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 United States Golf Association (USGA) carried a good story the other day that appeared under this headline:  “Golf course dogs, ambassadors of goodwill.”

The story reminded me about my home course in Salem, Oregon, Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club, where a dog who roams the course looking for, among other things, geese.

Since he and his predecessor arrived, the geese are no longer there.

Which is good for golf, including where you happen to step on the turf, if you get my drift relative to geese.

When Illahe hired its current superintendent a few years ago, he told those hiring him:  This is a two-for-one deal – you get me and you get my dog, a German short air retriever who loved to hunt geese.  His name was Boone.

Unfortunately, a couple years after he arrived, Boone went to heaven.  But a few of us at the club banded together to get a new dog for our superintendent – Augie.

He is there to this day.  The geese aren’t.

It was a good deal for us.

Augie is a great ambassador for Illahe even as our super continues training him.

Rather than write more about this, I choose to reprint the USGA story in this blog because, if for no other reason, it’s a feel-good story about dogs – and I am a dog lover.

**********

Whether it’s early in the morning, in the middle of a long day or as the sun sets, there’s one member of the golf course maintenance team who’s always ready to face challenges head-on, with tail wagging.  Our beloved golf course dogs, usually seen working alongside the maintenance crew, are far more than a friendly companion for superintendents.

From chasing away geese to breaking the tension during a serious conversation, these loyal four-legged teammates contribute to a smooth operation in ways that machinery and manpower simply can’t.  Let’s look at how our canine colleagues enhance daily maintenance efforts, boost employee morale and help create a better experience for golfers and staff alike.

Being a golf course superintendent is a tough job.  Beyond managing turf, today’s superintendents have to deal with increasing administrative duties, labor complexities, project management, and politics – all while courses remain busier than ever.  Fortunately, dogs are generally immune to the pressures of golf course management.

In fact, they have an uncanny ability to sense their human’s unease and offer a much-needed, well-timed distraction.  Long days on the course would feel a lot longer for dog-owning superintendents without the company of their pooch, and the benefits of this companionship extend well beyond their owners.

“The members don’t always remember my name but everyone knows Pinki – and they are always so happy to see her,” said Damon Di Giorgio, director of agronomy at the Point Hardy Golf Club at Cabot Saint Lucia.  Pinki, a 17-year-old mixed Chihuahua-Yorkshire terrier weighing in at a whopping 4.5 pounds, is a big hit with golfers, the maintenance staff and social media.

Di Giorgio adopted Pinki as a puppy in the Dominican Republic and she has remained at his side as new opportunities brought him back to the States and then around the Caribbean, ultimately leading to his current role in Saint Lucia.  Pinki doesn’t look like most golf course dogs, but Di Giorgio didn’t want to leave her home alone so he started bringing her to the course.

Now, the staff and golfers can’t imagine spending the day without her.  Whether she’s taking selfies with golfers, going for a ride around the course, or getting to know the exotic wildlife on the island, Pinki is a friend to all those lucky enough to spend their day at Cabot Saint Lucia.

All the superintendents I spoke with for this article emphasized that their dog’s ability to put folks at ease and be a positive, steady, endearing representative of their department is a tangible asset.  A golf course dog is an effective public relations tool for the maintenance department.  No matter what issues may exist, golf course dogs are a great icebreaker and take the edge off tense conversations.

Superintendent Dan Vater’s 3-year-old pit bull and Labrador mix, Moose, is a fixture at Blue Mound Golf and Country Club outside Milwaukee.  It was love at first site for Vater and his wife Maggie, who found Moose on the Lucky Mutts Rescue website.

Having Moose at work lightens the mood for both Vater and his staff and makes for a better work environment.  Each morning, Moose greets everyone in the break room and is quick to spot his favorite employees who carry tasty treats.

Out on the course, Moose is a morale booster and an important part of the maintenance team.  “If Moose hears the backup beeper from my cart, his ears perk up instantly and he is quick to run outside to find out where we are headed,” said Vater.  Members and employees enjoy the sight of Moose running alongside the cart on his way to a jobsite.

