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 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 of 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 had what I consider to be a brilliant thought a couple days ago – a thought about how to manage the current stage of the confounding virus.

Before enunciating my brilliant thought, these comments:

• Truth be told, it was my wife who first came up with the thought, so I piggyback on her brilliance.

• Also, truth be told, the Oregonian newspaper mentioned the same thought the other day – see below – so I am a follower, not a leader.

• And, I continue to be glad that I am not involved in a position in state government to provide advice on managing the virus.  There appear to be no good decisions – at least no good decisions accepted by everyone.  So, for Governor Kate Brown, Health Authority Director Pat Allen and others I know who are involved in the decisions, I say continue to do what you believe is right based on science and statistics.  I also say give them room to make those decisions.

Now, for the idea.

Why not allow those who have received vaccinations the ability to frequent retail establishments such as restaurants, gyms and other facilities?  Require those individuals to present verification of vaccination at the front door, along with photo ID.

Then, let those persons gain the “I have been vaccinated reward,” as long as they observe other useful precautions, such as wearing masks and social distancing.

An approach such as this would achieve two objectives:

1. Reward persons who have gotten vaccines.

• Incent persons without vaccines to get the shots.

“Here is how the Oregonian newspaper reported the idea:

About 30 per cent of Oregonians are fully vaccinated.  When asked by a reporter during Friday’s news conference why she (Governor Brown) wasn’t allowing vaccinated people to patronize businesses indoors — such as dine inside a restaurant – she said she worries that would be unfair to people of certain races and ethnicities who haven’t been immunized at the same rate as the overall population.”

Good point.

But, for me, with all due respect to the governor – and I do know her well and have respect for her – I think she should give further consideration to the good idea of rewarding the vaccinated and incenting the unvaccinated, with a clause designed to give special consideration to racial and ethnic persons who may so far have missed out on vaccine access.

When I mentioned this idea to a friend of mine, he said he wondered how the approach would be enforced, especially if an ardent “anti-vaxxer” showed up at the front door of an establishment and plowed his or her way in.  No good answer for his good question.

So, on and on we go looking for a way out of the Covid virus dilemma.