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.

To answer the question in this blog headline, not me.

I cannot tolerate the over-the-top conduct of pro golfer Phil Mickelson who appears to believe he is above everyone else – and everyone ought to listen to him.

He is in the Masters this week on the strength of his three victories there – victories I loved when they occurred in 2004, 2006 and 2010.  Mickelson was one of my favorite golfers and I wished him all the success in the world, even as he appeared to treasure his family often on the scene of his triumphs.

I loved how he took chances to test his skills.  One of the shots I will remember forever is the 6-iron he hit through a hole in a tree all the way to 13^th green over water at the Masters.  His caddy, then Jim “Bones” MacKay, urged him not to try to shot, but Mickelson succeeded as he often did.

That was Mickelson at his best.

Then, he defected (one of my friends will not like my use of the word “defect,” but I do so intentionally in this case) from the PGA Tour, which had given him a substantial livelihood for many years.  He joined the upstart LIV, which is funded by the tainted Saudi Arabia Defense Fund.

Along the way, he remarked to the media that it was no big deal, to him, for the Saudis to do their work, which involved killing people.

That soured me on Mickelson for the rest of his golf career, whatever that is to be.

Before he defected, a highlight for me occurred several years ago when I served as a walking marshal at the American Express Tournament.  I was assigned to a then-stalwart twosome — Mickelson and Tony Finau. 

Finau played a great round, shooting a 63.  Mickelson carded a 72.

It was fun to be up and close to these two golfers for 18 holes.

I also was able to say hello to Phil’s caddy, his brother, Tim, whom my son knew from their days at Oregon State University.  [As an aside, Tim is no longer on his Phil’s bag, having “retired” to spend more time with his growing family.]

That is my last positive memory of Mickelson.  Since then, he has descended into the abyss of LIV golf, arguing that the PGA Tour is not worth anything.

For me, today, Mickelson also is worth nothing in my fan base.

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.

First, let me underline this:  I will not write about the looney Donald Trump this week.

Instead, this should be a week when real golfers – me included — love to watch the best tournament in any year, the Masters.

Still, as this blog headline notes, a contentious issue lurks in the background.

It boils down to one word:  Money.

More than 10 months have passed since the PGA Tour announced plans to partner with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which owns LIV Golf.  The sides blew past a December 31 deadline and continue to work through details, but no deal is imminent.

Who knows if one reason is that the Saudi Public Investment Fund contains “tainted money,” produced by a country that kills people for a living.

Meanwhile, LIV Golf, funded by the Saudis, continues to pour money into personnel on and off the course, even as its product has yet to reach a critical mass, particularly in the United States.  And the PGA Tour responded to LIV’s flurry of activity by going on its own spending spree — with new expenses seemingly outpacing new revenue streams.

This from the Washington Post:

“Because the game’s top players haven’t competed against one another in an individual event since last year’s British Open, fans have endured lackluster tournament fields and forgettable Sunday finishes.  While LIV’s linear TV ratings aren’t publicized, LIV officials say their numbers on the CW Network are up 40 per cent from last year and they’re pleased with early streaming viewership.

“The PGA Tour’s TV figures, which includes a much larger audience domestically, are down more than 15 per cent.”

So, none other than controversial TV commentator Brandel Chamblee waded into the mess this week in comments made during oGolf Channel’s “Live from the Masters” show:

“We talk so much about how important it is for players to be in the right place mentally, and I just think there’s an epidemic of distraction on the PGA Tour, whether it’s greed or trying to solve problems that are almost unsolvable.  However you want to put it, I just think they’re hugely distracted.”

Who knows if Chamblee is right.  Sometimes he is.  Sometimes he isn’t.

The goal to gain money for you and your family is not automatically wrong, especially as is the case, we live in a capitalistic society.  But, the problem arises when money becomes the end goal, not happiness.  Money should be a means to an end, not an end in and of itself.

