18Jul

Education Professionals Endorse Kim McCarthy, A Supporter of Our Public Schools, Who Condemns Ohio’s ECOT Scam

We are pleased to report that Kim McCarthy’s campaign has been endorsed by the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Education Association, and AFSCME-OAPSE (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees-Ohio Association of Public School Employees). Education in Ohio is in a state of crisis right now because of irresponsible policies put in place by the Republican majority in state government.

There was little oversight of charter schools, many of which, like ECOT, were operated for profit. While ECOT was padding their enrollment figures, they also helped to fund the campaigns of legislators who spearheaded the development of these money-making charter schools in the first place.

The phony ECOT scam was allowed to fester under the “privatize everything” ideologues in Ohio’s state government. Their failure to govern properly has cost Ohio taxpayers well over half a billion dollars through this massive fraud and graft, which many sources are pointing out is the largest and costliest scandal in Ohio history. And while all of this double-dealing was happening, Ohio’s legislators failed to oversee or audit charter schools all across our state. This includes the current representative in the seventy-third state house district, who has seemingly been asleep at the wheel during this whole debacle, saying nothing to address the fraud, and doing nothing to prevent a repeat of it.

This gargantuan sum of public money is money that could have and should have gone to supporting our public education, not to the personal profit of a few. During the past six years, the following amounts were diverted from public schools in the Ohio seventy-third district to the coffers of just ECOT alone:

Beavercreek — $1,335,016

Fairborn — $ 1,587,698

Yellow Springs — $91,576

Bellbrook-Sugarcreek — $311,820

When elected, Kim McCarthy will act in the public interest, and work to end what has come to be known as a culture of corruption in state government. The malfeasance in Columbus has damaged our schools and consistently thwarted the public good on behalf of private self-serving interests. Because Kim McCarthy takes no corporate PAC money, nothing will stop her from acting in the public interest, and putting the interests of people first as her legislative priority.

Ohio’s Schools Lost Nearly $600 Million To ECOT Since 2012

The GOP’s Biggest Charter School Experiment Just Imploded

“Why did it take a generation and a half of kids to go through this crappy system for us to do something about it?” Stephen Dyer, a former Ohio state representative, asked me in exasperation in December. “The reason is because a lot of money came in.”

16Jul

Should We Be Encouraging Sprawl In Greene County?

I live in Sugarcreek Township. Our tagline is “An Open Space Community.”

Until it isn’t.

In a recent conversation with the township administrator, I said to him, if I closed my eyes for 20 years, what would I see here when I opened them again. He said I’d see complete development. No more of those lovely “open spaces.” Progress is progress, he thinks. Nothing they can do to stop it.

Well, I take issue with that statement. When Ohio has a flat lining population growth rate, and 10% of its houses empty, we need to ensure we protect our open spaces, and not let sprawl choke our cities and towns into terminal decline (more than it already has). I don’t know about you, but I like my open spaces. It’s why I moved here. I want local leadership that protects our lifestyle, and frankly, more importantly, the environment.

I also want leadership in the Statehouse that does not only discourage sprawl, but works to contain it. What do we have though? The exact opposite. Let me introduce you to House Bill 371.

As if our property taxes aren’t already high enough because of the reduction in local government funds, now they want to give away our taxes (that primarily finance our schools) to rich developers, who show no consideration or respect to the communities that they make their money from. (‘Let’s put a road through the metropark so we can make even more money.. they’ll never notice!’). And considering my opponent is “sponsored” by one of the region’s biggest developers, I can probably make an educated guess on where he sits on this bill.

House Bill 371 was discussed at the beginning of July at the Greene County Commissioners meeting, and the county is against this bill, and are going to write the county’s statehouse representatives Perales, Dean and Hackett to express their opposition to it.

This issue serves to bring to light once again the need for real campaign finance reform, so we can be better served by representatives who will make decisions based on the needs of all of Ohio’s citizens, and not just a handful of campaign donors.

We need more fairness in our state governance. We need to end this kind of corporate welfare. Enough. A vote for me is a vote for smart development and for making people pay their fair share! #PeopleFirst!

Read the letter of concern from the Greater Ohio Policy Center here…
GOPC joins others in raising concerns with House Bill 371

11Jul

A Letter of Support for Kim McCarthy

Dear Kim,

It is with pleasure that I read about your candidacy as State Representative for Ohio. I appreciate your willingness to step up to this responsibility. My memory of you is that you have always been concerned about the welfare of others and have never hesitated to speak up for justice and offer compassion to those who do not feel empowered to advocate for themselves. You have been on the cutting edge of important issues – and, at times – been criticized for doing so. However, criticism did not deter you from what you believed to be the right thing to do. I am not a critic; I am a supporter.