Moose is “a bit of an odd one” according to Vater, and his favorite work toys include sprinkler springs, marking flags and sod staples.  If you catch him on the course, he is sure to have one of these with him, although his co-workers don’t always love him sneaking off with parts.  Despite the occasional shenanigans, the maintenance team at Blue Mound couldn’t imagine not having Moose as a co-worker and friend.

At Apogee Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, director of golf courses and grounds Tony Nysse and his 7-year-old blue Weimaraner, Charlie, keep a watchful eye on the constant activity at the multi-course development.

“Charlie is my second dog of turf and comes with me everywhere – a true companion,” said Nysse, who arrived at Apogee in 2022 to grow-in the first of the club’s three golf courses.  “I saw the positivity that my previous dog brought to the maintenance team, and as we filled in our key staff, he met each candidate so that everyone became comfortable with him.”

In addition to interviewing new hires, Charlie loves a good morning run interacting with the wildlife around the course.  He is not a water dog, which is okay with Nysse given Apogee’s abundance of alligators.  Charlie’s favorite area is currently Apogee’s North Course, which is under construction and full of interesting sights and smells, with plenty of newly exposed soil to explore.

“A golf course dog is an effective public relations tool for the maintenance department.”

It’s hard to overstate the good vibes that Charlie brings to the maintenance team.  He has a routine of greeting all the staff members while they receive their job assignments each morning and checking in with them throughout the day.

“He brings a level of positivity to the entire staff,” said Nysse.  “Whether it’s employees, visitors, contractors or golfers, everyone enjoys his greetings, and of course Charlie enjoys the extra attention.”  He continued, “Our other turf managers bring their dogs in on the weekends, so there are plenty of pup parties here at Apogee.”

Di Giorgio feels strongly that having Pinki with him on a daily basis at Cabot Saint Lucia makes him much more approachable to members, guests and staff.  “She is a conversation starter and puts people at ease,” said Di Giorgio.  “Most of all, people smile and are happy to see her, which is always a good thing – even if they’re not happy to see me for some reason,” he joked.

Pinki’s main job has always been “ambassador of happiness,” and her diplomacy extends beyond the golf course.  Together, Di Giorgio and Pinki worked with the non-profit pet therapy organization PAWS to provide therapeutic services to individuals battling Alzheimer’s and other diseases. The organization benefited from Pinki’s services while Di Giorgio worked at the Fieldstone Club in Delaware between stints in the Caribbean.  In fact, Pinki is in the PAWS Hall of Fame for therapy dogs.

Pinki and Di Giorgio have been acknowledged by the New York Times and others for their work on and off the course.  They may have ended up together by accident, but their relationship has been filled with purpose and is representative of all the wonderful ways a golf course dog can benefit our lives.

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.

My wife and I got scammed the other day – or at least someone tried to scam us.  We were smart enough to avoid the worst result, but it will still be a worry.

For now, no need to provide detail on that episode.

But, this word to the wise:  If you think you are being scammed and you are on the phone with the scammer, don’t say much if anything.  Just hang up.

The reason?

If a scammer gets your voice on the call, he or she can put your words together in a strange way and use those words to scam someone you know who may recognize your voice.

So, how prevalent is scamming?

According to Mr. Google, scams are a very common crime in the United States, affecting millions of people each year.  In 2023, consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud, which was a 14 per cent increase from 2022. 

According to a Gallup poll, 15 per cent of U.S. adults in 2023 said a household member was scammed, and 8 per cent said they were personally scammed.

Here is a list of common types of scams:

• Imposter scams:  In 2023, these scams resulted in nearly $2.7 billion in losses 
• On-line shopping issues:  One of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries:  Another of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Investment-related reports:  Another of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Business e-mail compromise:  In 2023, BEC scams resulted in $2.94 billion in losses 
• Romance scams:  These scams target older adults, who may be exploited for money 

So, the bottom-line message is to be skeptical of any message you receive by e-mail, text or phone.  Review it carefully before deciding whether to open it or how to deal with it.