For my part, no amount of background tension – including over money in a bid to control professional golf — will get in the way of my intent to watch the Masters starting tomorrow, Thursday.

I’ll be sitting, figuratively, in my Masters chair and drinking coffee, figuratively, out of my Master’s cup.  I say “figuratively” because I forgot both back home in Salem, Oregon as I continue my sojourn in the California desert.

It won’t matter.  I’ll settle for a regular chair and a regular coffee cup.

So, go Scottie Scheffler.

Go Rory McIlroy.

Go others.

Make golf what it was meant to be this week for those who play for “love of the game” – money and tension aside. 

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’s where you want to be on a golf course.

We have reached Day 3 of Masters Week, so my thoughts continue to focus on my favorite golf tournament of the year.

First, I remember the time in 2015 that I was able to attend the tournament with my daughter, a great time for father and daughter.

We booked as room at La Quinta Motel about a mile from the course, so we could talk to Augusta National without competing for car parking spaces. 

The price for our room?  A cool $500 per night!  In normal times, the price was $50.  But, I didn’t mind because many businesses in Augusta have to make their money one week every year.

More memories back then abound:

• When you arrive at Augusta National, you might be tempted to run to get a seat by your favorite hole.  Don’t.  You’ll be asked to walk.

• Remember you are a “patron” at the Masters, the official term for those who attend.

• If you have a Masters cap on backwards, don’t.  You’ll be asked to turn it around.

• If you are lying on a hill to get a view of a certain hole, don’t.  You’ll be asked to sit up straight.

• If you are tempted to buy a cheap pimento sandwich, don’t.  They taste terrible, despite the low price.

• As a “patron,” bring or buy your Masters chair.  If you put the chair down on a certain hole and then want to walk around a bit, no problem.  If someone sits in your chair while you are gone, again no problem.  When you return, the person in your chair will get up.  Which means this approach allows the Masters to have bleachers without bleachers.

So, back to this blog headline.

My recent edition of Global Golf Post picked five favorites – Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Zander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy.

Golf Digest, besides ranking in order all 50 players in the field (I won’t bore you with this list), came up with a top 13 – McIlroy, Rahm, Scheffler, Koepka, Schauffele, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, and Wyndham Clark.

It’s a challenge to pick favorites this year, as pointed out by controversial analyst Brandel Chamblee on the Golf Channel “Live from the Masters” program yesterday.

He posited that many of the top players might not be in the hunt this year because, to paraphrase him, they are more interested in money than playing the game for the results that accrue to solid performance.

It would be possible, as always, to criticize Chamblee’s take, but it is worth considering, I think, because playing for the “love of the game” appears more remote than ever this year.

With that caveat, my favorite?

Scheffler.

It appears to me that, while he makes a lot of money, he still plays for the love of the game.

To use a shopworn phrase, only time will tell.

But one thing is clear.  I’ll be watching every shot on TV, as will my daughter – not to mention millions of other “patrons.”

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.

IT’S MASTERS WEEK!

Northing more needs to be said or written.  But do more of the latter.

Because the intro to this blog reports that I am a golfer.  So, this is a very important week for me. 

Later this week, I will be glued to the TV to see who wins the 90^th edition of this, the world’s greatest golf tournament.

At least that’s my view, so I can say that in this, my blog.

As the Masters’ website puts it:

“Since 1934, the Masters Tournament has been home to some of golf’s greatest moments.  Amidst blooming azaleas, towering pines, and flowering dogwoods, the first full week of April ushers in a stage unique to golf and to sport.

“Over four days and 72 holes, the smallest field in major championship golf competes for a chance to capture the Green Jacket and a place in Masters history.

“Take a journey down Magnolia Lane or stroll through Amen Corner, and explore the iconic traditions, moments and history of Masters Tournament like never before — past and present.”