You are a native Australian but I know you embrace the best of what the United States can be. You believe in our systems of justice and the right to speak to issues that seem unfair. We are better because you became a citizen of our great country.

If I were still a resident of Ohio and of your voting district, I would vote for you. God bless you for your courage and your diligence.

Thank you for persistently caring for your neighbors.

The Reverend Terry Heck, Retired
Formerly pastor of Bellbrook United Methodist Church

04Jul

The Revolutionary Spirit of July 4th

Today is the day in which we commemorate the signing of our Declaration of Independence, the birth certificate of a new nation, one based upon the politically revolutionary ideal that a society should be established in order to provide for the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all men (and thanks to years of further political struggle, for those rights to be officially extended to *all* people, regardless of race, color or creed).

It is also a day that amidst the fun cookouts, good friends and family, and fireworks, we should take a moment to reflect upon the ideas and intentions our nation’s Founders, people who risked everything in order to establish the republic for which still stands today, and for which we stand for when we stand for the liberty and justice of *all*, and not just some.

Some of the most important principles that so many of our founding patriotic revolutionaries were envisioning and fighting for, was a new kind of society, one that was effectively devoid of artificial social distinctions, and which royalty and nobility would be banished. It would be a society that would produce citizens who were “industrious, sober, frugal” (John Adams) and ambitious to serve their brethren.

Government would exist for the purpose of securing the happiness of the people…not the purpose of serving the narrow interests of one class, or to promote a narrow ruling elite. It would be a society in which a representative government would legislate for it, and levy taxes upon itself, and ensure that their tax monies were not “wasted among the venal and corrupt” (as Thomas Jefferson stated). It would be a society that John Adams envisioned would be where it’s citizens – and none more so than it’s wealthiest citizens – embraced the idea of patriotism and selflessness, rejecting selfish interests in pursuit of a unitary common good.

It is this revolutionary spirit that we would be well served to keep alive and hold to as our “North Star of principle” (to use a term of American Founder Thomas Paine, author of America’s revolutionary document “Common Sense,” the blueprint for the Declaration of Independence, and the man who gave us the name “United States of America”). After all, as writer, journalist and commentator Bill Moyers once noted, the American Revolution was if anything a rebellion against the idea of government as a tool to confer privilege on insiders.

Here’s to keeping that American spirit of rebellion against corruption and injustice alive and well, and returning to our governance the principles of patriotic selflessness which made our nation possible in the first place.

28May

Honoring Memorial Day

Each Memorial Day, we collectively gather as a nation to honor all those who gave of themselves the last full measure of devotion in defense of our nation and the principles upon which it stands.

Though we set aside this special day to reflect on these sacrifices and those who made them, it is our duty as citizens never to lose awareness of the reality, and the full human impact, of what these sacrifices entailed, and the costs and suffering borne by those we honor, and by their families.

These are costs which should never be factored lightly in our policies, and should always be at the forefront of every decision about the use of our military. As a society, we should always insist that our leaders call upon the brave men and women of our armed forces to put themselves in harms way only as a last resort, and only when the defense of our nation and its collective interests and democratic institutions are legitimately and demonstrably threatened.

The recent unveiling of the Memphis Belle at the National Museum of the United States Air Force brings the memory and significance of those threats into sharp focus. It exemplifies the fight against the greatest existential threat to democracy in our nation’s history thus far: the fascist war machines of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan during World War II. It is an honor and a privilege to have this iconic aircraft permanently displayed here in our community in Greene County. Its presence should help us rededicate ourselves to the freedoms and values we Americans and our allies were defending in that war, freedoms and values that are summarily expressed in and imprinted upon the World War II Service Medal awarded to every one of our military personnel who served in that global conflict – freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from want and fear. Americans understood that these essential principles of freedom are what distinguish free people from those who live under tyranny. They represent the core American values for which our troops fought, with the leadership of an administration that did not validate swastika carriers, but fought to destroy them, to rid our world of their pernicious and tyrannical ideology.

May this Memorial Day serve to not only remind us of the sacrifices of those who have gone before us, but to help us reinvigorate our dedication to the fulfillment of the democratic principles that so many fought for, principles which continue to animate the truest elements and expressions of our nation’s vision and soul.

