years, and obesity rates are falling. That’s largely thanks to the GLP-1 revolution, which is showing enormous promise to address a wide range of chronic diseases.

4

Cancer is becoming less deadly.  More than 70 per cent of people with a diagnosis now survive at least five years, compared with about half in the 1970s.  That’s partly because tests are better at catching dangerous tumors early, and treatments themselves are improving.  Since the 1990s, the five-year survival rate for late-stage diagnoses has more than doubled for all cancers, from 17 per cent to 35 per cent.

5

U.S. innovation is reaping extraordinary medical breakthroughs. Cutting-edge genetic medicine, still in its infancy, keeps producing therapy options for once untreatable illnesses, such as sickle cell disease and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

6

Advancements in mRNA technology are making it easier for biotech companies to develop new vaccines, providing a powerful tool to quickly defend against new pathogens and create personalized therapies.

7

The U.S. dollar is the world’s undisputed reserve currency and will remain so for the foreseeable future. About 57 per cent of all global foreign exchange reserves are in dollars, a testament to the stability of the U.S. economy.

8

More than half of the world’s 100 most valuable publicly traded corporations are American, far surpassing any other country. In fact, even though the U.S. has about 4 per cent of the world’s population, it claims about 65 per cent of the value of the world’s investable public stocks.

9

Most Americans have a direct stake: Sixty-two per cent of Americans own stocks, compared with a third or less in most other developed countries.

10

The U.S. leads the world in venture capital, with more than $450 billion available to American start-ups.  China, in second, has only $41 billion. That makes it far easier for U.S. entrepreneurs to access financing to start a business and pursue their dreams.

11

Americans are growing wealthier across the board.  After falling during the Great Recession, median net worth has surged to new heights.  The number of millionaires has grown at a record pace in recent years.  In fact, the U.S. is home to the highest number of Black millionaires on the planet.

12

The median U.S. household has a higher annual income than 96 per cent of the world’s population.  This includes many wealthy nations:  Average annual wages in the U.S. are 19 per cent higher than in Germany, 37 per cent higher than in France and 63 per cent higher than in Italy, adjusted for purchasing power.

13

The U.S. remains a magnet for talent.  Before the second Trump administration, more than a million people were granted legal residency every year.  Hundreds of thousands are still trying to come here, despite new restrictions.  Our foreign-born population is more than three times the size of any other country’s.

14

The U.S. is the world’s largest oil exporter and continues making strides toward energy independence.  The shale revolution helped insulate consumers from energy shocks.

15

The U.S. is experiencing a boom in solar and wind. It maintains the largest fleet of nuclear reactors in the world. Investors are eagerly looking to build out advanced nuclear technology, including fusion.

16

The U.S. is installing battery storage at a record pace. That infrastructure will help meet rising energy demands and make the electrical grid more efficient.  Meanwhile, automakers and energy suppliers are beginning to deploy sodium ion batteries, which promise to be more durable than the lithium batteries that dominate the market.  They’re also easier to manufacture.

17

The U.S. is leading the world on artificial intelligence, which has the potential to revolutionize the economy.  Self-driving cars promise to make streets safer and more efficient.  Large language models will make workers more productive and reduce the amount of time they spend performing menial tasks.

18

The U.S. has the strongest military in the world.  That investment protects American interests, safeguards the freedom of navigation and deters the outbreak of global wars.

19

The U.S. benefits from an extensive system of global alliances, which multiplies its already formidable strength and ability to project power.

20

The U.S. dominates the final frontier.  America’s private space industry — including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Blue Origin, founded by Post owner Jeff Bezos — is booming, supporting science and developing satellite-based internet services for people without access to broadband.

21

No other country is as generous as America. Our people contribute to charity about 2 per cent of GDP every year, roughly the size of Sweden’s entire economy.

22

The U.S. still rules the world culturally. The filmmaking industry dominates the worldwide box office and TV show markets.

23

Despite its polarized politics, the U.S. has become more tolerant and accepting.  Support for same-sex marriage doubled in 20 years, reflecting a capacity for introspection.

24

Protections for free speech are among the most robust in the world.  Despite recent strains, journalists continue to uncover government failures, and Americans freely debate ideas.

25

America’s record of democracy remains rock solid.  Never once in its 250 years has it failed to conduct scheduled federal elections, even during the Civil War and pandemics.  The government is messy and imperfect, always has been, but so long as its citizenry maintains faith in the principles set down by the Founding Fathers, it will always have the capacity for self-improvement.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

This blog headline contains a strange word, one not much used in everyday language.

It is a term in the lexicon of golf rules and refers to a specific kind of violation.

This:  “Purposely leaving a ball in place on the putting green instead of marking it, so the ball that is left could help another player whose turn is after yours.”

Call it “backstopping.”