I have taken this journey once.  With my daughter, we went to Augusta National for the first official day of practice, along with Par 3 Tournament, and, then, the 1^st round.  Then, we hurried home to Oregon and Washington to watch the final rounds on TV.

Great memories!

More from the Masters’ website:

“Augusta National Golf Club was founded by Bobby Jones, the legendary amateur champion, and Clifford Roberts, an astute investment banker in New York.  Upon his retirement from championship golf in 1930, Bobby Jones had hoped to realize his dream of building a golf course.

“Following a brief conversation with Clifford Roberts, with whom Jones had met several times during the mid-1920s, it was decided the Club would be built near Augusta, Georgia, provided a suitable piece of ground was available.

“Thomas Barrett, Jr., a mutual friend of Jones and Roberts, was consulted and recommended a 365-acre property called Fruitland Nurseries.  An option was taken on the property for $70,000.  It was decided to establish a national membership for the Club, and Jones proposed Augusta National would be an appropriate name.  Construction on the new course began in the first half of 1931 and the course opened in December 1932 with a limited amount of member play.  Formal opening took place in January 1933.”

Then, in 1934, Jones and Roberts decided to hold an annual event, which was the start of Masters.

One of favorite golf writers, George Peper, now editor of Links Magazine, remembers many of the stories of the Masters over the years.  Under this headline —  These days, it’s not so much who wins the Masters but how the victory unfolds – Peper wondered what stories would be told about the Masters this year.

He suggested these possibilities:

1. Against All Odds:  History is made as Stewart Hagestad (or one of the five other amateurs in the field) becomes the first amateur to win the Masters.
2. Mission Accomplished:  Rory McIlroy, after more than a decade of frustration at Augusta, becomes the sixth player in history to complete the career grand slam.
3. Brilliance:  Gary Woodland, a year after brain surgery, scores a triumph of the human spirit.
4. True Grit:  A few months ago, Will Zalatoris’ career was imperiled by a crippling back — now he’s the Masters champion.
5. Boy Wonder:  Twenty-year-old phenom Nick Dunlap becomes the youngest player to don a green jacket.
6. How Swede It Is:  If Ludvig Åberg becomes the first Scandinavian to win the Masters, he might just be the next Tiger Woods.
7. Three Down, One to Go:  Collin Morikawa (or Brooks Koepka) joins an elite club as the winner of three of the game’s four major titles.
8. The Lion in Winter:  At age 53, Phil Mickelson once again summons the magic, becoming the oldest Masters champion and equaling Arnold Palmer’s four wins.
9. Richly Deserved:  $400,000,000 Man Jon Rahm, unspoiled by his wealth, returns successfully to defend his title.
10. Number One Hands Down:  With his second Masters and seventh title in 26 months, Scottie Scheffler is unquestionably the best player in the world.
11. Nice Guy Finishes First:  Rickie Fowler — or Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, Max Homa, Sahith Theegala — scores a big one for the good guys.
12. Battle Royal #1—Bullfight:  Brooks Koepka vs. Bryson DeChambeau.
13. Battle Royal #2—Ryder Cup Reprise:  Rory McIlroy vs. Patrick Cantlay.
14. Battle Royal #3—Justice Triumphs:  Anyone beats Patrick Reed.

“Bottom line,” Peper writes, “I don’t care who wins, as long I’m thoroughly entertained.”

Me, too.  Though it would not bother me if a “new Jack Nicklaus” pulled a rabbit out of hat as Nicklaus did in 1986.  His iconic win then, with his son on his bag as a caddie, ranks for me as my “#1 Masters.”

Well, perhaps #2…because the tournament on-site with my daughter in 2015 always will rank as #1.

his 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 case you wonder, the word “ignoramus” in the headline refers to Donald Trump.

I join many others who cannot believe this kind of “no ethics” person could move into the Oval Office again.

Tom Nichols in Atlantic Magazine summarizes my thoughts exactly:

“The 2024 election has become a kind of waking nightmare in which many of us stare at Donald Trump as he unleashes some new attack on any number of targets:  A judge’s daughter, immigrants, the rule of law, American national security, the Constitution.  

