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.

One of my thoughts on a day such as this – or it would be true, as well, tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day – is that being thankful should not be limited to one day.

We have much to be thankful for every day.

So, today, I list several of my main reasons for being thankful – and the list appears in no particular order of priority:

For God Who Calls Me One of His Children:  My faith sustains me every day and I am thankful that “my heavenly father” – and I use that phrase intentionally because it calls to mind my great relationship with my earthly father whom I remember fondly and lovingly every day – counts me as one of “His children” without me having to earn that status.

For My Family:  Family means a lot to me.  I also know many people are not able to point with fondness and love to their family.  First, growing up with four siblings and a Mother and Father who loved me gave me a great start on life.

Then, I lucked out and married Nancy and, together, we produced two great children, Eric and Lissy, and then three grandchildren came along.

All of them – either in person or in spirt – will join us tomorrow for a Thanksgiving feast…for which I also am thankful that we have enough wherewithal to gather together.

Great to be part of a family!

For Friends:  Many of my friends (no names here, just a reference to “many”) these days play the game all of us love, golf, no matter how we manage to play or score on a given day.

“Real golf “is supposed to be like this, according to information in the 25^th anniversary of my favorite golf book of all time, “A Season in Dornoch,” an ode to folks and golf in the far north of Scotland written by one of the best golf writers around, Lorne Rubenstein.

I cannot but help but refer to this book because I am thankful for it – today and on other days.  Here are a couple quotes from the book just for a reminder about what golf is really about instead of the commercialism which dominates golf news these days:

“Even as they were coming to grips with the region’s history of turmoil, Rubenstein and his wife, Nell, (who accompanied him on his four-month sojourn in Dornoch, a small town in the far north of Scotland where Rubenstein found enough fodder this this produced) found themselves succumbing to the charms that have drawn so many to Dornoch. 

“They slowed down, let go of the urgency that drove life back in Toronto, and took time to savor the beauty of the landscape all around them; from the hills resplendent in purple heather to the golden sands of Dornoch beach.

“More and more often, Rubenstein found himself doing the things that made him love golf in the first place.  Playing alone at sunrise or sunset.  Playing by feel and sight, rather than by yardages.  Playing the ball on the ground, rather than through the air.  Playing beside the sea, in rain or wind, often with a half set.” 

And, Rubenstein often played without keeping score – just to love the game.

To get back to the point of this blog, my sense of thankfulness for the game I love draws me to many friends where I live in Salem, Oregon, and where I have the good fortune to live and play in the winter, La Quinta, California.

So, today and every day, be thankful for all things!

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.

Those of who are not very smart had to read the story in the Oregonian twice to understand the new information on Oregon’s “kicker law.”

The story appeared under this headline:  “Good-bye to record-breaking kicker tax rebates?  Oregon’s new state economist revamps revenue forecast.”

Let me put it this way:  As tax revenue predictions get more accurate, the amount of the “kicker rebate” will go down.

Here is the situation, according to the Oregonian:

“Official forecasters have been underestimating state revenues for more than a decade, a chronic issue Oregon’s new state economist (Carl Riccadonna) says he plans to fix by reforming the economic model his office uses to predict the state’s finances.

“My mandate joining the office back in September was to really get to the bottom of what’s happening here.

“His conclusion:  Oregon’s old forecasting model has been too pessimistic about the state’s economy and has done a lousy job accounting for how Oregon’s unique tax kicker affects its predictions.”

So, the point, as I noted above — which required the two-time reading — is that forecasts gete closer to reality, the “kicker” amount will go down.

That’s because Oregon’s kicker law – which, depending on your point of view, is either very good or very bad – is triggered when personal income taxes and some other revenue streams come in at least 2 per cent higher than was predicted as legislators set a two-year budget.  When that happens, the “excess money” is “kicked-back” to taxpayers.

Politically, the law has been controversial since it was enacted more than 20 years ago.

Here’s the tension.

• Many Democrats want all the tax money to fund the programs they hold dear, some of which, of course, are supported by other than Democrats.

• Many Republicans contend tax money belongs to payers, so when money arrives above estimates, taxpayers deserve a refund, which many taxpayers want.

That’s oversimplified, but the tension is clear. 

Plus, efforts to get rid of the kicker, either at the Legislature or at the ballot, always have failed.