25May

It’s Time To Provide Health Care For All

As an accountant who works in the public accounting field, I have a number of local clients where I compile their accounts on a monthly basis. When I see the massive checks they write each month to cover the health insurance premiums for their employees, I feel real frustration regarding our health care system.

Research data continues to conclusively show that the U.S. spends way more per person on health care than all other industrialized nations. This includes more than *double* what my country of birth Australia does, a nation which operates a universal health care system for all of its citizens. Research evidence also continues to demonstrate that these extra costs are doing *nothing* to improve the quality and availability of care, but are primarily being funneled into the hands of a small number of private for-profit insurance corporations and their CEO salaries. Meanwhile, America continues to lag behind in health care quality outcomes in relation to these other nations, in spite of this excessive spending.

Besides the detrimental effect this has on people’s health, there’s also the direct negative consequences upon our state and national economy. This is because these unnecessary massive expenditures made to private insurance corporations means that small businesses and the people who work for them have that much less disposable income. Which then means that the other small businesses that rely on people spending their discretionary money with them also lose out.

When I ran our small manufacturing business in Xenia, these premiums not only represented a huge increase in the cost of each employee, they were also impossible to budget for, what with the ever-increasing premiums that just kept coming. Our health care system hinders and limits our ability as small business owners to make profits and provide high quality jobs.

These premiums are not insignificant amounts. At all. Why can’t we have an efficient health care system that puts people first, instead of the profits of just a select few? They are the only ones winning from the current system, and millions upon millions continue to struggle financially and physically because of their greed.

Our Constitution calls for the government of this nation to establish Justice and promote the general Welfare. This isn’t happening. Enough is enough. It’s time for real Medicare For All health care coverage for all Ohioans, and all Americans.

For more information on current pending legislation in the Ohio Statehouse, as well as how such a program could and would work, visit Single Payer Action Network Ohio (SPAN Ohio).

And here’s more reason why the profit-motive needs to be removed from incentivizing how we provide health care….
“Wall Street Admits Curing Diseases Is Bad for Business”

23May

Protecting Net Neutrality and Providing Internet Access For Everyone

Local municipal broadband and a publicly-owned internet can and *is* being done around the country – and it works! When done right it not only helps keep costs down, but is the answer to once and for all ensuring the protection of Net Neutrality! (You can read more about how Concord, MA is accomplishing this in this Washington Post report on “Saving Net Neutrality, One House at a Time”).

My own home is one among the countless others in this nation not being serviced by the cable companies, who don’t want to bother to connect them if they can’t make enough profit off of it. As a society, as a state, as a nation, we cannot afford to allow this digital divide to continue to increase. In the 20th century, progressive policies were put in place to make sure that all of the nation should have access to electricity and telephone service, which was at the time quickly becoming *the* essential mode of communication. Ensuring that all Americans were connected to these essential utilities was understood to be a key necessity to expanding and strengthening our economy and society, from which we all benefit.

The same goes for the internet today. As the de facto utility that it effectively is, the internet is much too important for decisions about who has access to it and who controls it to be left to a small handful of special interests who personally benefit from that control, often at the expense of the majority of others. This is why I support encouraging the development of local or state broadband initiatives, or at the very least, breaking up the monopolistic control over our internet by a narrow handful of huge corporations, and demanding *real* competition between ISPs in ways that have *real* impacts on improving our internet infrastructure and our citizen’s abilities to use it. It is a sad and unnecessary fact that the U.S. continues to have some of the highest internet costs, currently ranked 114th in affordability, with some of the poorest quality ratings among our industrialized competitors in the world. This is primarily due to the lack of competition among these huge monopolistic telcos that control our internet infrastructure today. (“These maps show why internet is way more expensive in the US than Europe: Telecom companies appear to split up territory to avoid competition”)

We often talk about way’s to invest in making Ohio’s communities and our economies stronger and more competitive in the global marketplace. Having high-speed, lower cost internet is absolutely essential in making that happen. Instead of throwing our money away in failed programs like JobsOhio (to say nothing of it being stolen in scams like ECOT), we should be investing in *infrastructure* like this, which allows for all the participants in our economy to operate and thrive on an even playing field.

Unfortunately, all-too-many members of the GOP have made this a senselessly partisan issue, as they serve their corporate donors over the interests of the citizenry by consistently working to undermine Net Neutrality and to prevent public investment into our ability to use the internet. This in spite of the fact that we continue to see overwhelming demand that access to the internet remains available and affordable.