“And we blink and shake our heads, stunned to think that many of our fellow citizens are eager to put this autocratic ignoramus back in the White House.”

Enough said, at least for now.

*********

[Except for this:  If, by some chance, you want to read more about the ignoramus, note a new column by Dana Milbank in the Washington Post.  It will make you cringe with worry about the future of our country with Trump having a chance for re-election.]

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.

If you were in the business of touting positive public policy developments in Oregon, there is at least one issue that would NOT make the list – foster care.

The state’s record in this issue is both terrible and embarrassing.

As someone who was involved in state public policy issues for more than 40 years, I cannot believe that more state managers and workers have not paid a price for this failure.  “Paid a price” means losing their jobs.

This became clear again yesterday as Oregon Capital Chronicle covered the story in this way:

“The Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), under pressure by lawmakers and advocates over its care of foster children in hotels, released a report on Tuesday acknowledging past mistakes.

“Many were related to its contract with Dynamic Life, a Keizer-based non-profit run by a former pastor, which started at $500,000, but quickly expanded to $12 million for support services for foster kids while they were in hotels.

“The contractor hired staff to look after vulnerable children but didn’t run background checks on them and didn’t give them proper training.  Public records revealed that staff mistreated children by improperly restraining them and withholding medication, among other things, and yet DHS paid Dynamic Life more than 100 times what it typically pays foster parents to care for children in short-term rentals, according to an investigation by Oregon Public Broadcasting last year.”

This is only the latest step in what could be called a crescendo of bad acts dating back more years than are worth counting.

The agency’s report, which was conducted by the DHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management, detailed mistakes in hiring Dynamic Life.  It also included promises by DHS management to ensure better oversight of contracts in the future.

That response didn’t mollify the agency’s harshest critic in the Legislature, Senator Sara Gelser Blouin, chair of the Senate Interim Committee on Human Services.  She told the Capital Chronicle the report was superficial and doesn’t reflect the seriousness of the problems suffered by children, and the agency’s failure to ensure they were protected.

Her quote:

“Although the report concludes with an acknowledgement of ‘the extreme stress and harm’ to DHS staff, not once does the agency accept accountability for or even acknowledge the severe harm imposed on children. 

“This includes dozens and dozens of inappropriate physical restraints, consistent and severe medication errors, violation of child rights and reported shaming over sexual orientation and gender identity.  These harms were a direct result of DHS’ failure to regulate and monitor these unlicensed organizations despite paying them millions of taxpayer dollars and entrusting them with the lives and bodies of some of the most victimized and traumatized kids in Oregon.”

In this year’s legislative session, Gelser Blouin tried to pass a bill that would have mandated that contractors supervising foster kids in temporary lodging be licensed.  But DHS objected to that requirement, saying it wouldn’t be able to find a provider to care for kids in hotels.  So that provision was removed from Senate Bill 1521 before it passed.

Not good.

Overall, thousands of Oregon children remain in the state’s foster care system.  They deserve better than they are getting from the State of Oregon.

 

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 Wall Street Journal asks the question in this blog headline:  Why is it so frustrating to see a doctor these days?

My answer?

It isn’t, at least not for me in Salem, Oregon where I live most of the year.  I have lived there since 1979.

For one thing, this means that I and my family know the Salem area’s health care system, including know many of the medical practitioners who practice in our area.  Thus, it has become relatively easy to get access.

That’s just one person’s story.

Here is the way the Wall Street Journal described the general system:

“You struggle to make an appointment.  You sit and sit in the waiting room. You get barely any face time with the doctor.  Why is it so difficult?

“Despite years of efforts to improve efficiency and access, wait times to see a doctor have only gotten worse, amid a shortage of physicians in almost every specialty.  One survey found the average time to secure a new–patient appointment is approaching one month in 15 of the largest cities in the U.S., and another survey found more than a third of Medicare patients are waiting more than a month to see a doctor.

