With all the knowledge on this website its hard to believe no one has thought of running for office in thier perspective city. So my question is has anyone ever thought of running for office(city council, commissioner, Mayor) implementing some of the great ideas I read on here and bringing Ohio back to its prominence? Im thinking about it myself...

Me?  Run?  God help *insert Ohio city here unless it's Stryker*

 

But you should run and I don't even know you (yet)!

Been there. Done that. Elected politics is a big hairy bitch. Appointed politics is where it's at. I've served on ZBAs, DDAs and Plan Commissions and Special Committees thereof. I would recommend this path to all my fellow Urban Ohioans. Your city really does need you.

 

Except for Stryker.

 

Stryker needs ColDayMan.

I am young, but I thought about running for Greent Twp. Trustee at one point.  I had thought of a platform that would have gotten me a significant amount of support at the time (anti-Legacy Place).  I was hoping that 'Citizens for a Clean, Green, Safe Township' would back me and give me the financial support neccessary.  But when it came down to it...I had trouble mustering up the energy to put forth a real effort while trying to balance work and school.  Sad, Sad story  :|

I could see myself running for city council, someday.

LincolnKennedy should run. High name recognition. Nice positives, low negatives.

LincolnKennedy should run. High name recognition. Nice positives, low negatives.

 

Prohibitively high likelihood of assassination, though.

I am young, but I thought about running for Greent Twp. Trustee at one point.  I had thought of a platform that would have gotten me a significant amount of support at the time (anti-Legacy Place).  I was hoping that 'Citizens for a Clean, Green, Safe Township' would back me and give me the financial support neccessary.  But when it came down to it...I had trouble mustering up the energy to put forth a real effort while trying to balance work and school.  Sad, Sad story  :|

 

Winning campaign platforms: "Clean." YES! "Safe." YES!!

 

"Green." What, are you some kind of commie?

LincolnKennedy should run. High name recognition. Nice positives, low negatives.

 

Prohibitively high likelihood of assassination, though.

 

LMAO!!!

I already hold the highest office in the land - the HBIC of UrbanOhio!

 

Nick Spenccer, who has posted here, has run for Cincnnati City Council twice unsuccesfuly & has been raked over the coals in the process.

It takes a thick skin.

I think I would be too inclined to just tell people to ram it up their ......

I ran for city council in Hamilton a number of years ago. 

I ran for city council in Hamilton a number of years ago. 

 

You didn't do all that bad either.

 

HAMILTON CITY COUNCIL

   DONALD W. ALLEN .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       1,477    2.00

  DANIEL J. BECKER  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      2,953    4.00

   DANNY N. CRANK  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       7,216    9.78

   DAVID T. DAVIDSON  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       7,141    9.68

   CHUCK FUHRMAN   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       3,704    5.02

   LINDA GOOD   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       3,627    4.92

   HERMAN HILL  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       2,607    3.53

   HAROLD O. HOLLIDAY .  .  .  .  .  .  .       4,088    5.54

   RICHARD S. HOLZBERGER .  .  .  .  .  .       4,680    6.34

   GREGORY V. JOLIVETTE  .  .  .  .  .  .       8,689   11.77

   GEORGE V. MCNALLY  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       7,361    9.98

   ELMER S. MARTIN .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       1,831    2.48

   ADOLF OLIVAS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       8,634   11.70

   FRED M. SOUTHARD   .  .  .  .  .  .  .       5,356    7.26

   DON H. STONE .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       1,322    1.79

   WAYNE D. WEBER  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .       3,014    4.08

^could you bold his name or something...not all of us are as lucky as you and I to know BallHatGuy  :wink:

^That is up to him. Most know his first name I imagine, which takes you down to two. I've never even met him, however.

The guy makes a bid for public office and we're protecting his identity?

 

Don't make me publicize the loathsome numbers from my 2002 run for Charter Commissioner (hint: I came in behind a convicted felon. Grumble).

^^Great guy...he would have gotten my vote!  How about a run at a Cincinnati office??