Though it is unfortunate to have to say this these days, skepticism will serve you well.

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 words in this blog headline – character and Trump – don’t go well together.

They are dissonant.

And Trump, soon to be inaugurated as president of the United States for a second time, proves his lack of character every day.

Two examples:

• Rather than praise first responders who are risking their lives to fight wildfires in California, he criticizes them.

• Rather than nominate Cabinet members and other high-level officials with strong experience and character, he proposes persons who wouldn’t pass regular job interviews.

The latter emerged yesterday when one Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to tout his credentials to run the Department of Defense.  It didn’t take long.

He fell flat on his face, though you wouldn’t know it by Republican senators who prostrated themselves before Trump to appear ready to vote to confirm Hegseth.

Here is how The Atlantic writer Tom Nichols put it:

“Not long after Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth read his opening statement and began fielding questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, I began thinking:  I hope neither America’s allies nor its enemies are watching this.

“The hope was, of course, completely unreasonable.  Such hearings are watched closely by friends and foes alike, in order to take the measure of a nominee who might lead the most powerful military in the world and would be a close adviser to the president of the United States.

“What America and the world saw today was not a serious examination of a serious man.  Instead, Republicans on the committee showed that they would rather elevate an unqualified and unfit nominee to a position of immense responsibility than cross Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or the most ardent Republican voters in their home states.

“America’s allies should be deeply concerned.  America’s enemies, meanwhile, are almost certainly laughing in amazement at their unexpected good fortune.”

Another commentator said, “Democrats failed to land a decisive blow against Hegseth,” but I add that it’s hard to identify a fatal blow when just the facts about Hegseth should render him incompetent to run anything, much less the Department of Defense.

The Hegseth confirmation hearing is only the first of several in Congress this week.

In this corner, the betting is that most Trump nominees will pass muster in the Senate, as if that’s a credential, given the fealty Republicans are showing to Trump.

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.

Two views of the “State of the State” emerged in Oregon this week as Governor Tina Kotek delivered her semi- annual “State of the State” address.

In a story reported by a solid local news organization, Salem Reporter, here is a summary:

FROM KOTEK/She called for resilience and optimism even as she struck notes of frustration with the enormous problems facing Oregon that only have been partially solved.

Kotek’s first State of the State address was delivered to a joint session of the House and Senate, with Attorney General Dan Rayfield, Secretary of State Tobias Read and Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson listening, as well as more than a dozen judges and the leaders of Oregon’s nine tribal nations.

It came two years after she took office and began with a reminder of the challenges Oregon faced five years ago:  2020 began with reports of a mysterious disease outbreak in China, and the resulting COVID pandemic upended everything.  That fall, the 2020 Labor Day fires burned more than 850,000 acres and destroyed more than 4,000 homes.

As she spoke Monday, more than 400 Oregon firefighters and 235 engines were at work fighting another fire in California. That, Kotek said, is what Oregon does for its neighbors. 

FROM REPUBLICANS/House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, and Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, recorded a joint video rebuttal to Kotek’s speech, which Drazan called a “doubling down of the status quo and the failed policies of the past.”

She and Bonham said Kotek’s Administration is responsible for driving up costs of food, fuel and housing and driving Oregonians to leave the state. 

“If you listen to just the words that were presented today, Tina Kotek paints a very flowery picture of Oregon, one full of hope and optimism and a bright vision for the future,” Bonham said. “But if you look at her 10 years as speaker of the House and first two as governor, what you’re faced with is abject failure.”

So, there you have it.  Two very different views.

Part of the difference arises because there are still “two Oregons” – urban Oregon where most of the Democrat legislative leaders live, and rural Oregon which is represented mostly by Republicans.

The two sides have had difficulty over the years seeing issues from each other’s perspective.  The division continues.

What happened this – differing comments from Democrats and Republicans — is normal as the two sides square off to spend the next six months together in Salem for the long legislative session.

What emerges over those months will be more pivotal than comments from either side at the start of the session.

