WHERE I STAND

1. Why are you running for office? --- For me, working for Cincinnati families, ridding our city hall of corruption, fighting to make a more prosperous Cincinnati, a more united Cincinnati, a better educated Cincinnati, and a more peaceful Cincinnati, will never be just a job to me. It is my passion and my mission. I am running because the expectations I have for our city are very high, and I believe you should have very high expectations in the leadership at city hall. As I’ve been talking to folks, no one ever needed to be convinced that a lot is at stake here, and that we need a positive change in city hall. Cincinnati voters understand that our city is in trouble when a number of the people we’ve elected have serious corruption charges made against them. When local politicians become more worried about furthering their own political careers, instead of doing their job and working for the people of Cincinnati, then we have a problem. I am running to restore trust. What I want for your family, your businesses, and your dreams, is what I want for my own family: A bright future.

2. How long have you lived in the city or township in which you are running for office? --- I have lived in this area most all of my life. I consider myself a Cincinnatian to the core. I grew up in Madeira, OH. I then graduated from Northern Kentucky University. I was a news reporter for a while in Yakima, Washington and Evansville, Indiana. Then, I came back home to this area. I've lived in Silverton, OH for more than a decade and then in the summer of 2020, I settled in the beautiful Cincinnati neighborhood of Pleasant Ridge. I love my neighbors and I love it here in Cincinnati. I want to work to make Cincinnati the best it can be.

3. What is the biggest problem facing your community and how would you fix it? --- Many Cincinnatians are hurting, grieving, and angry. We’ve lost loved ones and neighbors to Covid. We’ve lost jobs. We’ve lost employees. We’ve lost homes. We’ve faced racism. We were deeply divided over the last two presidential races. What can the city government do to help heal our community? I certainly don’t know all the answers to all these challenges. However, I do know that treating people with respect, listening, learning, discovering all kinds of new ideas, building trust, and empowering others to achieve success are the most important things I can do as a servant to the people of Cincinnati as a member of council. I do not seek the goals of a particular political party, rather, I aim to find the sweet spot between them that will best serve the community. I aim to listen to all sides and find creative solutions so that together we can achieve Cincinnati City Council’s mission: “to provide, in a democratic and transparent manner, efficient and effective services which will make Cincinnati a better place in which to live, work and play.”

4. Some cities have passed laws requiring masking in order to fight COVID-19. Would you support that if elected? --- When we first had stay-at-home and masking orders in Ohio, the goal we all worked together to achieve was to prevent our hospital systems from being overwhelmed. We seem to have forgotten that important goal however, and instead have gotten in the weeds arguing about personal freedom verses collective responsibility. Every single one of us can agree that overwhelmed hospital systems hurt all of us. I would support mask mandates during the times when we are at high risk of our hospitals filling up—like right now. Once our hospitals are no longer overwhelmed and back to typical numbers, I would fully support removing those mask mandates and making masks as optional as wearing a wristwatch. These decisions would be guided by local public health officials and hospital staff. In conclusion, all this debating about masks… Yuck! I’m just glad as a society we generally agree that it’s most appropriate to wear pants when in large groups. #commonground :)

5. Some cities have required staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or, if not, tested regularly. Would you support that if elected? --- Yes, I believe it is important for the city government to set the example for our community. Employers in Ohio have the right to require their employees to be vaccinated. This precedent has been set by the Supreme Court over and over again. I am vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, and I am grateful to all those who made it possible. I encourage others to be vaccinated as well. 

6. What do you think when you hear 'Black Lives Matter.’? --- I love how the Black Lives Matter movement invites and challenges all of us to look at ourselves individually and as a society. We are asked to work on our own personal bias that we may even be unaware of. At the same time, we are invited to examine the structures and organizations within our communities to see where racism has become a part of those structures, both intentionally and unintentionally. Black Lives Matter would not be necessary if our black citizens had always been treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. My vision is to make it so that every family, regardless of race, background, socioeconomic status, or circumstance, wants to be here in this town of ours; because they know that in Cincinnati, everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and that we all are rooting for one another. 