Back to the Oregonian story:

“Hired in September, Riccadonna holds a job that is both a low-profile one, but also has enormous impact on Oregon’s budget.  That’s because the job holder is in charge of estimating revenue from all taxes and the lottery.  Then, those estimates are used by the Legislature to form the next state two-year budget, as well as to determine the size of the kicker.

“More accurate forecasts would also mean an end to record-breaking kicker refunds, which have fattened taxpayers’ wallets but left Oregon with less money to spend on schools, health care, transportation, and other budget priorities.

“It will be years before it’s clear whether Riccadonna has successfully diagnosed the flaws of prior forecasts and whether his work will produce more accurate predictions, including for the kicker.”

So, as always, watch for your kicker refund.  It is relatively clear that there will be one, but it’s size is not known, at least not yet.

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.

One of my friends suggested that I try to find stuff to write about other than Donald Trump.

Good point.  But Trump is doing such outlandish things as he prepares to take office that I know I won’t be able to avoid writing about his bid to make what I label, “Make American Less Great Again.”

Going after immigrants is one of those cases.

No one in America should be surprised that Trump is following through on his campaign promises to deport as many of them as he can.

No matter that, in one way or the other, all of us either are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants.  Other than Native Americans, of course.

Hill.com dealt with the coming reality:

“Immigrants with humanitarian or temporary legal status in the United States are at risk of being rendered effectively undocumented by the incoming Trump administration.

“More than 1.5 million people can currently live and work in the country protected both by longtime programs including Temporary Protected Status and Biden Administration innovations such as the parole processes for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants.

“’Twilight’” or ‘liminal’ stati occupy a gray area between unauthorized presence in the United States and legal permanent immigration paperwork.  According to data compiled by the Migration Policy Institute, the federal government has 3,390,295 grants of liminal statuses, though the number of people protected is almost certainly lower because some foreign nationals may be protected by more than one program.”

Hill.com adds that, without the protections granted by these programs, immigrants who are accustomed to living and working in the United States legally could lose those rights overnight, risking their livelihoods and potentially being detained and deported.

Jennifer Rubin, writing in the Washington Post, puts it this way:

“The deportation process is legal and complicated for all but very recent arrivals, with oversight by courts.  The country of origin can make return nearly impossible, although doing so would risk the wrath of Trump.

“As for using the military, as Trump has threatened, U.S. Today says, ‘Multiple presidential administrations have used the U.S. military in border enforcement, but U.S. law strictly prevents the president from using the military as a domestic police force, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.’”

Still, just wait.  Trump will try to find a way to use the military for this purpose.

And one of the first targets could be the state of Florida where Trump lives.  USA Today writes this: 

“President-elect Trump is already laying the groundwork to fulfill one promise he made on the campaign trail:  Mass deportations.  In his current home state of Florida, immigration experts said that about 5 per cent of the state’s population – or 1.1 million people – live there without legal permission.  The impact on the state’s communities, workplaces and economy will depend on how far Trump goes with his plan.”

More specifically, according to hill.com, here is a list programs that could be at risk under the second Trump administration:

Temporary Protected Status:  TPS actually is not an immigration program at all.  It was set up in 1990 amid increased migration from El Salvador, where death squads run by the U.S.-supported government were terrorizing a segment of the population.

The program was approved with Salvadorans in mind, but it gave the federal government the ability to grant work permits and deferrals from deportation to nationals of any designated nation.  Countries can be designated for TPS for up to 18 months at a time to avoid deporting people to somewhere going through or recovering from natural or man-made disasters.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals:  If TPS is the highest-profile statutory humanitarian relief program for foreign nationals, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is its executive action counterpart.

DACA was the Obama administration’s most visible immigrant relief effort, an origin story that attracts Democrats and repels Republicans.

But through its lifetime, DACA has gained bipartisan clout because it protects a publicly sympathetic group of people known as “Dreamers.”

Dreamers are undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as minors — DACA beneficiaries are a subset of Dreamers who fulfilled the program’s requirements, including being born on or after 1981, arriving before 2007 and passing the relevant background checks.

Biden parole programs:  A second Trump administration is certain to stop accepting migrants into the country under parole programs started under Biden, but it’s less clear what will happen to people who have already received parole.