That word was used by Ron Kapriskie as he wrote a recent column for Golf Digest.  Here are excerpts:

“Back in 2019, the LPGA Tour found itself in the spotlight for a curious ruling involving two tour players and a practice called ‘backstopping.’

“If you’ve never heard the term, tour pros commonly use it to describe purposely leaving a ball in place on the putting green instead of marking it.

“The thought is that it can potentially help another player who is hitting an approach shot onto the green. I f the player off the green hits a shot that is too hot, the ball on the green might stop it from getting into real trouble.”

Rule 15.3 covers this practice and, as you might guess, it’s a two-stroke penalty for a violation.

Getting back to the incident on the LPGA Tour, Kapriskie reports that Ariya Jutanugarn and Amy Olson were paired in the same group at the Honda LPGA Thailand and reached the final hole of the second round with Jutanugarn’s ball on the green and Olson’s just off.

Perhaps for reasons of wanting to play faster, Jutanugarn did not mark her ball and Olson’s ensuing chip struck it.  The incident got a lot of attention and scrutiny from LPGA officials because the two players fist-bumped on the green, suggesting there might have been some collusion.

The LPGA found in its investigation that the two players did not agree to leave the ball in place and they weren’t penalized.

More from Golf Digest:

“Setting aside your opinion on whether they did or did not collude to backstop, there was a bunch of talk on the pro tours about the practice in the following months, with major championship winner Jimmy Walker saying he left his ball on the green from time to time to help other players.

“What you need to know about Rule 15.3 is that in stroke play, regardless of whether you knew the rule or not, you can’t agree to leave your ball to help another player — or vice versa.  Ignorance is not going to get either of you out of a two-stroke penalty.

“Worse, if you both know it’s illegal and backstop anyway, you both would be DQd under Rule 1.3b(1) for deliberately ignoring a rule.”

However, in match play, there is no penalty if you do it for your opponent.  That’s because “the outcome of any benefit that may come from the agreement affects only their match,” a clarification (15.3a/2) to the rule states.

The smart move under Rule 15.3 is to mark and lift your ball if you think it might help another player who is about to chip.  Keep in mind that in stroke play, you also can elect to hit the putt before the player chips, because there is no penalty for playing out of order.

In all of this, remember:  Intent matters.

If it would not be possible to prove that a player INTENDED to “backstop,” there would be no way to enforce a penalty.

I know…more than you may want to know!

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The Department of Inquiring Minds is open again.  It is one of five departments I run with a free hand to manage as I see fit because, you see, I am a management guru.

So, here is a list of inquiring minds questions:

SOCCER PLAYER SUPPOSED “INJURIES: “  Why do soccer players feign serious injuries whenever they fall on the field?  Looking at them, as I have done a few times during the World Cup, you would think they would never be able to get up.

Then, as quick you could blink a couple times, the “injured” player is up, running up and down the field. 

That’s probably when the player realizes the other player with whom they collided would not get a “red card.”  So, play continues.

See how much that I, a golfer, know about soccer.  I even used the name “red card.”

WHO DO SO MANY NEW YORK FANS BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO AT PRO GOLF TOURNAMENTS?  Well, the answer is fairly simple:  Two reasons:

• First, many of them carry cell phones and use those phones to bet on outcomes in the middle of matches or even between shots.  That often prompts over-the-top protests because so much money is at stake.

• Second, too much beer flows.

At the last Ryder Cup in New York, fans blew through common courtesy as they roasted European players and, even, their wives.

Then the NY fans did the same in the recent U.S. Open when they mercilessly booed the player who eventually surmounted the attacks,  American Wyndom Clark.

My solution is also fairly simple:  Ban both phones and beer.

And, until that is done, I advise pro pro golf administrators to avoid booking tournaments in New York.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Another way to put the point in this blog headline:  The middle ground is missing in politics today.

Especially at the national level where both sides – Republicans and Democrats – always think they are right.  So, never the twain shall meet somewhere in the middle.

And, president Donald Trump only adds to the tension when he shoots his mouth off without any regard for the outcome he produces.

Writing in The Atlantic magazine, David Graham referred to the loss of checks and balances in the current system.

“In an interview with The New York Times early this year, Trump was asked, ‘Do you see any checks on your power on the world stage?  Is there anything that could stop you?’

“’Yeah, there is one thing,’ he said.  ‘My own morality.  My own mind.  It’s the only thing that can stop me, and that’s very good.’”

Well, not to me.

Regarding his power, Trump says “there are no limits. I know there are, but, you know, there are no limits.  We defeated them totally militarily.’”

See, speaking out of both sides of his mouth almost always illustrates Trump as words that happen to cross his brain emerge from his mouth.

More from Graham:

“If after his humiliating defeat in the war with Iran, his approach suggests delusion, but it also suggests something about Trump’s view of the presidency as a monarchical office.  During his first term in the White House, he pushed back repeatedly against the rule of law.