I am #2 on that list.  I was 24 I think, idealistic, and learned ALOT!  Like I am not sure if I'd run again . . . :)

 

And there were some write-in candidates that I finished ahead of!

One the commissioners, for Delaware County, was elected in his mid-twenties (around 2000)

(of course I can't remember his name at this moment)

And look at Delaware County...

^^Great guy...he would have gotten my vote! 

 

I would expect nothing more from a native Hamiltonian! And an east sider at that!

I already hold the highest office in the land - the HBIC of UrbanOhio!

 

 

Didn't I slay you in Kingdom Hearts? ;p

As for the topic, I'm not running for office.  No way, no how.

I'd probably be demonized for things I never even did or even thought of doing.  Plus politics is more of a homeboys club anyways.  Just check out who gets in and who wins, compared to who doesn't get in and who loses.  Usually the people most resembling the norm are thrown out and cloak-dagger crackpots get in.

Usually the people most resembling the norm are thrown out and cloak-dagger crackpots get in.

Seriously ?

Heck, maybe I should run ......

Thanks for all the responses, Im still in the exploratory stages and will announce my final decison on this site. The race im looking at will be decided next year..If I were to run and win I will seriously push for a lot of the things on this site.

 

I ran for city council in Hamilton a number of years ago. 

 

Im around the same age as you when you ran. The position is the same too except its in a different county. Did you use any specific strategy in targeting voters. How did you get out the vote; door-to-door, did you make calls, use flyers, signs? Did anyone endorse you, if so how did you go about getting thier endorsements?

 

 

seriously, why all the hate for stryker.

 

I can remember when an SSP forumer ran for Toronto CC, that made me giggle.

Im around the same age as you when you ran. The position is the same too except its in a different county. Did you use any specific strategy in targeting voters. How did you get out the vote; door-to-door, did you make calls, use flyers, signs? Did anyone endorse you, if so how did you go about getting thier endorsements?

 

Well, I pretty much ran on a pro-downtown campaign with improving our neighborhoods and parks.  (At least that's what I thought my message was.)  This was before the government services center (which was announced as a project during the election and I was skeptical then of it as an economic generator for downtown).  I had limited funds but I spent money on yard signs, flyers that were put on doors and some mailers.  (I did no mass mailing but walked the neighborhoods with high voter turn out and hand delivered.) I did a few radio ads and a few newspaper ads.  I had t-shirts when I or my posse was out at functions (Damfest, Festivals, etc.)  I went to every "Meet the Candidate" night I was invited to. And was invited to respond for endorsements to the Police/Firefighters Union and AFL-CIO.  (They will contact you if you are a candidate registered at the Board of Elections.) I didn't get either endorsement.  (The Police/Firefighters Union, who I knew members, would have probably endorsed me if I was a little older and told me as such when I spoke to someone one-on-one.)  My father had been City Manager for a number of years so I was hopeful the name recognition would help.  It did in some ways but not as much as I had hoped. (The Journal was and is a crap newspaper as far as I am concerned and wasn't balanced in reporting, etc. with a focus on incumbents.  I needed free press to get the message out since I didn't have a lot of money and it didn't come my way easily.)

 

On another note, who is "Stryker"?

Im around the same age as you when you ran. The position is the same too except its in a different county. Did you use any specific strategy in targeting voters. How did you get out the vote; door-to-door, did you make calls, use flyers, signs? Did anyone endorse you, if so how did you go about getting thier endorsements?