“At least half of patients report experiencing ‘operational friction’ — long hold times on the phone to reach a scheduler, difficulty getting a timely appointment and trouble accessing follow-up information, according to surveys from patient-experience firm Press Ganey.  Patients complain of endless time in the waiting room and little face time with the doctor once in the exam room. 

“Digital patient portals — which are supposed to help make scheduling, follow-up and communication easier — have been hard to navigate for both patients and physicians.”

The Journal goes on to report that “one of the biggest reasons for the frustrating waits is a shortage of doctors across the country — making it tougher to get an appointment and increasing the amount of time wasted in office waiting rooms.  Federal data show the U.S. is short 12,945 primary-care practitioners, indicating that less than half of primary-care needs are being met.

More from the Journal:

• According to the American Medical Association, plummeting Medicare-payment rates for doctors over the past two decades have pushed many independent physician practices toward financial ruin, while burnout has driven doctors out of the field or led them to cut hours. 
• All told, the AMA estimates more than 83 million people in the U.S. live in areas without sufficient access to a primary-care doctor, and many specialists are in short supply as well. 
• A large portion of doctors are nearing retirement. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage of close to 140,000 doctors in primary and specialty care in 2036.  All told, the AMA estimates more than 83 million people in the U.S. live in areas without sufficient access to a primary-care doctor, and many specialists are in short supply as well.  A large portion of doctors are nearing retirement age.

Still, amid all the frustration, there are some promising solutions that could make getting medical care less of an ordeal, even if the problem has not been severe for me.

Here is a summary of useful steps, including in each case a comment from me.

Making it simpler to schedule

Medical offices can be notoriously hard to reach, with patients finding it tough to break through automated telephone menus.

COMMENT:  For me, I have found scheduling to be fairly easy, including through a portal that carries subscriptions from all my physicians in Salem.

Cutting wait time in the office

Medical offices are using electronic-record data to identify staff and scheduling issues that are often at the root of the long waiting-room times, and are adopting time-management strategies to fix them.  More practices are creating a “digital front door,” sending texts to patients in advance with links to portals or websites where they can fill out forms, update medication lists, and confirm insurance coverage up to a week ahead of time. 

Another cause of prolonged waiting-room times is inefficiency in so-called “patient cycle time” — the amount of time from when a patient arrives at the office until the completion of the appointment.

One clinic began starting clinic times earlier in the day to decrease the volume of patients toward the end of the morning hours, and changed its medical-assistant schedules to ensure they were available to get patients into exam rooms at the beginning of the morning and afternoon clinic sessions.

COMMENT:  I have experienced all these steps to reduce waiting time and all have worked well for me, including going on-line to provide appointment details before arriving at the doctor’s office.

Getting face time with the physician

To make sure patients have adequate time with their doctor, practices are changing the way they schedule appointments, reserving longer appointments for new patients and annual exams, and shorter ones for follow-up visits that may not require as much time.

Virtual care is also opening up appointments outside the traditional doctor’s hours.  Oakland, California-based health system Kaiser Permanente launched its first 24/7 virtual on-demand program that allows members to connect on-line or by phone to a clinician.

COMMENT:  Face-time with a doctor matters and, lately, I have gotten all I need, including with such steps as those outlined above.

On-line time with a doctor also works for me, though, of course, such a process never occurs with urgent or emergent needs, nor does on-line work every time. 

It just tends to work on occasion.  And another important step – finding a way for doctors to get paid for providing real service on-line.

A tech fix for follow-ups

Patient portals were supposed to help in many facets of the patient journey, from making appointments to communicating with doctors and getting test results and referrals.

Federal policies now require health providers to share test results with patients at the same time their doctors get them.