According to Migration Policy Institute numbers, the current administration has granted parole to Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan nationals 531,000 times as of September.  But the Biden administration has also said it will not renew CHNV parole status, forcing beneficiaries to seek a different status, including asylum or TPS.

Asylum:  The United States asylum system is overwhelmed, with a backlog of more than 2 million cases.  But there is significant overlap between asylum, gray area statuses and visas, including green cards.

So, there it is.  Programs for immigrants where there is little doubt but that Trump and his cronies will go after them.

Which raises as final thought for me.

My wife and I, along with many others in Salem, Oregon, have been supporting Salem for Refugees, which makes heroic efforts to re-settle immigrants in and around Salem.  But, what will Trump anti-immigration thrusts mean for programs such as this good one in Salem?

Of course, no one knows yet. 

But what Trump cannot do is forbid individual citizens such as my wife and me from setting out to do good work in our cities and neighborhoods, including with refugees.

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.

Department of Pet Peeves is one of five I run with a free hand to manage as I see fit.

The others are the Department of Good Quotes Worth Remembering, the Department of “Just Saying,” the Department of Inquiring Minds Want to Know, and the Department of Words Matter.

If there is overlap between and among those departments, it doesn’t matter.  I am in charge of all things – like Donald Trump, though I add quickly, not in all ways like Trump – so overlap is of no concern.

Regarding the Department of Pet Peeves, it has not been open for some time, so it is now time to chronicle some peeves in this, a relatively long post.

“SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED:”  Those are tough words for all of us who have had to put something together – a swing set for our kids, furniture for our patio, etc.

If it was up to me, I would make companies that issue “some assembly required” equipment, to meet personally with those assigned to the assembly task.

Perhaps then the instructions would be revised to make more sense, plus this critical addition:  When screws or bolts are needed for the assembly, provide more than the supposed exact amount to do the job.

All of us have faced challenges when we lost a screw or bolt and, thus, were one short.

The solution:  Those who pack boxes should always all five more of each screw or bolt you will use.

Sounds good, right?

RELATIVELY NEW WEATHER TERMS:  I could have opened several of “my” other departments for this – the Department of “Just Saying” or the Department of Inquiring Minds Want to Know, but I’ll leave it to Pet Peeves this time.

Who invented the terms “atmospheric river” and “bomb cyclone?”  Probably bored weather forecasters.

Here is what the terms mean, thanks to Mr. Google:

Atmospheric river:  The steady rain currently pummeling most of California – call it an “atmosphere river” — is expected to flood roads and lower elevations in the state.   Accompanying heavy snowfall in the Sierra Mountain Range could bury some lower-elevation mountain roads, as well.

“Atmospheric rivers” are to blame.  These regions of humid air flow come from the tropics into colder climates as strong winds and condense when they encounter mountains.  The warm air rises and cools over elevated land, forming clouds that dump rain and snow onto the earth below.  

“Atmospheric rivers are literally rivers in the sky, the rivers of water vapor that transport massive amounts of water in the atmosphere,” according to Popular Mechanics magazine.

Bomb cyclone:  Also known as bombogenesis (never heard that word before), bomb cyclone is a fast-developing storm that occurs when atmospheric pressure drops at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“A bomb cyclone occurs when atmospheric pressure at the center of the cyclone drops rapidly.  To qualify, the pressure needs to drop about 1 [millibar], or more, every hour over a 24-hour period.”

There, now you know, though I still don’t know what a “millibar” is.

For me, I prefer using the terms “rain” and “wind.”  Add modifiers – high, low, lots of either, etc. if you need to do so — but, still, use the old words.

Finally, to this, I add words from a Washington Post story this morning defining the two terms, plus a new one, the “Fujiwhara effect.”  Which means that this pet peeves post achieves another objective – education.

“While it may seem that meteorologists are pulling new descriptors out of their hats each week, terms like ‘bomb cyclone, ‘atmospheric river’ and ‘Fujiwhara effect have been around for a while and are rooted in science.

“The Fujiwhara effect is named for Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara, who was the director of the Central Meteorological Observatory of Japan from 1941 to 1947.  Usage of the phrase dates back more than 70 years in scientific literature.