“New survey out of the University of Maryland finds that 86% of Americans oppose the repeal of Net Neutrality (82% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats).”

As tech analyst/journalist Karl Bode stated, “If you’re an ISP or their political ally and you think this [opposing Net Neutrality and *real* internet competition] ends well for you, you’re in painful denial.”

Learn more about how local public broadband is working throughout the country at Community Networks: A Project of the Instituted For Local Self-Reliance

Your internet without Net Neutrality

10Apr

Helping Our Military Spouses Help Teach Our Children

My campaign recently provided the following story to some of our local press, in regards to my conversations with some of our local educators, many of whom whose skills and talents are being misdirected, or in cases like this, wastefully neglected. And I’m finding this sadly most common among some of our military personal serving here at Wright-Patterson AFB.

For me, supporting the military, at the state level, means supporting the needs and capabilities of the *entire* family of our service personnel. Though the state does not have jurisdiction over the military, we *do* have the ability to help provide for the needs of these families, and especially when the fulfillment of those needs benefit all of us here, especially our children and their education.

No story better spotlights this truth than that of Bri McKinnon and her family. When I’m in the Statehouse, she and those like her will know that I’m there to help change this situation. I want to help make it possible for them to not only secure employment to supplement their family income, but to help make it possible for them to fulfill their calling of service to others as well. This is what supporting our service personnel is really about.

Kim McCarthy, candidate for State Representative in Ohio District 73, met with military spouses in effort to assist overcoming ‘red tape’ to help family financial burden

“Sorry, there is nothing I can do for you.”

This is what Bri McKinnon, wife of 2nd Lieutenant Monte McKinnon at WPAFB, has heard more times than she can count.

McKinnon, 26, is a teacher nearing her completion of a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Washington University. Her resume and experience are stellar, but her desire to teach special-needs children goes well beyond her educational background.

“I am on fire for Special Education. I do not say that lightly. I am ON FIRE. The thought that I could have the ability to influence, protect, guide, and love someone into being the best possible versions of themselves speaks to my heart. I have a passion for Title Schools because kids in these type of districts generally need the most help,” said McKinnon.

In fact, McKinnon said that the Fairborn School District basically hired her on the spot when she applied there, as they were trying to fill ten open positions for special education teachers.

One teensy little problem: McKinnon found out that in order to get the job she would have to take a lengthy college class and state exams that together cost in excess of $3,000.

The time involved, plus the fees for exams, meant for McKinnon that neither time nor money was on her side. Military families often live a life of moving base-to-base, state-to-state. That transience, complicated by limited income (many families use federal food stamps to make ends meet*), makes gaining temporary employment unrealistic, even if one is extremely qualified and motivated.

Kim McCarthy, candidate for State Representative in Ohio District 73, recently met with McKinnon and several other military spouses from WPAFB, in an outreach initiative to various groups in her district, in order to hear directly from her prospective constituents about their specific needs. Help with employment red tape was at the top of their list. McCarthy recorded their concerns and said, “Ohio should be offering military spouses an exemption from Ohio’s standard requirements, so long as they can prove that they have the qualifications from another state to do the job.”

McCarthy said if she is elected she will work toward an amicable agreement that both keeps our education system filled with the best possible teachers while considering the needs of military spouses and helps to work toward the better good of Ohio students.

McKinnon made it clear she is not looking for special treatment. Rather, she wants an affordable vetting system that addresses the specific needs of military spouses that equals that of permanent Ohio residents. She used the state of California, her family’s next likely move, as an example. “We literally have to take a free quiz about California to show we know some relevant information about the state and pay $50 and we get a license.”

“I am absolutely devastated at what military wives have to go through. We are being punished for serving our country,” said McKinnon about Ohio’s laws. “I am more than willing to jump 110% into (a school district that has vacancies for special-ed teachers).

McCarthy vowed to address the employment red tape for military spouses if elected State Representative for Ohio District 73. “Our children are suffering and not getting the education they need in order to be successful, while dedicated and passionate teachers are sitting at home because of red tape. This needs to change, and I plan to make it a priority if I’m elected.”

01Apr

Gun Violence Is About More Than Guns

The epidemic of gun violence is about more than guns. This is a point made clear in the address that Dayton physician Dr. Matthew Noordsij-Jones delivered to the thousands in attendance at the March For Our Lives gathering in Dayton, Ohio in March of 2018. We are sharing some of the remarks made in his address, as our campaign believes these kinds of perspectives are essential for understanding the broader scope of this issue, of its causes, and just as importantly if not more so, its effects upon the people of our communities. This is an issue which has no easy, singular answers. But that should not prevent us from looking at the full scope of the problem as honestly and soberly as possible, and to no longer allow a few powerful special interests from preventing us from formulating solutions to this crisis. Doing nothing on this issue, one that is literally a matter of life and death for tens of thousands of Americans each year, is no longer an option.