COMMENT:  Of course, such technology systems often don’t work, at least for people like me who are not as tech savvy as, say, are my grandchildren.  But, when they work, which is usually for me, they provide useful information.

For example, when I have blood work done, I often get results on-line even before my doctor sees them.

So, I appreciate the work of the Wall Street Journal to highlight this issue and to provide quality writing.

I also appreciate that I have been able to access the Salem, Oregon health care system with relative ease.

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.

As I write this, it is Monday after Easter weekend.  But the reality of what Easter means to those of us who are Christians does not recede even as the “holiday” does.

Easter means that Christ has risen from the dead to give us a chance for a relationship with God the Father.

Think of it this way using THE CROSS as a guide.  The fact that Christ died for us on that cross, as the song lyrics go, “creates a bridge to cross the great divide,” and, in a fascinating turn of phrase, “creates a cross to bridge the great divide.” 

In effect, we are taken across the horizontal beam of that cross to a new life with Christ.

One of my favorite columnists, the late Michael Gerson, captured these real themes well in what he wrote to commemorate Good Friday.  I give him full credit for excellent words and thoughts.

“The story of Good Friday — the garden, the bloody sweat, the sleeping friends, the torch-carrying crowd, the kiss, the slash of a sword, the questioning, the scourging, the mocking, the beam, the nails, the despair of a good man — is an invitation to cynicism. Nearly every human institution is revealed at its worst.

“Government certainly comes off poorly, giving Jesus the bureaucratic shuffle, with no one wanting to take responsibility, until a weak leader gives in to the crowd in the name of keeping the peace. ‘What is truth?’ asks Pilate, with a sneer typical of politics to this day.

“Professional men of religion do not appear in their best light. They are violently sectarian, judgmental and turn to the state to enforce their beliefs.

“The crowd does not acquit itself well, turning hostile and cruel as quickly as an internet mob, first putting palms beneath his feet, then thorns upon his brow.

“Even friendship comes in for a beating.  The men closest to Jesus slept while his enemies are fully awake.  There is betrayal by a close, disgruntled associate.  And then Peter’s spastic violence and cowardly denials. The women — all the assorted Marys — come off far better in the narrative.  But Jesus is essentially abandoned to face his long, suffocating death alone.

“And, for a moment, even God seems to fail, vanishing into a shocking silence.  ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ says Jesus, in words that many of his followers would want to erase from the Bible.  How could the Son of God be subject to despair?

“Consider how the world appeared at the finish of Good Friday.  It would have seemed that every source of order, justice and comfort — politics, institutional religion, the community, friendship — had been discredited.  It was the cynic’s finest hour.  And God Himself seemed absent or unmoved, turning cynicism toward nihilism.  Every ember of human hope was cold.  And there was nothing to be done about it.

“Then something happened.  There was disagreement at the time, as now, on what that something was.  According to the story, Pilate posted a guard at the tomb with the instruction:  ‘Make it as secure as you can.’  Then the cynics somehow lost control of the narrative.  There was an empty tomb and wild reports of angels and ghosts.  And the claim of resurrection.

“Even those who believe the body was moved must confront certain facts.  Faith in the figure Rome executed has far outlasted the Roman Empire.  The cowardly friends became bold missionaries, most dying torturous deaths (according to tradition) for the sake of a figure they had once betrayed in their sleep.  The faith thus founded has given the mob — all of us, even the ones who mock, especially the ones who mock — the hope of pardon and peace.

“For believers, the complete story of Good Friday and Easter legitimizes both despair and faith.  Nearly every life features less-than-good Fridays.  We grow tired of our own company and travel a descending path of depression.  We experience lonely pain, unearned suffering or stinging injustice.  We are rejected or betrayed by a friend.  

“And then there are the unspeakable things — the death of a child, the diagnosis of an aggressive cancer, the steady advance of a disease that will take our minds and dignity.  We look into the abyss of self-murder.  And given the example of Christ, we are permitted to feel God-forsaken.

