"Most of the major issues Ohioans face today are interrelated and connected to each other. So working on any one issue can help to improve all the others. Meeting those challenges requires that all of us learn again how to speak with each other without yelling, so we can hear above the noise and find ways to work together. Here are a few of those interconnected challenges in Education, Safety, the Environment, the Economy, and Diversity. I'm sure you can think of more."--Rick Dell'Aquila
Guiding Principles
EDUCATION
"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." --George Washington Carver
Freedom. This is one of the most important aspects of our society. A solid education guarantees the skills needed to understand and protect those freedoms.
It all begins with education. An educated, aware and involved citizenry assures access to opportunity and will "unlock doors" for everyone to build prosperous lives for themselves and future generations. Quality education leads to good paying jobs. These jobs should include skills in the trades, industry and business. There is a need for more public/private partnerships, tax incentives, apprenticeships, and similar approaches to help young people build brighter futures A stronger workforce will also create positive results for business and a stronger economy.
Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. It's not just about being free to do whatever we want simply because we can, but also the obligation to do as we should. Our freedom is based on the rights all of us are guaranteed by the Constitution, and no one of us is truly free unless all of us are free.
PUBLIC SAFETY
"Government's first duty and highest obligation is public safety."--Arnold Schwarzenegger
Throughout history we have seen that civil chaos leads to anarchy. Authoritarianism then ultimately fills the vacuum. Good law enforcement is society's bulwark against the danger of chaos and deserves our continuing support.
During my eight years as Mayor, I also served as Public Safety Director of our Police, Fire, and EMS services. I was part of a group of Mayors who formed a shared dispatch center to better coordinate our emergency response. Seven Hills has been regularly recognized for years as one of the safest communities in Ohio. I know what it means to work for public safety because I lived it every day in office, and I will be focused on doing the same if elected to the Ohio House of Representatives.
ENVIRONMENT
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”--Charles Darwin
Change is a part of life. It's inevitable. The most important thing is how well we adapt to that change. Assuring a healthy environment and fostering a strong economy requires policies that balance the needs of Ohioans with promoting economic growth. We all breathe the same air and drink the same water. Even President Nixon, with all his faults, recognized the importance of protecting the environment. The federal EPA was created in his administration.
Protecting the environment while also encouraging economic growth requires investment in human potential. The best way to simultaneously build that potential and maintain a strong, environmentally healthy economy is through a well-educated citizenry.
ECONOMY
"Inflation is taxation without legislation."--Milton Friedman
Inflation hits hardest on lower income families and the middle class. Just like soy beans, oranges, or pork bellies, money is a commodity subject to the laws of supply and demand, The more money there is floating around, the less demand there is for it, and its buying power goes down. We see the effects all around us, at the gas pump, grocery store, in our utility bills and every other cost of living. Its like a form of taxation that no one voted for.
It is well recognized that we need to "make more things" here at home. This will lead to more jobs here, greater competition, and lower prices. That economic growth requires investment in human potential. A well-educated workforce that assures everyone has the opportunity to attain a good paying job will foster a strong, sustainable, economy. A strong economy is the foundation of every other aspect of society.
I know what it means to balance the needs of a community with the obligation to faithfully manage its finances. In eight years as Mayor, I salvaged the city recreation center from repeated half million dollar annual losses and brought it to profitability. I entered office with under $2 Million in our General Fund, and left office with over $6 Million. None of that work was easy. But with dedication and perseverance, I made sure to continue providing, and even expanding, necessary services for our residents while also restoring city finances.
DIVERSITY
"Be the change you want to see in the world." --Mahatma Gandhi
Consider the other nations around the world. We truly "hit the lottery" living in the United States of America. No citizen is better under the law than any other here, and each of us is entitled to the same rights and benefits of our citizenship. Unfortunately in our history, it has been a struggle to assure that everyone's rights and benefits are protected in full.
One thing that we all share together is our diversity. Our society will only remain strong by uniting ourselves in that diversity. We accomplish that unity by living our lives each day treating each other the same way we would want to be treated, and measuring ourselves by that standard. This means that we all share equally in the advantages and the responsibilities of living in our society, have equal access to decision making processes and receive impartial justice under the law.
Assuring a well-educated and involved society will guarantee that all of us can truly enjoy the opportunities, rights and privileges of our "winning lottery tickets," secured to all Americans by the sacrifices of the generations before us.