7. How should your township or municipality spend its COVID-19 pandemic relief money? --- I think one priority is to help the people who have been directly affected by covid. Let’s help the people who are being evicted and the landlords that cannot collect their rent. Both are hurting and those are the people who have been affected the most and who we need the help the most. Another major priority is to help small business owners who have been affected. Many of them are struggling as well.

8. Lebanon recently passed a ban on abortions. Is this something you would recommend if elected? --- No. I would not support a ban on abortions. I, like democrats AND republicans, want to decrease the numbers of abortions. I want fewer women to have to make such a hard choice. Providing birth control, sex education and effective social services will help reduce the number of abortions. In my personal opinion, only at the moment of birth should the child receive the full protection of the state. Before that moment, I believe the fetus’s survival is entirely reliant on its mother’s decisions, her will to carry the child, and nature taking its course. It should be entirely the mother’s choice to carry a baby to full term. Citizenship should only begin at birth. However, I fully respect all views on this topic. We, as a society, get to determine the answer. Furthermore, the government should continue to fund planned parenthood. Their services reach far beyond abortions and can save many lives through cancer screening, prenatal services, and adoption referrals. However, the funding should not be used for abortion procedures so that tax dollars from citizens who oppose abortions do not feel like they are contributing financially to the controversial procedure.

9. Do you believe the 2020 presidential election was legitimate? --- Yes. Earlier this year I spoke directly to our Hamilton County Board of Elections Director, Sherry Poland, for more than an hour. During our conversation, I directly asked her some tough questions. You can watch our complete conversation on my website at www.voteforkennedy.org. I believe our Hamilton County Board of Election staff is top-notch and they conducted a fair election here in Hamilton County. Sherry Poland and her staff do a fantastic job. I was very impressed. However, we have 3,141 counties all throughout the United States. I will always be open to real evidence, if presented that says otherwise. I think skepticism can be a healthy thing. I took real steps to investigate the matter personally because I wasn’t sure what to believe. I satisfied my curiosity after some extensive research. Joe Biden is our president now. Period. I also want to thank all poll workers and election officials for doing their part. Without them, this system cannot work. When you vote, thank a poll worker and election official. It can be stressful. However, it is such an honorable and respectable thing to do. I am so grateful for their service. They should be so proud of what they are doing.

10. How would you characterize what happened Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol? --- The events of January 6 disturbed and grieved me. I consider myself a freethinking independent centrist. I think the best way to unify our city, state and country is to lean a little bit right-center on fiscal issues and a little bit left-center on social issues. It was painful to watch this event take place—people deciding to stop our democracy at work with violence. We are so fortunate to have the democracy we have. We need to work to keep it by letting the democratic process play out even when we don’t like the result of an election. If you believe you are right, a long sustained democratic effort is much more admirable in a civilized nation than a short burst of anger because you did not get your way. Peacefully protest, get to work, and vote again. This was a painful lesson for some to learn that are behind bars now. I hope posterity takes note. DO NOT try a coup on the United States. For a couple hours those that broke into the capital probably felt very heroic and strong. However, after they stumbled out, reality set in. Now for the rest of their lives, they are paying for it. If you want to be a real hero, get to work in your communities and be a champion for democracy.

11. Issue 3 makes a number of changes to the city charter, including lowering council salaries and allowing for the recall of future mayors. Do you support or oppose Issue 3, and why? --- 100% yes! I am voting yes on issue 3. I met with Tom Brinkman this week and dove into the details behind it. Here I only have 1200 characters so I cannot explain everything. Do your research. The people that simply dismiss it are usually people who won't take the time to read and understand it. Vote YES on ISSUE 3. It is fantastic for the people of Cincinnati. Something needs to be done about the corruption we have faced in City Hall lately. Issue 3 is a great fire-starter to this end. Way to go Tom Brinkman and the petition signing team for spearheading this effort!