“In his second term, he has also raged against restraints from other branches of government, his own aides, and even reality.  His administration has clashed with and sometimes defied the courts, grabbed powers from Congress, and attempted to establish vassal states in other sovereign countries — or take away parts of them entirely.”

Checks and balances have gone away under Trump with a recalcitrant Congress.

“Trump came into his second term as president with a blueprint, courtesy of Project 2025.  He has blown through traditional restraints on his power, often by simply acting without seeking or waiting for permission.  Congress is now stocked with more MAGA loyalists, and so is the administration — which means aides are more eager and willing to do what Trump wants.”

The primary benefit of a checks and balances system is that it prevents any single branch of government from accumulating unchecked authority.  By distributing power across separate co-equal branches (such as the executive, legislative, and judicial), it safeguards against tyranny, enforces the rule of law, and protects citizens’ rights.

Key advantages of this system include:

• Prevention of Tyranny:  By allowing each branch to limit and review the actions of the others, no single individual or group can take total control over the government.
• Promotes Accountability:  Leaders are held accountable for their actions, as policies and decisions require multi-branch approval, review, and justification.
• Encourages Compromise:  Because branches must negotiate and cooperate to enact policies, the resulting laws and regulations tend to represent a broader spectrum of public interest rather than the will of a simple majority.
• Protects Civil Liberties:  Judicial bodies can strike down unconstitutional laws or executive actions, ensuring that fundamental human rights and due process are upheld.
• Improves Decision Quality:  Forcing policies to undergo rigorous scrutiny, debate, and supervision helps catch flaws, prevent rash decisions, and maintain the integrity of the political system.

Again, my point is that middle ground is gone.  Compromise is viewed as a dirty word.  A checks and balances system doesn’t exist.

And, all of us Americans, are worse off for the loss.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

If you read the headline on this blog and if you knew about the history of politics in Oregon, you might say, “what?”

Could tax and regulation cuts really be proposals from a group appointed by a Democrat, Tina Kotek, as she runs for re-election as Oregon Governor?

All I can say is, “who knows?”

Here is the way the media reported this development from a group called the Oregon Prosperity Council:

“Overhaul the state’s economic development agency, Business Oregon, strengthen higher education and workforce development, reduce duplication and excessive regulation, and increase the supply of and funding for industrial land.”

And, oh yeah, reduce taxes!

Kotek’s opponent in the general election, Republican Christine Drazan, went on record with this comment:

“We all know this council was an election-year gimmick, but these recommendations are a meaningful start and deserve strong bi-partisan support.  Let’s build on the ideas that create jobs, fix our economy and make Oregon more affordable.  That includes bold tax cuts for families and businesses.  I’m ready to get to work.”

Some media outlets also reported that Drazan was skeptical Kotek would set out to implement the recommendations.

The report, released late last week, completes a process Kotek launched in December.  As her re-election campaign loomed, the governor expressed new interest in the state’s economy and appointed the Prosperity Council.

She hired Tim Knopp, a former Republican Senate minority leader, to be her liaison to the council and named Renee James, a former president of Intel and founder and CEO of Ampere Computing, and Curtis Robinhold, executive director of the Port of Portland, to chair the effort.

The council’s report defined the state’s economic ills with a few grim stats: Oregon ranks 49th in the nation in private sector job growth; workers’ paychecks are growing at half the national rate; and unemployment in Oregon is 21 per cent higher than the national average.

In response, media outlets reported that the group made 10 immediate recommendations for “Oregon’s Long-Term Prosperity,” a few of which are listed below.

This key conclusion from the group:  Kotek and the Legislature need to send visible signals that Oregon is open for business.”

Here are four of the short-term suggestions:

1. Trim the Corporate Activity Tax:  Raising the threshold for who pays the tax would make a big difference for small businesses, while costing the state little.  
2. Estate tax:  Oregon has the most punitive estate tax of the 13 states that levy such taxes.
3. Qualified small business stock deduction:  The 2025 Trump tax bill included an expansion of an existing tax break for people who sell equity stakes in small companies. In the February session, Oregon lawmakers “disconnected” from that tax break.
4. Modernized research and development tax credits:  There is less analysis on the cost of this incentive, but ECOnorthwest, which staffed the Prosperity Council, said a comparable program would be Oregon’s semiconductor tax credit, which costs about $40 million a year.

Back to a couple bottom lines:

• All this will be subject to political winds as Kotek and Drazan face off against each other again after Kotek won four years ago.  Betters – not me – suggest that Kotek is likely to win again, though she faces a few political headwinds that could give Republicans a chance at the top political job in Oregon for the first time in more than 40 years.
• The Legislature, now in Democrat control and likely to remain there next year, will face the same pressure Kotek does to consider tax and regulation reductions, a tough swallow for many Democrats.

Again, a hackneyed phrase comes to mind – only time will tell.  But, for a political junkie like me, will be fun to watch.