Will the two parties be able to work together to find solutions to housing, homelessness, K-12 education (including its funding) and transportation?  The fact is that workable solutions, as always, lie somewhere in the middle, but finding that middle ground compromise is always fraught with peril.

For me, as I saw all this in the last few days, the display prompted me to remember my 25 years as a lobbyist in Oregon in which I watched such speeches and responses first-hand at the Capitol. 

Then as now, early comments from both sides are important, but not as important as the final actions later this spring.  So, pay attention.

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 not spent a lot on the West Coast of California, so it is hard for to imagine in my mind the reality of the tragic wildfires.

Shots on TV are the best that I can do.

But I do have a lot of friends who grew up in California and they have difficulty describing the new, fire-ravaged reality.

Then comes Donald Trump.

At a time when he ALL other Americans should be thanking those on the front lines fighting the fires, he does what a deranged, egotist would do:  He attacks the firefighters as if they are not doing enough.

Here is the description in the New York Times as its reporter wrote about this what late-night host – and Los Angeles resident – Jimmy Kimmel said on the program:

“Tonight, I don’t want to get into all the vile and irresponsible and stupid things our alleged future president and his gaggle of scumbags chose to say during our darkest and most terrifying hour.  

“The fact that they chose to attack our firefighters, who apparently aren’t white enough to be out there, risking their lives on our behalf is — it’s disgusting, but it’s not surprising.

“Instead, I want to focus on thanking those men and women, because that’s all we should be doing right now, and we should never stop thanking them.”

Kimmel, of course, didn’t tell his usual round of jokes.  Conditions were too serious.  He just thanked those who had worked – and were working – to save people and possessions in Los Angeles.

It was exactly what a president should do.  Instead, Trump focused on himself and his cockeyed perceptions of what America should be – of course, an America in exactly his image.

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 some ways, for those of us who value the notion of American democracy, President Joe Biden is a tragic figure.

He misread politics in this country.  He misread whatever he thought his mandate was.  His misread voters.  He misread the current way of doing business in Washington, D.C.

And, he underestimated the thousands of Americans who thought that Donald Trump, despite his bombast, his lying, and his status as a felon, deserved another term in the Oval Office.

In this way, Biden is, as I wrote above, a tragic figure.

Here is the bottom-line summary from The Atlantic Magazine in a piece written by Charles Sykes:

“As the passing of Jimmy Carter reminds us, presidential legacies are complicated matters, and it is difficult to predict the verdict of history.  But as Biden leaves office, he is less a transformational figure than a historical parenthesis.  He failed to grasp both the political moment and the essential mission of his presidency.”

And, that means the rest of us will have to suffer under a second Trump term.

Here is more from the well-written Atlantic article:

“President Joe Biden still imagines that he could have won.  Asked byUSA Today’s Susan Page whether he could have beaten Donald Trump if he had stayed in the race, Biden responded:   ‘It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes.’

“Reality thinks not.

“Of course, we’ll never know for sure, but the evidence (including polling) suggests that he would have been crushed by an even larger margin than Kamala Harris was.  

“Biden’s answer is a reminder that his legacy will be tarnished by his fundamental misreading of the moment and his own role in it.

“To be sure, Biden can point to some impressive successes.  He leaves behind a healthy and growing economy, a record of legislative accomplishment, and more than 230 judicial appointments, including a Supreme Court justice.  

“And then there were the failures: the chaotic exit from Afghanistan; a massive surge of migrants at the border in 2023.”

Now, as Biden leaves the highest political office in America in only a few days, he can take solace from this fact released over the weekend:

U.S. adds whopping 256K jobs in December

The U.S. added 256,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1 per cent in December, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department.

The December jobs report showed the U.S. economy blowing past expectations to end the year.  Economists projected the U.S. to gain 155,000 jobs and hold the jobless rate at 4.2 per cent, according to consensus estimates.

The new jobs data caps off another year of sturdy job gains since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

So, Biden will be able to leave office in more than whimper.

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.

It used to be that having the word “felon” appended to your name would have disqualified you for trying to be president of the United States.