12. What is the single best thing Cincinnati can do to fight crime? --- I believe we need to create good jobs that pay a living wage and educate and train people to fill those jobs. Also, we need more of a focus on entrepreneurship among minorities in low-income areas. Dream big. Only simply working on wage increases will keep people down and reliant on their employer. True freedom comes when you branch out and realize you can save and then start your own business. But most people don't want you to know that. It isn’t going to be easy but if you have the drive, I would encourage you to do it. Then you can pay all your employees tons of money that you think they deserve. Small business is the true paramedic to fighting crime and lifting groups of people in certain areas out of poverty. Some employers would rather you stay stuck working for them. The more we focus on empowering others to thrive in a small business for themselves, then the less that people will lower themselves to crime because they will be fully invested in their business and their communities. I want Cincinnati to be a small business engine that pumps out countless successful startups. We need to have entrepreneurship classes in high school too. Empower others up. Crime will drop down.

13. Should Cincinnati's earnings tax be increased to pay for city services? --- I believe that at this time, there is no need for an increase in the earnings tax. Increasing taxes after coming off last year’s pandemic is a bad idea. Cincinnatians are taxed enough right now. I’m going to fight against taxpayer money being spent on pet projects too. I’m going to fight to keep our city’s earnings tax the lowest in the State.

14. What would you do to help heal racial divides in Cincinnati? --- This is the million dollar question! I do not pretend to know all the solutions. But I commit to listening and continuing to learn. I was raised in privilege in a mostly white neighborhood. For ten years of my adult life, I lived in a mostly black neighborhood and had some of the most lovely neighbors. It was living there that I learned how much racism is present in our daily lives, and started to face my own inherent biases. I want to challenge other white people who were raised like me to look at your own hidden beliefs and stereotypes.

15. Should Cincinnati expand the streetcar route? If so where and how should it be paid for? --- The streetcar is not paying for itself and it is not being used to the extent we thought it would. It only benefits very few neighborhoods. I have no interest in expanding it. I was skeptical of building a streetcar from the get-go. However, now that is built, I can appreciate the tenacity of those who worked so hard to make it happen. Really, it was quite an impressive movement. So, we need to keep funding for now. After all, we committed to building the darn thing and it was expensive. Because of this, I have to be committed along with all Cincinnatians to work to make it a success now. It would have to really tank now for me to quit funding it now, BUT that is still not entirely off the table. Use it or lose it Cincinnati. No to expansion. However, if the cars are packed to the brim and it is providing a surplus, then perhaps we can look at expanding it. I highly doubt that will happen though. I want to be practical and smart with your tax dollars.

16. Cincinnati spends 36 percent of its budget on police. What changes, if any, would you make to Cincinnati's police budget. --- 36% of our budget on police is just fine. Thank you CPD for all you do. You are so appreciated by me and so many of us here in the community.

17. How would you address our affordable housing problem and how would you change the system that created it? --- My wife, Michelle, is a social worker, she has seen firsthand the need for more affordable housing. She understands, much better than I do, the huge problem that the shortage of affordable housing is. Her work as a social worker has taken her into those very homes of people who are about to lose them for various reasons. She has seen their pain firsthand. She has come home sad, frustrated, and feeling helpless because the wait lists are so long and the homes so limited. We should use some city dollars to incentivize, challenge and stimulate our philanthropic entities and banks for more help. And work to find more funders from outside the city government. We certainly need to work to obtain assistance from the federal level to make sure we get every dollar Cincinnatians deserve. Because Cincinnati, with the population it has, along with a high poverty rate, and a twenty-eight thousand housing unit shortage, according to research from Xavier University, needs to also be able to depend on federal programs and low-income housing tax credits.

18. What is the hidden gem in your Cincinnati neighborhood and why? --- My wife brought me to Pleasant Ridge, and we love it here. I could talk about our amazing and unique restaurants, fun shops, tacos, or the hilariousness that happens in our Facebook group. However, the thing that makes Pleasant Ridge our favorite is our neighbors. We cannot walk our dog without meeting many dog friends and human friends. My daughters have made friends at the park and in the pool. When we need a favor from a neighbor, from letting our dog out to borrowing an egg or two, we have at least half a dozen people we could ask who would say yes in a heartbeat. I love Pleasant Ridge!

19. At the end of your term, what would success look like? --- A more unified city. Crime rate down. Jobs up. Streets and infrastructure better in a measurable away. Race relations better. Education needs met. Public services being met or exceeded. All the things council can influence for better or worse. Another measure is that if I ran for reelection, and I was reelected.