“The term ‘bomb cyclone”’ has been around for more than 40 years, since it was introduced by Frederick Sanders and John Gyakum in 1980.

“Bomb cyclones are mid-latitude cyclones — not hurricanes — that undergo explosive intensification within a 24-hour period.

“Even the term ‘atmospheric river’ is more than 30 years old, as coined in 1992 by Newell et al., though originally it was called a tropospheric river.  They were initially described as narrow but long filaments of water vapor that persist for many days.  Now we call them rivers in the sky and appreciate the important role they play in transporting water to almost all corners of the world.”

Back to pet peeves.

SLOW PLAY IN GOLF:  Several professional golfers on the Ladies Professional Golf Tour have gone on record advocating against slow play.

Two of them are Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda.

They have a point.  Some professional rounds, they say, take almost six hours.

Slow play on the professional golf tours has been an issue for me for years.  Yet, there is an official golf rule which says that, when players reach the point of their next shot and pull a club, they have 40 seconds to play.  If, by chance, their ball is in a tough spot – near a tree, for instance – they are given a bit of extra time.

But is the 40-second rule ever enforced?  No.

Thus, my pet peeve.

Unless warnings, if not penalties, are imposed, slow play will never stop.

For me, obviously, not a pro golfer, I play at The Palms in La Quinta, California, in the winter.  There, players are given three hours and forty minutes to play 18 holes.

Easy if you set your mind to it.

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.

According to the New York Times, late night TV host Desi Lydic said this about Dr. Mohmet Oz named by Donald Trump to run the Medicaid and Medicare Services programs for the federal government:

 “At least Dr. Oz is an actual doctor.  I’m impressed Trump didn’t pick Dr Pepper.”

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.

People who know me know that, for some strange reason, I am interested in golf rules.

They usually are complicated and, with apologies to the United States Golf Association in the U.S. and the R & A in Europe, the rules are written in words that often don’t make sense.

Still, with all the complications, I enjoy focusing on and ins and outs of the game I love.

Here are two recent examples:

EXAMPLE #1:  WHEN IS A GOLF BALL REALLY LOST?:  A player named Emilio Gonzalez had been looking to make the weekend at the World Wide Technology Championship a week or so ago.  But, then, he was disqualified following a unusual rules incident.

Here is the way on-line golf magazine described the situation:

“After firing a one-over-par 73 on Thursday, Gonzalez would need a low round on Friday to make the cut at the tournament.

“Carding a one-under 71, he failed to make the weekend and, a few hours later, it turned out he was disqualified following a rules infringement at the par-4 15th!

“Signing his scorecard, the 27-year-old spoke to media and was likely on his way back to the hotel before rules officials revealed that he would be disqualified due to a rules’ breach of Rule 18.3 (Provisional Ball).”

“Being played at the Tiger Woods designed El Cardonal at Diamante, Gonzalez struck his tee shot on the 15th into the desert area and, a few seconds later, played a provisional.”

Now, this is where the rule infringement occurred because, after a brief search was conducted to find the first tee shot, a ball was found within the three-minute limit.  Then, officials claimed Gonzalez failed to make a “reasonable effort” to identify the ball once it was found.  He continued to play the provisional, making a bogey five.

Under Rule 18.3 – ‘Playing Provisional Ball After Search Has Started Is Allowed’, “A player may play a provisional ball for a ball that might be lost up until the point when the three-minute search time has ended.”

“For example, if a player is able to return to the spot of their previous stroke and play a provisional ball before the three-minute search time has ended, the player is allowed to do so.  If the player plays the provisional ball and the original ball is then found within the three-minute search time, the player must continue play with the original ball.”

To not be penalized and disqualified, Gonzalez needed to clearly determine whether the found ball was his or not.

And he failed, resulting in the DQ.

EXAMPLE #2:  WHEN IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS REALLY OUT-OF-BOUNDS:  In this example, the question is what to do if you hit your ball out-of-bounds off the tee, but discover the ball is in-bounds on a different hole?  Can you play it from its new spot.

The answer is that there is a Model Local Rule (A-5) that would treat a ball that crosses a boundary as out-of-bounds even if it comes to rest on another part of the course, which is in-bounds.

Without the Model Local Rule, if the ball comes to rest somewhere that’s on the course in-bounds, it doesn’t matter whether it crossed completely over a boundary or not.  The ball is on the course and it is in play without penalty.

