GOOD THINGS HAPPENED IN 2022

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 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 Washington Post showed up this week with a list of 22 good things that happened in 2022.

It was a good list, though I don’t necessarily agree with all 22.  So what? 

Good that the focus was on something positive rather than the often-typical negative news from politics.

For me, one of the most noteworthy pieces of Post-cited good news was this:   A record number of Americans gained health insurance coverage in the last year.

Here is the Post’s summary of that achievement:

“Only 8 per cent of Americans lacked health insurance in early 2022.  That’s a record low, according to government data.  There were especially big gains in health coverage in communities of color.  What drove this? Americans were eager for health-care access in the pandemic, and they were aided by extra funds from the American Rescue Plan to make plans more affordable and to keep people enrolled in Medicaid.  

“It was also applause-worthy to see the abolition of ‘surprise billing’ this year and an end to most medical debt appearing on credit reports.”

This is good news for me because I spent most of my career in state lobbying representing the interests of those – especially Providence Health Services, Oregon’s second largest employer – who wanted to generate more health insurance coverage.  The answer wasn’t always simple, so the latest achievement is noteworthy.

Here, without comment from me, is the rest of the “good news” list:

1. Ukraine still stands.

2. American voters rejected extreme candidates.

3. Gas prices are no longer at heart attack levels.

4. Lizzo played THAT flute.  (Explanation:  Musician extraordinaire Lizzo went viral for playing James Madison’s 1813 crystal flute.  First, she performed with it at the Library of Congress  — at the library’s request.  Then she tooted it briefly onstage at her D.C. concert in front of thousands of fans.  Lizzo, a classically trained flutist, instantly reminded us of the magic of in-person events and the treasures of U.S. history.)

5. “Jeopardy!” was on a hot streak.

6. Nathan “Quad King” Chen skated to redemption.

7. Metro finally lands at Dulles International Airport.

8. Pickleball is our new favorite pastime.

9. TikTok brought us “butter boards.”

10. The world (mostly) averted a global food crisis.

11. We’re going back to the moon!

12. Wordle-mania hit hard.

13. A record number of Americans had health insurance – see above.

14. More than 4 million people got jobs.

15. Sequels and prequels reigned – on TV, that is.

16. Schools reopened — and stayed open.

17. The Washington Football Team got a new name – the Commanders.

18. Bi-partisanship on guns, same-sex marriage, and chips.

19. Deficit reduction made a (very modest) comeback.

20. AI is having a moment.

21. Crypto got sober.

22. And the award goes to … older Americans.  (As much as people love “30 Under 30” lists, there has been a lot to celebrate lately from Americans (and Canadians) “of a certain age.”  Tony Bennett won a Grammy in April at age 95.  Angela Alvarez, 95, won best new artist at the Latin Grammys. Erlinda Biondic, at 82, became the oldest woman to complete a 100-mile race (she lives in Canada, but she set her record in New Jersey).  And World War II veteran Lester Wright, at 100, set a new 100-meter dash record (26.34 seconds) for centenarians and earned a standing ovation from the crowd.  Let them be your new inspirations.)

So, remember, that there is good news around if you are open to finding it.