20. Have you ever been to Cincinnati City Hall? Why? --- Yes, curiosity and simply wanted to check things out as a concerned citizen. Most recently during this pandemic when I've gone down, I simply get turned away because of Covid and have to watch happenings online like most everyone else.

1. Gay Marriage – Do you support the legalization of same sex marriage? Yes, of course!

2. LGBT Adoption Rights – Should gay couples have the same adoption right as straight couples? Yes, as long as they pass the same background checks as straight couples.

3. Gender Identity – Should “gender identity” be added to anti-discrimination laws? Yes.

4. Planned Parenthood Funding – Should the government continue to fund planned parenthood? Yes, their services reach far beyond abortions and can save many lives through cancer screening, prenatal services, and adoption referrals. However, the funding should not be used for abortion procedures. This, so that tax dollars from citizens who oppose abortions do not feel like they are contributing financially to the controversial procedure.

5. Gun Buyback – Should the federal government institute a mandatory buyback of assault weapons? No, this would be a violation of the 2nd amendment. Increase mental health and background checks instead. It should be voluntary with some financial incentives instead.

6. Transgender Athletes – Should transgender athletes be allowed to compete in athletic events? Yes, with whatever gender they identify as. I was recently against this. However, I changed my mind after speaking with community members and with equality Cincinnati Leaders about it. Yes, I can do that. 

*If interested in my views before changing my mind, see below:

(Prior to 10/12) 

Yes, of course they should, but only with competitions composed of males and other transgender athletes. Natural born women with hormone levels that are equivalent to the norm, should have their own competitions without apprehension about their competitors having an unfair advantage. There should be two categories in sport competitions: 1. Male and Transgender Athletes. 2. Female Athletes. However, I support transgender athletes in their struggle and am open to exploring this topic further with the transgender community. All transgender athletes have such profound respect from me. I hope they continue to raise the bar for themselves and push through societal limits. While it can be tempting to want to compete in the female category, I believe transgender athletes will become stronger athletes, and individuals; and earn the respect of others, only with full acceptance and empathy for opposing viewpoints, and if/when they decide to boldly compete with the category of men and other transgenders only. We are rooting for you. We are proud of you. I want to encourage you. Many including myself have no clue about all the struggles you face. I stand firm with my statement above for now while admiring you for the champions that you are because of the extra struggles you may face. Go kick some butt and stay strong always. I want to be a friend and supporter to the transgender community.

7. Religious Freedom Act – Should a business be able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs? No, all customers deserve to be treated equally.

8. Racial Sensitivity Training – Should the federal government require racial sensitivity training for employees? Yes, as long as it covers all protected groups (age, sex, race disability sexual orientation, religion) and is not based on critical race theory. Ensure there are clear guidelines, action, and accountability for acts of discrimination.

9. Gender Transition Treatments – Should people under the age of 18 years old be able to receive gender-transition treatments? No, children should not be allowed to make these kinds of irreversible life decisions. However, when a person turns age 16, they can, but only for non-surgical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. At age 18, they can have at it with any array of gender transition treatments.

10. Abortion – What is your stance on abortion? I am Pro-Choice. Providing birth control, sex education and more social services will help reduce the number of abortions. Only at the moment of birth should the child receive the full protection of the state. Before that moment, I believe the fetus’s survival is entirely reliant on its mother’s decisions, her will to carry the child, and nature taking its course. It should be entirely the mother’s choice to carry a baby to full term. Citizenship should only begin at birth. However, I fully respect all views on this topic and will continue to listen to all opposing viewpoints to confirm or adjust my opinion. Just a quick point on citizenship - Section 1 of the 14th amendment states that persons born here or naturalized are U.S. citizens.  By those criteria, the unborn cannot be U.S. citizens.