If there is a moral here, it is this:  Know golf rules because, while they can penalize you on the course, they also can help you play better if you know them 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.

One of my friends suggested the other day that I could consider writing less about Donald Trump.  This friend has a point, but with Trump heading to the White House amidst many outlandish proposals, he might continue to be fodder for more blogs.

Not today, though.

I turn to the lure of big money that is driving sports these days.  The trend has bothered me on several counts:

• Professional golfers have been defecting from the PGA Tour, which gave them a solid place in golf.  Now, some of them head to LIV for insane amounts of money, even though LIV is funded by tainted money from Saudi Arabia.

• Four PAC 12 football teams have defected from the PAC 12 to the “Big Ten” (which I add is a inaccurate label because that conference now consists of 18 teams).  The teams are the University of Washington, the University of Southern California, the University of California at Los Angeles, and the University of Oregon.

• And, now, a third case:  U.S. players on the new Ryder Cup golf team, not yet selected, will now will be paid $400,000 each “to play for their country.”  This, at least in part, appears to be a response to a plea from certain players – read, Patrick Cantlay – to be paid for their “work” at the Ryder Cup.

Ron Green, Jr., a writer for Global Golf Post, wrote a recent column criticizing the decision by the PGA of America to pay players.

“It diminishes,” he said, “the notion that players in the Ryder Cup are playing for something other than themselves – for team and country.”

By contrast, the team from Europe won’t be paid for the 2025 event. 

A great player for Europe, Shane Lawry, said he doesn’t want to be paid.  He said it is more than enough to play for your country.

The announcement that U.S. Ryder Cup players would get $400,000 each came in the midst of another piece of controversial news – customer ticket prices for the 2025 event have skyrocketed to $750 apiece, which is likely to prompt some potential buyers to pass.

Again, it appears to be all about the money – in pro golf, in the Ryder Cup, in college sports.

For my part, if those getting the money would just admit they were doing it for the money rather than for some other exalted purpose, I would be fine with that declaration.

One example is pro golfer Harold Varner who said he was heading to LIV “because of the money and to set up his family up for life.”  Good for him to be honest and open.

Others said they were leaving “to grow the game of golf.” 

Hogwash!

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 I try to understand how Donald Trump won the campaign for president of the United States, I still find myself flummoxed.

First, don’t you like that word, “flummoxed?”

It sort of rolls off the tongue, and by that measure alone, summarizes the incredible status we face in the U.S. – a new president who is a felon, an abuser of women, a reality TV show host, and a person who always thinks he is the smartest person in any room.

So it is that I have wondered about the political strategy that produced the Trump win, if there was a strategy at all.

The New York Times helped me this morning with this:

“For much of the past decade, Trump has repeatedly swamped the system with provocations.  Steve Bannon (one of Trump’s long-time aides who just got out of prison for telling Congress to pound sand) memorably stated that their strategy for dealing with the news media was to ‘flood the zone’ with manure.

“The strategy has ensured that little focus stays on any single scandal.  The caravan moves quickly on to the next, and the next, creating an overall blurring and flattening effect. He (Trump) has survived them all, including 34 felony convictions and being held liable for sexual abuse.”

There you have it.

The Trump strategy.

And, we’re all worse for the wear and tear of it.

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.

Okay, this is not a blog about Donald Trump.  I have had enough of him to last me for a lifetime, though, I suppose, I’ll write about him again as I try to understand how people could vote for him.

On to another topic.

I was reflecting the other day on some of my more than 40 years in professional life before retirement.

To do that, I tried to remember what I could label “accomplishments” in my 15 years as an Oregon state government manager or my 25 years as a state lobbyist in Oregon.

But, instead, I turned to remember some of the officials from whom I learned many management lessons – call them mentors.  Better to reflect on folks who helped me along than on accomplishments.

So, here is a list, where the names appear in no order of priority:

Vic Atiyeh:  It was a pleasure to work for Atiyeh, the last Republican governor in Oregon, now more than 40 years ago.  I could say a lot about my time with Atiyeh, but this stands out for me:  Victor – that’s what we called him when he allowed us to do so – never cared who got the credit when something good happened in Oregon.  He didn’t want it for himself; he wanted to parse it out to those who contributed to the result.  Good for any politician! 

