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Tiger in the Sand

By Michael Pratt

August 9, 2010, 11:07 am

tiger_glumTiger Woods shot a 7-over par in the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational, wrapping up a completely un-Tiger, 18-over par score of 298 for the tournament. That’s 39 shots higher than the record score he shot ten years ago at the same course (Firestone). Tiger has never finished worse than fourth on this course in eleven previous starts and has won on this course a record seven times. It’s his worst finish as a professional (78th in a field of 79) and also the highest four-round score of his entire PGA career.

Perhaps this is, as Charles Murray suggests, the new Tiger, who lacks that “freakish combination required for extreme accomplishment.” This past weekend, there didn’t appear to be any accomplishment at all, extreme or otherwise. The PGA Championship starts Thursday. Nick Schulz’s prediction of a major-less Tiger in 2010 looks pretty secure.

Michael Pratt is an editorial intern for the American at AEI.

Image by Keith Allison.

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This Lap Dance Brought to You by California Taxpayers

By Michael Pratt

July 16, 2010, 8:04 am

atm-casinoRecent reports from the L.A. Times show that since 2007, nearly $4.8 million in welfare funds have been withdrawn from ATMs in California casinos. And a new report shows that more than $12,000 from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program was withdrawn from ATMs in California strip clubs.

It’s high time California looked at ways to reduce “waste, fraud, and abuse” in the welfare program (although AEI’s Andrew Biggs would point out that Governor Schwarzenegger’s use of this cliché suggests he’s not taking this problem seriously). If those receiving the welfare benefits can afford to spend the money at casinos and strip clubs, they probably shouldn’t be receiving it. Schwarzenegger has already ordered the ATMs in question to refuse the state-issued Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (a current list of ATMs accepting the EBT card can be found here), but it still makes one wonder how those ATMs ended up on the list in the first place. Perhaps it’s because, in addition to healthcare, some California lawmakers consider poker blinds and lap dances fundamental rights.

Michael Pratt is an editorial intern with The American at AEI.

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