*Furthermore on this special topic, I like these thoughts and opinions from two other folks:

a. “The unborn” are a convenient group of people to advocate for. They never make demands of you; they are morally uncomplicated, unlike the incarcerated, addicted, or the chronically poor; they don’t resent your condescension or complain that you are not politically correct; unlike widows, they don’t ask you to question patriarchy; unlike orphans, they don’t need money, education, or childcare; unlike aliens, they don’t bring all that racial, cultural, and religious baggage that you dislike; they allow you to feel good about yourself without any work at creating or maintaining relationships; and when they are born, you can forget about them, because they cease to be unborn. You can love the unborn and advocate for them without substantially challenging your own wealth, power, or privilege, without re-imagining social structures, apologizing, or making reparations to anyone. They are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to claim you love Jesus, but actually dislike people who breathe. Prisoners? Immigrants? The sick? The poor? Widows? Orphans? All the groups that are specifically mentioned in the Bible? They all get thrown under the bus for the unborn. -Methodist Pastor David Barnhart

b. “Last night, I was in a debate about these new abortion laws being passed in red states. My son stepped in with this comment which was a show stopper. One of the best explanations I have read: ‘Reasonable people can disagree about when a zygote becomes a “human life” – that’s not a philosophical question. However, regardless of whether or not one believes a fetus is ethically equivalent to an adult, it doesn’t obligate a mother to sacrifice her body autonomy for another, innocent or not. Body autonomy is a critical component of the right to privacy protected by the Constitution, as decided in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), McFall v. Shrimp (1978), and of course Roe v. Wade (1973). Consider a scenario where you are a perfect bone marrow match for a child with severe aplastic anemia; no other person on earth is a close enough match to save the child’s life, and the child will certainly die without a bone marrow transplant from you. If you decided that you did not want to donated your marrow to save the child, for whatever reason, the state cannot demand the use of any part of your body for something to which you do not consent. It doesn’t matter if the procedure required to complete the donation is trivial, or if the rationale for refusing is flimsy and arbitrary, or if the procedure is the only hope the child has to survive, or if the child is a genius or a saint of anything else – the decision to donate must be voluntary to be constitutional. This right is even extended to a person’s body after they die; if they did not voluntarily commit to donate their organs while alive, their organs cannot be harvested after death, regardless of how useless those organs are to the deceased or how many lives they would save. That’s the law. Use of a woman’s uterus to save a life is no different from use of her bone marrow to save a life – it must be offered voluntarily. By all means, profess your belief that providing one’s uterus to save the child is morally just, and refusing is morally wrong. That is a defensible philosophical position, regardless of who agrees and who disagrees. But legally, it must be the woman’s choice to carry out the pregnancy. She may choose to carry the baby to term. She may choose not to. Either decision could be made for all the right reasons, all the wrong reasons, or anything in between. But it must be her choice, and protecting the right of body autonomy means the law is on her side. Supporting that precedent is what being pro-choice means.” -Author Unknown

11. Hate Speech – Should hate speech be protected by the first amendment? Yes, because I don’t trust the government to define the boundaries of hate speech. No particular topic, group, or individual is above being scrutinized. ALL speech needs to be protected SO LONG as it does not threaten violence. Also, being challenged on one’s beliefs or stances is NOT persecution. The word “persecution” gets tossed around too much these days when an individual or group feels challenged too much. Only weak individuals or groups require excessive praise. To those that have become accustomed to privilege, equality can feel like oppression. ALL speech needs to be protected by the first amendment. I will not budge here. We should speak and think freely and protect this right with everything we have.

12. Death Penalty – Do you support the death penalty? No. Too many people are innocently convicted and spending life in prison is a harsher sentence anyway. 

13. Government Mandates – Should health insurance providers be required to offer free birth control? Yes. Normally the government should not decide what services a private business can provide. In this case, we need to make an exception. Unwanted pregnancies can cause a lot of problems for our society. We need to be proactive here, not reactive. I support this as a government mandate. That said, I think it is in an insurance providers best interest to offer free birth control, regardless of a mandate too.

14. Women in Combat – Should the military allow women to serve in combat roles? Yes, preventing woman from serving in combat roles is discriminatory.

15. Gender Workplace Diversity – Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors? No, board members should be the most qualified regardless of gender.