 

Well, I pretty much ran on a pro-downtown campaign with improving our neighborhoods and parks.  (At least that's what I thought my message was.)  This was before the government services center (which was announced as a project during the election and I was skeptical then of it as an economic generator for downtown).  I had limited funds but I spent money on yard signs, flyers that were put on doors and some mailers.  (I did no mass mailing but walked the neighborhoods with high voter turn out and hand delivered.) I did a few radio ads and a few newspaper ads.  I had t-shirts when I or my posse was out at functions (Damfest, Festivals, etc.)  I went to every "Meet the Candidate" night I was invited to. And was invited to respond for endorsements to the Police/Firefighters Union and AFL-CIO.  (They will contact you if you are a candidate registered at the Board of Elections.) I didn't get either endorsement.  (The Police/Firefighters Union, who I knew members, would have probably endorsed me if I was a little older and told me as such when I spoke to someone one-on-one.)  My father had been City Manager for a number of years so I was hopeful the name recognition would help.  It did in some ways but not as much as I had hoped. (The Journal was and is a crap newspaper as far as I am concerned and wasn't balanced in reporting, etc. with a focus on incumbents.  I needed free press to get the message out since I didn't have a lot of money and it didn't come my way easily.)

 

On another note, who is "Stryker"?

 

The race you ran in, was that a primary or something? Or did the top vote getters take how ever many council seats were avalible regardless of party, Im not sure how the process works in Hamilton county.

Networking is a big part of winning, especially the kind you build over years of being involved and active in community groups. This is a multi-edged tool; it gives you face-to-face with the community; it gives you pathways of association through your fellow volunteers, and to the voters who've never heard of you, it builds a sound record of community/public service that shows that you're for real, and not just some flake who wants to change the world this week.

...I was skeptical then of [GSC] as an economic generator for downtown

 

It would have been more successful if Hamilton wouldn't have leased the Ren. tower and went in the county and state tower like first planned. Biztech has been great for downtown, with nearly 100 jobs, and this was indirectly made possible by the GSC project.

Networking is a big part of winning, especially the kind you build over years of being involved and active in community groups. This is a double-edged tool; it gives you face-to-face with the community; it gives you pathways of association through your fellow volunteers, and to the voters who've never heard of you, it builds a sound record of community/public service that shows that you're for real, and not just some flake who wants to change the world this week.

 

Totally agree.  Running then gave me a more public profile and appointment to other boards and such like the Vision 20/20 or neighborhood board member after the election was over.  I learned a lot and continued to build a network and may have run again if work did not take me elsewhere.

Which brings us to another reality of running for office: losing upward.

Run for office? What, and give up the power of the pen? Nah. Besides, in my 13 years in journalism, I've been afforded some inside and disturbing views of politics and politicians. It's one of the reasons I seldom visit this section of the forum. To me, having a politics section of the forum is like opening up a slaughterhouse for tours.

Run for office? What, and give up the power of the pen? Nah. Besides, in my 13 years in journalism, I've been afforded some inside and disturbing views of politics and politicians. It's one of the reasons I seldom visit this section of the forum. To me, having a politics section of the forum is like opening up a slaughterhouse for tours.

 

But where else are we going to get new vegetarians?

 

Wait. I see your point.

We all know that slaughterhouses exist and that some of us (including me) love our steaks, burgers, sausage, etc. But that doesn't mean I want to be anywhere close to the process!

 

    ^---Pansies.  :-D

 

  "Politics makes me sick" - William Howard Taft

 

 

I guess I will give an update on my intention of running for office..Im wasnt sure how you get a job on city council so I just decided to fill out a resume that emphasised my qualifications for the job and a brief cover letter..Didnt know who to send it to so I decided, what the hell Ill just send it to the Mayor...

 

Well knock me over and call me Susie, the Mayor of this city personally called me today!!! He wants me to meet with him, the head of the democratic party along with union bosses!! All I can say is Im stunned. My big break is finally here...

 

I wont disclose the city yet but it is one of the major urban areas in Ohio..

^WOW...very interesting!!  Good luck with the meeting!

"Congratulations" Jimmy Jet, emphasis on the quotation marks.

 

There are many, many ways to help your community; representational politics is only one of them, and also one of the most frustrating. You'll probably be offered an appointment to a commission, which in all honesty is a valuable primer to the whole process. It also allows you to focus your energies on one aspect of your city, and prove your worth to the wider electorate.

 

Regardless, hold onto your hat, soul and ass, (in that order). They don't call it politics for nothing.