Joe Blumel and E. Dean Anderson:  These, respectively, were the president and vice president for university relations when I had the privilege to work at Portland State University. 

They let me be myself as director of information services, a phrase that essentially meant “public and media relations.”

It was Blumel who sent me to the Capitol in Salem, Oregon to be what he called “the eyes and ears of Portland State,” with, he added, “no mouth.” 

The latter was because the Oregon Higher Education Chancellors Office – it no longer exists – was assigned to be the only entity that was supposed to talk with legislators on behalf of higher education institutions in Oregon.

But Blumel’s assignment gave me a start at the Capitol where I ended up working for almost 40 years.

Anderson also was great with and for me.  We shared Scandinavian heritage, so that helped us relate well to each other – he as boss and me as one of his staff.

I remember one time when he took me to the annual Scandinavian Dinner in Portland.  The menu included “lute-fisk,” and, if you don’t know what that is, so much the better.  If you eat it – it is made by soaking dried stockfish in lye, then water, and finally steaming the remaining guts until they flake.  The name comes from the Norwegian word lute, which means “lye.”

If you happen to eat it, you don’t want to eat again for a week!

With the letters “fisk” in the name, perhaps my forebears invented lute-fisk.

Bob Watson:  When I moved from Washington, D.C. back to Oregon, Watson was director of the Corrections Division, then part of the Oregon Department of Human Resources (DHR) where I was going to serve as assistant director.

He was on the panel when I interviewed to get the job at DHR and I remember that he asked me a simple question, with profound implications:  What is the definition of “news,” he asked.

Rather than report an explicit definition, I answered this way:  News, I said, is what reporters and editors (and sometimes publishers) say it is.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Beyond other duties, I was in charge of media relations for the prison system, so Watson and I became good friends, even as we discussed the “news” business.

Another interesting fact.  When I joined DHR, there were three state prisons, all located in Salem.  Today, many years later, there are 14 prisons spread around the state, which is an indication of what I could call a “lock ‘em up” strategy in the state.  Which is meaningful because a every dollar to run prisons is a state “general fund dollar” (read, yours and my state tax money).

And that puts pressure on other “general fund users,” such as K-12 education, higher education, and social services.

Leo Hegstrom and Jerry Brown:  When I joined DHR, these two, respectively, were the director and deputy director of what was then the largest state government agency.  They taught me a lot about managing an agency, always focusing on facts, not fiction.

All three of us also developed a solid relationship with the governor, Vic Atiyeh, for whom we worked.  We met with him weekly in Cabinet Meetings – many of Atiyeh’s successors did not attend Cabinet Meetings, though he usually did — as well as with the governor alone in his personal office.

This process enabled me to have a good relationship, as well as ongoing respect, for Atiyeh.

Bill Wyatt and Mike Thorne:  At different times, these two officials served as executive director of the Port of Portland, a lobbying client of my firm.  The good news is that they relied on my firm’s advice and counsel, which meant that, among other things, we got things done at the Capitol for the Port.

One of the most important was gaining funds to pay the costs of deepening the Columbia River channel so bigger ships could ply their way off the coast to ports in and around Portland.

Fred Miller:  He was my mentor in the Oregon Executive Department where he functioned as the COO of state government.

Miller relied on three of us to help him with that function – Jon Yunker, the budget director (who became one of my best friends in state government), Karen Roach, who handled personnel and labor relations, and me, who handled public and legislative relations.  A solid group of managers who found a good way to way to work together, not at cross purposes.

Pat McCormick:  He was one of my partners at Conkling Fiskum & McCormick, the name we chose for our firm when we got started in 1990.

McCormick, still a friend today, taught me a lot about the art of communication.

Tom Kennedy:  After working as Governor Atiyeh’s press secretary, I moved over to become deputy director of the Oregon Economic Development Department.  There, I reported to Kennedy.  He knew more about marketing than I did, so I learned a lot from him, even as he assigned me to relate to the Oregon Legislature on behalf of the department. 

At one point, Kennedy, who traveled a lot to Japan on marketing trips, said he didn’t want to head off to France when the State of Oregon was asked to send someone to a French graduate school to talk about how Oregon diversified its economy.

