Filing petitions for my candidacy in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District
By Phil Heimlich for Congress Posted in Congress — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Today, I am filing petitions for my candidacy in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. I have been campaigning for the seat since May, and am seeking the Republican nomination for the seat.
Let me begin by explaining why I want to serve the Second District and sharing some of my background and accomplishments. My career has been devoted to ending the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars and making our community a safe and wholesome place to raise a family.
During my four terms on Cincinnati City Council from 1993-2001, I enacted the city’s first property tax rollback in 50 years while also exposing and ending the waste of taxpayer dollars. I founded Citizens on Patrol, which is now in 24 neighborhoods, and put 119 more police officers on the street. I worked with Citizens for Community Values to enact tough legislation to restrict strip clubs, porn shops and other sexually-oriented businesses. Most importantly, I was often the only member of City Council to support our police officers, in particular, during the riots of 2001.
As County Commissioner from 2003-2006, I helped to transform county government. Before I took office, county spending was increasing at two and a half times the rate of inflation and taxes were going up three times the inflation rate. I pledged to keep spending and taxes below the rate of inflation, and I kept that pledge. During my term we reduced property taxes by $100 million over five years.
I’m proud that my efforts to bring about lower taxes and safer neighborhoods have been recognized by a number of organizations, including the first ever Torch Award for Community Service from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, and the Community Defender Award from Citizens for Community Values. I have also been privileged to share my testimony at mayor’s prayer breakfasts around the nation, including St. Louis, Houston, and Columbia S.C.
As a husband and father concerned about the safety and security of families, I have always been a strong supporter of law enforcement. As a result, the Fraternal Order of Police has honored me with their endorsement in all of my previous races.
Prior to my work on city council and the county commission, I served as an Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor, specializing in felony cases like murder, rape, robbery, assault and white-collar offenses. I have taken other leadership roles in the community, such as establishing Riverside Academy, a K-6 grade charter school, and also being a founder of Life Skills Center in 2000, a charter school that provides academic instruction, job training, and job placement for high school dropouts. I also was local co-founder and continue to serve on the board of the Children's Scholarship Fund, which has raised $3.5 million in scholarships for low-income children to attend private schools. I have always been a strong supporter of the right of parents to home school their children.
My wife, Rebecca, and I are the proud parents of two children, Henry, age 4, and Allie, age 2. Like all parents, we are concerned about the world in which our children grow up. Will it be a society that continues to treasure the traditional values our party holds dear? Or will it be a society that follows the liberal agenda of secularism over faith and family? With every seat the Democrats gain in Congress, the liberals make progress toward enacting more of their goals.
Regardless of your opinions of the current member of Congress from the Second District, one point is indisputably clear — our chances of losing this seat to the Democrats are greatly increased by the incumbent winning the Republican primary.
In the last General Election, Rep. Schmidt won by only about one percent of the vote against a relatively unknown, underfunded and very liberal Democrat. By contrast, Rob Portman garnered 73.6% of the vote in 2000, 74% in 2002, and 71.70% in 2004.
Rep. Schmidt and I can argue who is the best candidate to hold this seat. But why don’t we look at what national experts say. In early October, Campaigns & Elections magazine wrote about seats being targeted by the DCCC, and concluded about the Second District in Ohio:
“While Chabot is a perennial target -- partly because of his district's makeup and partly because Democrats think he is more conservative than his constituents -- Schmidt in the neighboring 2nd has become a top target strictly because of her personality. Schmidt has drawn a serious primary opponent in former Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich. Democrats and Republicans alike know the seat will only be competitive next year if Schmidt clears the GOP primary.”
In other words, if I win the primary, the seat stays Republican; if Rep. Schmidt wins the primary, it likely goes Democrat.
Aside from the practical political reasons to nominate the strongest candidate, my goal is to work to restore honor and dignity to this position. You deserve a representative in Congress who is respected and who respects others – including those he or she disagrees with.
You also deserve a representative who will be a good steward of your tax dollars. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported recently that Jean Schmidt has become the biggest pork spender in the tri-state congressional delegation. As The Enquirer noted in October, Rep. Schmidt inserted $14.5 million in pork spending in the latest budget — more than any local Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana member of Congress of either party. Among the items Rep. Schmidt has supported through her votes for pork spending are:
* $300 million for sand to replenish beaches in California and New Jersey.
* $75 million for oyster restoration in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Connecticut.
* $229,000 for dairy education in Iowa.
* $180,000 for “hydroponic tomato production.”
* A $500,000 swimming pool in California.
* A million dollars for a “Mystic Aquarium” in Connecticut.
Our neighboring Representative Steve Chabot voted against each of these — just as I would have.
The GOP must recommit itself to being the party of good stewardship with regard to your tax dollars. Our party is yearning for a return to the principles established by Abraham Lincoln, the leadership and dignity demonstrated by Ronald Reagan, and the common sense conservative values shared by all Republicans.
You deserve a leader who is committed to these principals and who will demonstrate integrity and will inspire young people to get involved in public service. It is my intention to provide that kind of leadership.