Very old thread, but I figured I would make the moderators proud by successfully using the search function :)

 

I have always "joked" about running for office.  Joking in the sense that I would like to do it, but am I really going to do it type of thing.  However, a combination of things have really made me give it a hard look:

 

1.  Moving back home (Cleveland) specifically b/c I love Cleveland.

2.  Being home and seeing the gaping need for stronger city leaders

3.  My father is an elected official in NE Ohio so I have a head start, so to speak

4.  Wednesday I won a court case - just a traffic ticket I was found not guilty of.  You can <a href="http://billtblogs.blogspot.com/2008/03/not-guilty.html">read about it here</a> if you're curious.

5.  WoldCom, GM, now National City.  This is where I have worked in my life.  The bowls of Corporate America if you ask me.

 

Wednesday, after I was found not guilty, I didn’t care about the fine or not having that on my record.  I cared about not being taken advantage of or being treated poorly by our government officials.  And the most rewarding part of it was seeing the look on the other regular citizen’s faces who were in court that day and having the bailiffs come up to me afterwards, almost sharing in “our” victory.  It felt amazingly good  - a feeling I've never really had before.  While yes, I know politics comes with a price (trust me, I know first hand considering #3) I think if I can get the feeling I had Wednesday once a month or once a year doing whatever to create a better place for everyone to live, it would be worth it.  And think, no one else benefitted from my being found not guilty of a traffic ticket, yet everyone was that happy.  Imagine how great it would be if I actually helped other people (a large majority of people) in that way?

 

So my question to you, Urban Ohio, is what position would you look to make your entry way into the political arena?  What else would you do to get the ball rolling?

 

I live in Cleveland and will be done with grad school in November.  I am considering starting to lay ground work until I finish school and then make a heavy push for it once I am done.  Let me know what you think.

 

As a  voter I would  have to know how a candidate would be different than the same old establishment which I agree could use a full overhaul.  In the case of someone with your type of background, I would want to know how the corporate experience would parlay into government service as it could range from bright visionary, a customer (citizen) centered approach, and innovator or  at worse, a simple tool to special interests  who don't care about many quality of life and other issues our area faces.

 

You may also want to join a community development organization to get to know the players. Of course then your aspirations will probably end.  :lol:

I'd get involved with the local block club/cdc/homeowners' association/whatever is going on in your neighborhood and go from there.  You may find that path leads you to a board or political position, or it may lead to you a leadership role in your community outside the traditional power structure.

I'd get involved with the local block club/cdc/homeowners' association/whatever is going on in your neighborhood and go from there.  You may find that path leads you to a board or political position, or it may lead to you a leadership role in your community outside the traditional power structure.

 

That's a good idea.  Actually, my condo association is not yet formed so there is an opportunity there to get in from the start. 

 

As a  voter I would  have to know how a candidate would be different than the same old establishment which I agree could use a full overhaul.  In the case of someone with your type of background, I would want to know how the corporate experience would parlay into government service as it could range from bright visionary, a customer (citizen) centered approach, and innovator or  at worse, a simple tool to special interests  who don't care about many quality of life and other issues our area faces.

 

You may also want to join a community development organization to get to know the players. Of course then your aspirations will probably end.  :lol:

 

I think I would try to differentiate myself by essentially saying "I am not a politician; I am here as a regular citizen representing "us" in the political arena".  Like you said, I would have a customer service approach - I would try to interact with people as much as possible - a forum like this one, email, etc.  Something to give people an avenue to make suggestions, give feedback and then provide explanations for why things are being done that way, what I am doing to try and change them, etc.  Like a progress report.  How often at work to you have to provide status updates on projects you're working on to management?  I would look at it like who I represent would be my management I would provide weekly updates to them on what I was doing, where things stood, what challenges were in the way, etc.