As a primary care doctor in Dayton I see the daily toll that gun violence takes on our citizens both young and old. I have a middle age patient who is in what should be the prime of his life but can barely leave his house due to the PTSD he confronts every day from being shot and losing multiple fingers and much of the use of both of his hands. I see the families that are left behind from tragic loss of life from gun related suicides. As a father I see the stress that comes with knowing that my children must participate in active shooter drills. Just a week ago my preschool age daughter had to still as quietly as preschoolers can under the sink in their classroom because someone might bring a gun to their school. Don’t let people tell you that nothing can be done because we know that it can and anything else, as it was so eloquently put, is BS.

There are many things that we know about gun violence. On average 35,000 people die in the US every year due to gun violence. That is around 100 people every day. A recent study in the journal Pediatrics found that guns are now the third leading cause of death among children. This is about the same number of people that die from car accidents. No one says that nothing can be done about car accidents. In fact, we do research into deaths from car accidents and we have dramatically decreased the number of deaths. The CDC used to fund research into gun violence just as it funds road safety. Gun violence is, after all, a serious health and a safety threat. That is until one of its studies, published in 1993, found that guns in homes were associated with higher risk of homicide. Enter the NRA lobbying efforts that pushed for the Dickey amendment ending any CDC or NIH led gun violence research and lowering the CDC’s budget to limit this type of research. While there are still independent researchers trying to study gun violence across the United States their funding is limited and firearm injury research through the CDC and NIH screeched to a halt. It’s been 22 years. Along with an increase in federal gun violence research funding, the Dickey amendment needs to go. Even Representative Jay Dickey the lifetime NRA member who proposed the amendment came around to support gun violence research in an op-ed that was published in 2012 after the Aurora shooting. And don’t tell me that we cannot afford this research. In 2014, two people died in the United States from the Ebola virus and Congress appropriated $1.7 billion to study the threat. Just this year [there have been already] over 2,000 people who have been killed by guns in America. Which is the bigger health threat?

I would like to touch on mental illness as this can become scapegoat for much of the violence that has been done but it is an area in which we as a society need to do better. Violence has very complicated roots and mental illness alone is rarely the sole cause. Only 4% of gun violence in the United States is attributable to mental illness and people with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence. That said suicide causes over half of the gun deaths in our country every year. Evidence shows that because of the lethality of guns, 90% of firearm suicide attempts result in death. Those with mental illness make up the grand majority of suicides. We need better mental health treatment in this country.

There are other behaviors that do indicate an elevated risk of violence against others. Past violent behavior is the best predictor of future violence, regardless of a diagnosis of mental illness. Domestic violence, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, and illegal use of controlled substances also increase the risk of violence. One concrete action that we can take to decrease firearm deaths is the Extreme Risk Protection Order also known as the gun violence restraining order. This has already been done successfully in five states….

To borrow the eloquent writing of a dear friend of mine Dr. Mona Mangat. “Do not look away and do not lose hope. Look at the photos of every victim of every school shooting. Read their heart-wrenching stories. Feel the pain and agony of these parents and communities. Weep for them and then stand in solidarity with the children across America fighting to make America safer. This time can be different.”

We must insist on allowing and fully funding research on gun violence by the CDC and NIH because science must inform our public policy decisions. We must vote for legislators who are willing to put the lives of our children above their gun lobby contributions. We must vote for legislators who will support common sense gun legislation….We must vote for legislators who will increase access to health care including mental health care for every single American. We must hold our elected officials accountable. We owe this to our children.

Dr. Matthew Noordsij-Jones, “NJ”, is a local primary care physician and activist working at a community health center in north Dayton. He can be reached at mattnj78@gmail.com.

31Mar

Moms Demand Action Recognizes Kim’s Campaign In Support of Ending Gun Violence

I’m really pleased to see our campaign receive recognition from Moms Demand Action, who know that I too stand with them in working towards gun violence prevention through more common sense gun safety in our society.

