What does Rick mean by "Business Solutions to Public Problems"?

I want to use my 20 years of business experience to tackle the problems that affect our daily lives. My approach can be summarized as follows:

• Problem Solving by addressing root causes, not symptoms.
• Government is the way we purchase collective services - make sure we are getting Good Value for our tax dollar.
• Focus on Issues That Really Matter to people - Health Care, Abortion, Taxes, School Funding, Job Growth, and Urban Sprawl.

Successful business executives don't try to solve problems with rhetoric and a picture of their family. Unfortunately, too many politicians do. You need to demand more of your elected officials. Demand results, not rhetoric.

When I look at Ohio State government (and the U.S. government for that matter), I see a business in trouble. Ohio's "executives" (your elected officials) have taken their eye off the customer (you), and instead have turned inward, focusing on getting a bigger pay package (campaign donations) and a promotion (higher office). When a company's culture turns away from the customer, executives end up jockeying for position over issues that really don't matter, but are easier to propose and might further their position or bragging rights (voting reform when there is no voter fraud; child adoption by gay couples; favors for one individual or industry). Their efforts become more and more about them, and less and less about you.

If you elect me, I will act like I don't want a second term. I plan to take on the issues that are really important to the government's customers - the people of Southwest Ohio. Even in my campaign, I want to talk about the underlying causes of our problems, not gloss over them. It is going to be a little harder to get through my website, but I think you will be glad you spent the time.

I am going to ruffle a lot of feathers in the campaign and in office. I don't care, because addressing the difficult and sensitive issues is the right thing to do. The success of my first term will be how much I improve your lives and improve the value you get for the taxes you pay...NOT whether I am reelected.

Rick's Background

You are not electing me...you are HIRING me. You wouldn't hire anyone for your business without seeing his/her resume, so I've included my complete resume for you to download and review.

Download Rick's Resume

I am 46 years old and have lived in Cincinnati since 1987. I have lived in East Walnut Hills, Downtown Cincinnati, Anderson Township, and Mt. Lookout (where I live today). I was married in 1990, but sadly divorced in 2005. Thankfully my ex-wife and I are still good friends, and we have joint custody of our little baby...a 13-year old beagle mix named Boomer.

I received my Bachelor's degree in Politics from Princeton University in 1981. My first job after college was as a volunteer for the North Carolina Democratic Party. In early 1982, I was one of the first people to join a Congressional campaign for Robin Britt in Greensboro, North Carolina (where my mother still lives). Mr. Britt won his campaign, despite being outspent 2:1 by his Republican opponent. I was invited to Washington as a Legislative intern, helping Mr. Britt research issues and respond to constituent inquiries. Unfortunately, Capitol Hill does not pay very well, so I left to join the business world, working for Michael Evans, one of the preeminent economists of the 1970's and 1980's.

In 1985 I went to Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with an MBA in 1987. I was recruited to Cincinnati by The BASES Group, a division of SAMI/Burke, which used to be in the 800 Broadway building. After six years of consulting with companies like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson forecast demand for their new products, I decided that I wanted to mover to the client, rather than the supplier, side. I joined Cincinnati Bell Telephone in 1993 to help them with their efforts to market to businesses and to learn more about their business and household customer's telecommunications needs and habits. In 1996, I got the entrepreneurial bug, and ran a small business which developed hardware and software for medical research scientists. It was over the next 4 years running this small business that I received my second MBA from the "school of hard knocks". I definitely understand the struggle and potential of small businesses. In 2000, I joined a large Internet consulting company. After a bursting Internet Bubble and two bankruptcies later, what remained was a small (the Cincinnati office shrunk from nearly 500 people to fewer than 30), but highly effective Internet consulting firm. My practice focused on the business side of the internet: How many people are interacting with the company online? Are they interacting in a meaningful way? What impact does the Internet have on my business? Am I spending my Internet marketing dollars wisely? My major clients again were Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.

After the 2004 election I decided that rhetoric and corruption were winning in politics, and I decided to do something about it. I left the Internet consulting firm last year to start an independent practice and to get practice campaigning (I volunteered for Paul Hackett in the 2nd District Congressional race and was campaign manager for Martha Good in the 4th District Hamilton County Municipal Court race). I chose to run for the State Legislature, because more and more of the decisions that affect your daily life are being decided in Columbus. I have a track record of learning new industries quickly and of working very hard to solve problems.

Princeton University has an unofficial motto: "Princeton in the Nation's Service". Returning to public service after 23 years and fulfilling that pledge is very important to me. Please spend some time on this site and be part of the discussion. I ask you for your support and for your vote in November.