PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This 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 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 of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and 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.

The department is open again. I am its director. That means I get to issue orders and edicts without regard to anyone else’s perspectives.

If that sounds a little like Donald Trump, so be it. I won’t be reading from a teleprompter; I’ll just be issuing opinions as if they are facts and letting the chips fall where they may.

This time, “MY” department is posing three examples of cases where originally good words lose their meaning when those involved in politics corrupt them. Here are the examples:

PROGRESSIVE: This word, at least in political circles, has come to connote adopting a so-called “progressive left leaning agenda.” But, the basic word means progress and, sometimes, progress is achieved best by leaving things as they are, not taking some of action, as long as doing nothing is an intentional decision.

This reminds of my time serving in the last Republican gubernatorial administration in Oregon, the one led by the late Victor Atiyeh. One of his pet phrases illustrates the point: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

I wish this were so as Democrats favor ever-expanded government – the so-called “progressive” movement.

DEMOCRATIC: Persons who are registered as Democrats are often called “Democratic,” but, in my 25 years as a lobbyist, I have seen Democrats become far less democratic.

In fact, once in charge, they often become autocratic. They are in charge, so they don’t consider the views of the minority – in this case, in Oregon, Republicans.

So, when referring to Democrats I always leave off the last two letters of the larger word – ic.

COMPROMISE: This word, which actually is part of the definition of politics – the art of compromise – has come to mean something akin to giving up your principles. Better to leave the word as it was – compromise is the art of finding the middle ground in pressing public policy problems, which is where the best solutions are found anyway.