Kennedy would have been the logical choice, but he asked me to make the trip.

Of course, my wife accompanied me and we had a solid experience in France to tout Oregon’s move from being dependent on logging and fishing to aiding the technology and tourism industries, even as the area of France where we were – the Clermont Ferrande region – was setting out to diversity from being almost wholly dependent on Michelin.

Gerry Thompson:  When I served as Governor Atiyeh’s press secretary, I reported to Thompson, the governor’s chief of staff.  We have remained friends to this day, often reflecting on the good times with a governor who valued all of Oregon.

Thompson let me be myself in my job, though always with proper oversight from her.

One issue we have reflected on since we left government was the “Rajneesh affair” in Oregon when the leader of a commune from India, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, led a group of cultists to buy property in Eastern Oregon and take over the local government there.

For Atiyeh, Thompson led the effort to blunt the Bhagwan’s intrusion into Oregon and she I still reflect on the difficulty of doing so, though the Bhagwan and his followers eventually left under a cloud.  

Neil Bryant:  Bryant, a senator from Bend, became the best legislative friend I made at the Capitol over my years as a lobbyist.  He and I still are friends today.

At least one fact set Bryant apart when he served as a senator:  He had a distinct ability to bring differing interests together to hammer out a solid solution somewhere in the middle rather than on either extreme.  It is a lost art today in Salem.

Kerry Tymchuk:  Formerly State of Oregon director for U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, Tymchuk joined my firm when Smith lost.  Kerry and I were able to work together on several projects, before Kerry moved on to the job he now holds, Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society where – no surprise — he has done a great job.

Tymchuk is a great writer, so one of the lessons I learned from him – pay close attention to the written word.

Morris Dirks:  I end with a few words about my relationship with Dirks – we are like brothers – which started when he was on the staff where I attend church in Salem, Oregon, Salem Alliance, and I was on the lay leadership team.

When Dirks became senior pastor, I worked with him on the Governing Board.  That’s when we became like brothers and I learned a lot from Dirks about how to lead a vibrant Christian life and to lead others on the journey.

So, in conclusion, one of the best ways to reflect on a professional life – mine as I near my seventh year in retirement – is to focus, not on specific achievements, but, rather, on individuals who helped you along the way.

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.

Democrats in Washington, D.C., soon to be out of power, have made two gestures recently that are worth commending.

And, by “gestures,” I mean action that display support for democracy and a peaceful changing of the guard in America.

The two gestures:

• Kamala Harris, after it was clear she lost to Donald Trump – a result I did not want – called Trump to congratulate him.

• President Joe Biden invited Trump to a meeting at the White House, which Trump was doing as he also visited Congress.

Note that Trump did neither of these gestures as he lost last time around to Joe Biden.

He should have, but, instead, he mounted an insurrection to try to stay in power, which was antithetical to the way democracy works in this country.

Here is how the Wall Street Journal described the Biden-Trump meeting:

“President-elect  Trump met with President Biden in the Oval Office with the two leaders shaking hands and emphasizing a peaceful handover of power, a moment that stood in contrast to the discord that followed Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump.

“’Congratulations and I’m looking forward to having a smooth transition,’ Biden said Wednesday.  ‘Welcome — welcome back.’

“Trump thanked the president.  ‘Politics is tough and it’s, [in] many cases, not a very nice world but it is a nice world today,’ he said, adding that the change in power would be ‘as smooth as it can get.’  They didn’t take questions from reporters before continuing the meeting, which lasted roughly two hours.  Trump also didn’t address the huge crowd of reporters waiting outside the White House when he departed around 1 p.m.”

Still, Maureen Dowd in the New York Times added this bit of clarity:

“It is hard to watch Donald Trump be gracious, because he is gracious only when he wins, and that’s not a good lesson for the children of America.  When he loses, he tries to burn the democracy down.”

That’s true about Trump.  When he lost, he tried hard, violence and all, to stay in power, even threatening to kill those who opposed his bid. 

Now, Dowd says, as the winner Trump, comes across as “gracious,” which might have been the first time in his life he has displayed that trait.

So, I believe we should commend Harris and Biden for their gestures, even as we hope, down the road, that Trump learns about the way to conduct democracy, if, he doesn’t want to continue that approach to government in the United States.