When Donald Trump is sworn in January 20, it will be the first time the word “felon” has moved into the Oval Office.  On his back.

Here is the way New York Times political reporter Peter Baker put it this week:

“A big economic package, mass deportations, maybe even some invasions of other countries.   Oh, and one more item.  ‘I’ll do my little thing tomorrow,’ a busy President-elect Donald J. Trump mentioned the other night.

“That little thing was the first criminal sentencing of an American president.  That little thing was confirmation that Trump, just 10 days later, would become the first president to move into the White House with a rap sheet.  That little thing is the latest shift in standards that once governed high office.

“Trump does not really consider it a little thing, of course, given how strenuously he sought to avoid Friday’s sentencing for 34 felony counts in his hush money case.  But to a remarkable degree, he has succeeded in making it a little thing in the body politic.  What was once a pretty-much-guaranteed disqualifier for the presidency is now just one more political event seen through a partisan lens.

After all, no one seemed shocked after Friday’s sentencing in New York.  While Trump was spared jail time or financial penalties, he effectively had the word ‘felon’ tattooed on his record for all time unless a higher court overturns the conviction.  But that development was already baked into the system.  Voters knew last fall that Trump had been found guilty by a jury of his peers, and enough of them decided it was either illegitimate or not as important as other issues.”

Baker is right, again.

American voters knew most of this before they elevated Trump to the presidency…again.

A bad tale for 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.

An interesting piece of advocacy came across my desk late this week.

It was a column by Dick Hughes, a former editor of the Salem Statesman-Journal’s editorial page who now writes for himself – and for folks like me who like what he writes.

This time, as this blog headline indicates, he decided to write about “kindness in politics,” often a foreign notion these days as all of us are confronted by Donald Trump for whom the word kindness apparently never crosses his mind or emerged from his mouth.

A summary from Hughes:

“Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

This is not the column I planned to write, the one for which I interviewed legislators this week.

“This is not the column I wanted to write. But it is the column I must write.

“It is a plea. No matter how much we dislike the current U.S. president or the incoming president, do not demonize either him or his followers.

“No matter how much we disdain Oregon’s Democrat leaders or the Republicans who oppose their policies, please forgo the inflammatory rhetoric.

“We might save a life.”

By the last phrase, Hughes referred to the recent tragedies in New Orleans and Las Vegas where individuals, probably acting alone, committed acts that qualified as “domestic terrorism.”

For background, I have known him for more than 30 since back in the days when I worked in state government he worked for the Salem Statesman-Journal.  One of my assignments then was to relate to media on behalf of state government.

So, Hughes and I talked a lot and, despite different assignments, managed to show each other the word Hughes now advocates using – “kindness.”

He writes on:

“How did we let ourselves go so far astray?  Have we substituted “All’s fair in love and war” for the Golden Rule, which existed in various forms since antiquity:  ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’

“In our homes, our schools, our religious institutions and elsewhere, we are taught to treat one another with respect.  We are encouraged, in what has almost become a cliché, to ‘disagree without being disagreeable.’  Those of us of the Christian faith are instructed, regardless of the circumstances, to follow Jesus’ teaching:  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’

Yet, today, Hughes continues, we feel justified in “denigrating not just the other person’s view but the person themselves.”

“We want civics taught in our schools but fail to act civilly.  We have gone from criticizing an idea as idiotic to branding its adherents as idiots.

“Think back to the negative ads that many Oregon candidates deployed in the 2024 elections and which voters embraced.  The campaigns’ desire to win outwitted common decency.  Is this how politicians and the public will act as the 2025 Legislature begins its work on Monday?

“Oregon’s political and social divides are not new, but they are wider and deeper.”

Oregon used to be known, Hughes writes and I agree, as a political trendsetter in positive ways.  Here, in the past, Republicans managed to find a way to work with Democrats and Democrats managed to find a way to work with Republicans.

So, Hughes challenges all of us to put civil discourse above personal and political gain, to demonstrate kindness toward all, regardless of politics or personal situation and, yes, to disagree without being so disagreeable.