I need your help to make sure Republicans maintain control of the 2nd District! You can make the difference by making your most generous contribution to Committee to Elect Phil Heimlich (http://www.philheimlich.net/default.asp?contentID=35). If you want to help promote my candidacy online, please contact my campaign at electphilheimlich@gmail.com and they will get you started.
Please visit my website at www.philheimlich.com, and feel free to contact me at (513) 561-0024 or electphilheimlich@gmail.com with any questions or comments you may have.
Citizens for Community Values turned their back on Heimlich in 2005 when he joined the campaign of then-Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro. From Heimlich Joins 'Petro for Governor' Ticket, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/24/05: http://tinyurl.com/2th2rg
Blackwell, a Cincinnatian, is the choice of Southwest Ohio's social conservatives, activist Lori Viars of Lebanon said. News of Heimlich's affiliation with Petro came as a blow to that crowd, many of whom have been core Heimlich supporters over the years. "Phil has been a dear friend of mine," Viars said Tuesday. "I am absolutely shocked. I can't believe he would join with someone who's liberal on gay-rights issues." She and Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, both canceled plans to attend Tuesday's event - which had been planned months ago as a Heimlich-for-commissioner fund-raiser. Joining with Petro could cost Heimlich rather than helping Petro, they said. "Phil Heimlich does not realize that he has been co-opted in this, because that's the only reason he was picked," Burress said. Burress said he told Heimlich in a phone call: "I am extremely disappointed. You have made a serious error that could end your political career by turning your back on your base."
Heimlich also doesn't mention that in 2006 he was voted out after one term as a county commissioner, giving Hamilton County to the Democrats for the first time since 1962. Both newspapers, the Enquirer and Post, are strong conservative voices, yet both endorsed his Democrat rival, David Pepper, who creamed Heimlich in the election.
Since then Heimlich appears to have been unemployed. Also, according this recent article, "Heimlich's Wife is the Decider," Rebecca Heimlich appears to be his current campaign manager, but she won't admit it!: http://tinyurl.com/2w74wc
This is the guy who's going to defend the Ohio 2nd seat?
As a Cincinnatian I can tell you that the Enquirer and Post are not "Strong conservative voices". "Moderate" might be the best you can say.
Also the reason Republicans lost two of three county commissioner seats in Hamilton County the last few years was because of the sweet deal the commissioners gave Mike Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals in the building of Paul Brown Stadium in the late 90's. That caused strong resentment as the Bengals continued to lose, and Mike Brown continued to make money on the deal. When democrats were elected, they actually sued Mike Brown to get the deal changed (they failed).
It also came as Governor Boob Taft and the state wide Republican moderates were succeeding in losing their huge majorities and turning Ohio into a blue state.
Heimlich was endorsed by CCV's Action PAC in his 2006 run for Hamilton County Commissioner.
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Phil Heimlich for Congress
www.philheilmich.com
Eric Dondero: You sound like you'd make an excellent Republican Congressman!
From Phil Heimlich’s "Transformations", The Cincinnati Beacon, December 27, 2007:
The Cincinnati Beacon asked (Hamilton County) Commission President Todd Portune and Commissioner David Pepper what they thought about the effects of Heimlch’s alleged “transformations”.
"Phil transformed county government all right - almost into bankruptcy," said Portune. "By using short term gimmicks to balance the budget, spending money out of the county reserve like a drunken sailor, and failing to initiate any long range economic program to deal with a declining revenue base, Heimlich’s 'leadership' left us inheriting a county government on the fringe of bankruptcy.”
But what about Heimlich’s claims that he would be a “good steward” of our tax dollars?
“Immediately on being named President, Heimlich orchestrated the ousting of long-time County appointed officials,” explained Pepper. “He installed in their place his long-time political crony as the top behind-the-scenes County administrative leader. Together, the duo proceeded to burn through millions of dollars on headline-grabbing political solutions to complicated problems, draining the County’s reserve fund to a precipitously low amount...“Pointing largely to the decisions Heimlich made in 2006 that drained the reserves, Moody’s is considering downgrading the County’s bond rating,” said Pepper “If it does so, this will only compound the millions already wasted due to the spending, delays and poor decisions made from 2004-2006 under Heimlich’s leadership...“Whether it’s appointing unqualified friends to key positions or spending money you don’t have,” concluded Pepper, “the Heimlich years also taught key lessons on how NOT to run government.”
Before you go quoting Todd Portune and David Pepper about a republican candidate, find out about those two. Both, and especially Portune, are probably the most liberal democrats you will find east of San Francisco.
Bob, please explain how Pepper or Portune's politics relate to Heimlich's spending while in office?
If what they say is true, then their alleged "liberal" policies don't mean anything in this context.
If anything, I'd expect you'd be more concerned about Heimlich's history of spending tax dollars, as he is the one running.
You sound like you'd make an excellent Republican Congressman!
Would love to have you on my radio show "Libertarian Politics Live" on Blog Talk to talk about your race. You'd have a national audience, and could certainly pitch your website for $$$.
Go Ohio Republicans!!
Eric Dondero
www.mainstreamlibertarian.com