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 headline in this blog appeared in a Wall Street Journal letter to the editor this week. It was followed by this sub-head:

The bureaucratic state is inherently biased politically. Its basic wiring is supportive of big government and this works to lubricate the union support of politicians.

As a former state government manager, I am not opposed to government workers in general as is the case with some on the far right, including one who wrote the letter.  Here are excerpts.

“J.T. Young’s “How to Dig Into the Deep State” (Op-Ed, March 27) is on target in tracing the dangers of an unaccountable, bloated bureaucracy to the balanced powers of the three branches of government designed by our Founders. His observations are not limited to the federal government but extend to state, county and municipal authorities, dramatically swelling the numbers and influence of unelected civil servants. Secondly, these bureaucrats largely serve with little oversight and impunity principally due to the clout of their civil-service unions.

“Finally, the bureaucratic state is inherently biased politically. Its basic wiring is supportive of big government and this works to lubricate the union support of politicians, who repay with overly generous benefit packages and endless backing of a greater bureaucracy. Want to guess which party is privileged by the bureaucratic state?”

I have often thought about what appears to me to an often-unholy alliance between Democrats in power – such as in the Oregon Legislature – and public employee unions that fund that power.

It works like this.

Public employee unions deduct money from worker dues to create huge political contribution funds. Then, they donate the vast majority, if not every dollar, of the funds to Democrats. Then, the Democrats in power strain to provide benefits for those who put them there.

In the extreme, this is a toxic transaction that works against reasonable, middle ground decisions in public policy.

What’s the solution?

Who knows? It is unconstitutional to bar contributions from public employee unions – it is called “free speech” – just as it is unconstitutional to bar contributions from businesses – it also is “free speech.”

My notion is that both sides – public employee unions and business – should devote their political contribution resources to helping to fund the campaigns of those who will do the best job once they win election. And, by the “best job,” I mean finding solutions in the middle, which is often where the best decisions are anyway.

Contributions should not just be based on party affiliation.

Too much to expect? Yes.

But, still there is place for positive aspirations. If there wasn’t, I would stop paying attention to politics.