 

And when someone, or some group was holding something up or blocking something for a shady reason (greed) I would call them out - "The convention center is going in tower city because they're making a huge political contribution to so and so's campaign if it does" ;)

"And when someone, or some group was holding something up or blocking something for a shady reason (greed) I would call them out - "The convention center is going in tower city because they're making a huge political contribution to so and so's campaign if it does" "

 

Sheesh you're cooked!  :laugh:

Man, I hate it when I read a thread and think it something that happened within that past two days and then find out it is more than a year old.  Geesh.

 

Maybe some day in way down the line of my life I will run for office.  My sister said I should and I also day dream about what I would do if I had that kind of power.  But then again, politics, it seriously does not sound like any fun, too much in the way of back stabbing, lying, cheeting steeling.  Not saying that all politicians are like that, but perhaps they are.

 

Also, any politicians on this board?  I would absolutely die if I found out that Mayor Coleman was on this site. 

There are some politicians on this board, Councilman Bortz from Cinci for one....  Politics is a hard job, and honestly, I am not sure if I would want the job.  Who knows, it may be in the future for me, but for now, I'll work on getting people I respect elected.

well said hohum

 

I hate politics. I wouldn't want to work for the public sector at all; even as a planner.

 

What a coincidence, I was just talking to someone about it:

 

______: ugh so i didnt tell u about last night did i?

david45213: no

david45213: what happend

______: ahhh lol too much

______: the short version is that we had a Mayor & Council hearing

______: for a 820 acre, 2020 home development

______: in a podunk town

david45213: yeah

david45213: ..

______: the development is like 3x the size of the built town lol

david45213: lol

______: but basically we were told the mayor wanted to derail the project

______: so he could buy it thru bankruptcy

______: and we've been postponed and screwed around with for the last year

______: he wanted to force the develpoer into bankruptcy

david45213: oh

______: so he (the mayor) could buy the land for cheap

david45213: thats so evil lol

______: he's done it before with other properties

______: so half way thru the meeting (started at 5.... went until 11pm)

______: he says "i dont know, we need to postpone this again"

______: and the ONLY thing that saved us was that 4 out of 7 of the council members were so sick of the whole thing

______: they forced him to let them vote on it

______: so we won 4-3

______: lol

david45213: lol

______: but he was like

david45213: sounds like the classic story

______: "i found a typo on page 13 of the development agreement"

david45213: of people getting tired of  lack of change

______: "i think we need to postpone this until its corrected"

______: everyone's like god no! just vote on it already

david45213: tell him if they build it densely, they'll save on infrastructure cost in the short and long term

______: yah the f$&k right

______: lol

______: u do my job for 3 years

______: ;)

______: ull see common sense NEVER wins

______: lol

______: its not about that

david45213: lol

david45213: whats it about

______: who the hell knows

______: lol

______: for this mayor it was about doing everything he could to screw the development

______: so get this

david45213: but hes trying to save money

______: he has to sign the development agreement

david45213: and that would save money

______: no he's trying to buy the land for HIMSELF

______: lol

______: he doesnt care about the town

david45213:corrupt ass politicians!!!!1

______: so... he has to sign the agreement

______: and he runs out of the building

david45213: thats conflict of interest lol

______: and tries to get into his car

______: lol

david45213: yeah...

______: and the town attorney (his employee) chased him down

______: and forced him to sign it

______: lol

david45213: hahahahahah

______: but he was totally going to run off and not sign it

______: so it wouldnt be valid

david45213: thats amazing

david45213: how did he know the developer was going bankrupt?

______: he didnt its just a ploy

______: he knows our client has spent millions and gotten no approvals yet

______: so the mayor figured it would only be a matter of time

Having served on Zoning and Planning Commissions I can attest to the power of legislative foot dragging. This situation above is borderline fraud, but I've seen developers bring shitty projects to the city, and the second you ask them why their plan corresponds in no way to existing zoning, they will strut and crow around the chamber with such an air of entitlement and disrespect that bankruptcy is about the nicest thing anybody could ever wish upon them.

He showed me the site plan, trust me, it's a planner's wet dream (considering the topography and comparison to the rest of the Southwest region of US where 2 acre lots are common).

 

Anyway, I hate politics.