Possible?  Well, to use a time worn phrase, only time will tell.  But in these early days of 2025, I prefer to land on the side of a bit of optimism.

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.

As former president Jimmy Carter is laid to rest in his home in Plains, Georgia, it is good to reflect on the life he led.

Both when he served as president of this country from 1977-81, as well as the humanitarian good he did in his long post-president life until he died at age 100.

I, of course, did not know Carter well, if at all, though I did meet him at the White House back in 1977-78 when I worked in Washington, D.C. for an Oregon congressman.  We spent a bit of time at the White House in those days and I was able to shake Carter’s hand.

Not long after that, he lost his bid for re-election because of the start of what has come to be called “the Reagan Revolution.”

Still, Carter has come to be known as a “decent” president.

With that appellation, I couldn’t let more time pass before commenting on Carter’s life and times.

Consider these words from a letter-to-the-editor in the Washington Post:

“Reading the many articles on the life of former president Jimmy Carter, including the December 30 on-line article ‘Jimmy Carter’s death prompts condolences, praise around the world,’ I’ve found it interesting how many people refer to him as a ‘decent’ man.

“As if that adjective is so surprising, which I guess it is in today’s world. Decent, according to the American Heritage College Dictionary, means characterized by conformity to standards of propriety or morality.

“Americans used to believe that most presidents would strive to be decent.  This adjective will likely not be found in the next president’s obituary.”

Or, consider how President Joe Biden, a friend of Carter during his life, eulogized him in death:

“President Joe Biden eulogized former president Jimmy Carter on Thursday as a man who ‘taught me the strength of character’ and refused to let personal ambition or politics erode his inherent goodness, thus using one of his final speeches as president to issue an indirect rebuke to the politics of today.

“Character, I believe, is destiny.  Destiny in our lives and, quite frankly, destiny in the life of our nation, Biden used the word ‘character’ nearly a dozen times in 10 minutes.  ‘We have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor and to stand up to what my dad said is the greatest sin of all:  The abuse of power.’

“Biden said that Carter did justice, loved mercy, walked humbly,’ quoting the Bible’s Book of Micah.”

As we reflect on Carter’s life, two words are used – decency and character.  And those are words used less and less in today’s form politics, which renders disagreement enmity.

I long for the day when those words will not just be used, but will be an apt description of status and commitment.

So goodbye to a Godly man, Jimmy Carter.  Rest in peace.

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 noticed the word “fealty” in a column that appeared in the Wall Street Journal this week.

I could have opened one of the departments I run, the Department of Words Matter, to discuss this word.

But I decided not to do that and just discuss the word.

Here is what the dictionary says it means:

“A feudal tenant’s or vassal’s sworn loyalty to a lord, as in these sentences:  They owed fealty to the Earl rather than the King; formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord.  A property for which she did fealty.”

A bit confusing to read this definition, for it relies on history.  But the point is that “fealty” prescribes bowing and scraping to a lord as if you were a servant.

That’s what Donald Trump, the soon-to-inaugurated president, wants from those who work for him — no from “those who serve him.”

The person who used the word fealty, was John Bolton, the longest-serving national security adviser in the first Trump administration and an assistant attorney general for the civil division at the Justice Department in the Reagan administration.  He is the author of “The Room Where It Happened.”

He probably rues the day he took a job in the Trump administration.

He wrote this:

“Four years ago this Monday, Donald Trump pressured Mike Pence to pursue a surreal interpretation of the vice president’s constitutional role in counting the Electoral College’s votes.  Pence refused, igniting Trump’s fury for not subordinating either philosophical or constitutional principles in service to him, thereby showing ‘disloyalty.’

“Now, Trump is selecting key personnel for his second term.  Although the prospective appointees vary in philosophy, competence and character, one requirement for them is unfortunately consistent:  The likelihood that they will carry out Trump’s orders blind to norms and standards underlying effective governance, or perhaps even to legality.”

So, on it goes.  Trump as lord with vassals and – here’s that word again – those with fealty toward him.