Gun violence prevention is about:

• Reducing and preventing gun violence is a public safety issue, not a political one. Over 35,000 Americans are killed every year by gun violence and thousands more are injured.
• Responsible gun owners know that supporting the Second Amendment goes hand in hand with common-sense solutions to reduce gun violence.
• Doing more to keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers and people with dangerous histories, knowing that respecting rights and protecting people go hand-in-hand.
• Common-sense public safety measures make our communities safer and save lives.

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes. Since its inception after the tragedy at Sandy Hook School, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Everytown Survivor Network, is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than four million supporters.

Learn more about Everytown For Gun Safety and their plan for ending gun violence

22Mar

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Town Hall on Inequality In America

This is a really good discussion, one hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders and viewed live online by over 1.7 million people, on the nature of inequality in America today and the threat it poses to us all and the well being of our nation. As the facts discussed in this informative program reveal, we can no longer afford the deceptive lies of “trickle down” economics and their unjust impacts upon the great majority of our citizens. History shows no nation can maintain itself in the face of such gross inequality, such as the kind we see in America today, a nation where a half dozen individuals have more wealth than 50% of the entire population combined.

This town hall focuses on not only the problem of inequality, but its root causes (*ahem* money controlling our politics <cough> and lack of real campaign finance reform <cough>), and the need for policies to redress it. It’s full of information which is essential for understanding the scope of this issue, and just how deep rooted its effects are upon our society. Some statistics are actually shocking. For instance, the fact that 44% of homeless people actually have jobs and are working! What does that say about the nature of the quality of jobs we have today, and the inability for people to live decent and dignified lives in today’s economy, one in which those providing meaningful living wages are becoming harder and harder to come by?

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said decades ago, echoing many of the same realities brought to light in this town hall meeting…

“While the majority goes on about its great work without complaint, a noisy minority maintains an uproar of demands for special favors for special groups. There are pests who swarm through the lobbies of the Congress and the cocktail bars of Washington, representing these special groups as opposed to the basic interests of the Nation as a whole.”

And this is why I am working to represent YOU in the Statehouse! I will be a voice and a vote for renewing the kinds of policies we once had in place in this country, ones which resulted in the largest and biggest expansion of economic opportunity and a thriving middle class in our nation’s history. Ones which respected and supported the rights and well being of the American worker, and didn’t sell them out to a small group of financial elites through a rigged system designed to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else.

And this episode of the new podcast “Deconstructed,” by The Intercept’s Mehdi Hasan features a good interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders as they talk about poverty, inequality, media bias, and the 2020 presidential election.

LISTEN HERE

23Feb

Meet Jordan Fisher, Campaign Manager For The People With Kim McCarthy

My name is Jordan Fisher. I’m both one of America’s most recent veterans, having recently completed my tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps, and the campaign manager for “The People With Kim McCarthy,” the organization dedicated to supporting Greene County’s Kim McCarthy in the effort to bring positive change to the representation for the citizens of the Ohio House 73rd District.

As for my path here, I grew up in Dayton, attending High School at Chaminade Julienne in the heart of the city’s downtown. About a year after graduation, and while attending Sinclair Community College, I enlisted into the “world’s most toughest fighting force,” successfully becoming a Marine. During my tour of duty, I spent time on both of America’s shores training and serving in regular duties. Near the end of my enlistment, I was attached with an infantry company deploying to Okinawa, Japan, for a period of six months. I have recently completed just over four years of active duty service, slowly transitioning back to the familiar life I left behind. I ultimately decided to forgo a promising and honorable career in the Marine Corps, choosing instead to focus my deep desire towards public service towards my more “quieter” yet hefty interest in politics.

Upon my arrival back home in the Miami Valley, I immediately began to explore the local political situation, making my way around some of the local political party functions in search of opportunities as to where my interests and talents may best be of service. After meeting a number of an incredibly inspiring and motivated people, I ended up being introduced to Kim McCarthy. Her energy and drive really spoke to me, and her desire to lead and to work selflessly for the betterment of those around her displayed the kind of quality of leadership I know our citizens are in real need of today. A public servant who is truly that, a servant of the public, one willing to fight selflessly on their behalf. As a Marine, I take that kind of commitment to others seriously, and after spending a few hours with her, recognized the genuineness of it and couldn’t help but want to be a part of that commitment as well. To my excitement, I was invited to do that through service as her campaign manager.

In this role I will lead a group of like-minded individuals who all share in the desire to see the kinds of changes needed in order to better serve the people of her constituency within Greene County, and ultimately the beautiful state of Ohio. I am proud to be working with her as we undertake this empowering journey, entrusting in democracy to deliver the true representation that is so evidently needed.

Let’s get to work