“And yet … eventually … or so we trust … or so we try to trust:  God is forever on the side of those who suffer.  God is forever on the side of life.  God is forever on the side of hope.

“If the resurrection is real, death’s hold is broken.  There is a truth and human existence that cannot be contained in a tomb.  It is possible to live lightly, even in the face of death — not by becoming hard and strong, but through a confident perseverance.  Because cynicism is the failure of patience.  Because Good Friday does not have the final word.”

Well written, Mr. Gerson, my late friend.

And, I say this on the day after Easter, which is a wonderful holiday – but more than that…a sign of hope for a future!

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.

I just got back home after an Easter Sunrise Service at Southwest Church here in La Quinta, California.

So, I feel compelled to provide this proscript to a blog I posted this morning.

It could have been cloudy and raining here this morning, but as the service was in progress, guess what?  THE “SUN” ROSE IN THE SKY TO THE EAST.

And, about 2,000 years ago, THE “SON” ROSE, to give us a way to have a relationship with God.

Good news on this Easter!

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.

As I awoke this morning, the sun was shining here in Southern California – or at least trying to do so because, I add, there is a bit of rain in prospect this morning.

It was – and is – a fitting way to celebrate Easter morning!

The sun was out! 

The son is risen!

Easter is more than a holiday when there is a scramble, at least among children, to find Easter eggs.  It is more than traditional Easter candy in the store.  It is more than Easter brunches across the land (though my wife and I will be attending one later today).

Easter is a time to reflect on what God has done to give us a way to have a relationship with Him.  It is time to reflect on the fact that, at a specific time in history, Jesus, God’s son, went to the cross to die an excruciating death, the purpose for which was to pay the penalty for our sins and to give us a way to have a relationship with God and Jesus.

I found these words on-line:

“Today, Christians look back on these events (the death and resurrection of Jesus), not to relive the grief, sadness and morbidity, but to renew our commitment to living on a higher plane, the one Jesus challenged us to live on.

“We recognize the cross as a symbol of God’s love, but historically it was an instrument of torture devised by the Greeks and Romans to prolong the death of those deemed guilty of crimes against the state. Since Jesus was guilty of no such thing, the cross had to have a higher meaning — one that could hold the hope of humanity.

“Jesus shared its meaning when he said:  ‘This is how much God loved the world:  He gave his Son, his one and only Son.  And this is why:  So that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.  God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.  He came to help, to put the world right again.

“Today, the cross is still a symbol of God’s forgiveness. The penalty of our countless sins against God — all kinds of sins — is death … eternal death.  As Jesus hung on the cross, our debt to God was being satisfied.  The cross was God’s way of picking up our tab.  It was His way of saying:  ‘I forgive you.’ The cross was a bridge to God’s forgiveness, and we have been invited to freely walk across it.”

Reflecting on this reality morning, the words of one of my favorite hymns come back to me again – and I cite them this morning, just as I did in a previous blog a couple days ago.

Trying to fathom the distance
Looking out ‘cross the canyon carved by my hands
God is gracious
Sin would still separate us
Were it not for the bridge His grace has made us
His love will carry me

There’s a bridge to cross the great divide
A way was made to reach the other side
The mercy of the Father, cost His son His life
His love is deep, His love is wide
There’s a cross to bridge the great divide

God is faithful
On my own I’m unable
He found me hopeless, alone and sent a Savior
He’s provided a path and promised to guide us
Safely past all the sin that would divide us
His love delivers me

The cross that cost my Lord His life
Has given me mine
There’s a bridge to cross the great divide
There’s a cross to bridge the great divide

Good words, well-used – including the words “bridge” and “cross” that appear interchangeably. 

“God provides a bridge across the great divide.  God provides a cross to bridge the great divide.”

On this Easter morning, I hope all of us can go beyond the trappings of another holiday on the calendar and reflect on the true meaning of the season.