16. Confederate Flag – Should states be allowed to display the Confederate flag on government property? No. If the Confederates won the Civil War, sure. But they lost. So, no Confederate flags on government property. Display it on your personal property all you want. I will defend your right to do so even though, to me, is a symbol of racism, separatism, and treason. I understand some think it only symbolizes rebellion and is a historical symbol. I respect your opinion, but I disagree. Fly it all you want, but not on government property.

17. Safe Spaces – Should universities be forced to provide “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” for students? No. Not unless the university itself wants to provide that for students. I think safe spaces are great and kudos to universities that offer that for students.

18. First Amendment – Should the government support a separation of church and state by removing refences to gods and super-entities? Yes, but do not waste money removing existing references. References to such things create a bias against religions that do not believe in gods or super-entities. Our government should remain secular and should not endorse the idea of imaginary super-entities. State religion has bad consequences for societies. However, I will defend your right to believe in whatever super-entity you wish. There are many to choose from. They are all very interesting to me. I grew up Lutheran. I am now a freethinking secular humanist. I still attend church with my family. I support them and enjoy watching them enjoy themselves with their particular religion that helps them. I have no problem supporting and attending services of all religions. However, we need to keep our government secular. This, to be open and welcoming to all viewpoints. I simply love and support the human race. Personally, “Love” is my religion, "Humanity" is my race, "Peace" is my weapon, "Kindness" is my power, "Honor" is my rule, and "Life" is my choice.

19. Niqāb – Should women be allowed to wear a niqab, or face veil, to civic ceremonies? Yes, we should respect these cultural traditions that do not hurt anyone.

20. Circumcision – Should boys and girls under 18 years old be protected from the irreversible life decision of circumcision from parents, religious leaders, hospitals, and doctors? Yes. While it is somewhat socially acceptable today under the guise of religious freedom, circumcision is actually an appalling human rights violation and should be considered infant torture and genital mutilation. When a child is born, that child should be protected by the state from unnecessary surgeries on their genitals like circumcision. Parents, doctors, religious fanatics, and hospitals who do this to innocent children should be held accountable and punished by a law here in Cincinnati and beyond. We need to take steps to protect the defenseless children being subjected to this barbaric and disturbing nonsense. I will work with religious leaders, parents, hospitals, and doctors to unify and educate people on this issue. I understand the profound religious and cultural norms these changes will challenge. And I will do it anyway, because it is the right thing to do. 

21. Euthanasia – Should terminally ill patient be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide? No, but they should be allowed to refuse artificial life support if they are that bad. I understand to some, this sounds not very empathic. However, imagine the precedent this would cause if we allow assisted suicide. Can you imagine commercials on TV saying: “Feeling down because of your aliments? Buy our product, end your life today, and just be done with it.” As human beings it is your duty to push through any amount of pain and not give up. Our human race cannot tolerate giving up. Neither can you. Life can hurt so bad at times and death seems the only way out to get of the pain. Push through anyways. All the way to the end no matter how terminally ill you are. You got this.

22.  Judicial Bias – Is Is there a bias in our judicial system? Three things. First, we need to recognize that racism exists. Second, we need to recognizing there is bias in our system, especially our judicial system. Third, we need to keep the conversation going and in people’s faces until change actually happens. You know, to get a little personal, on the part with "bias in our judicial system…" I thought that as a father, if it wasn’t working out with my ex and I for any reason, we could get a divorce and we’d each get 50/50 custody. But I found out, much to my surprise, there is a bias against fathers in our judicial system too. And that got me thinking, if there is a bias against a good father like myself just because I’m a father, then there might be, just maybe, a bias against good people just because of the color of their skin. And, I’m not just angry about it, I’m beyond pissed off about it. And so, as long as I have breath in my body, I am going to call out theses biases I see happening all around us. Regardless, of whether or not, I make it on city council, I’m excited, because I already know what I want to do with my life. And that is: boldly call out the system bias and those who abuse their power at any level.  The people that are in these positions of power in our judicial system, better wake up.  The judges, the guardian ad litems, etc... When it comes to providing children with equal time with fathers AND equal sentencing when it comes to race... It is not just one judge, or one guardian ad litem... It’s all of them. It is our system. Our children deserve better. The pain that I’ve received in this way has been transformed into an infinite amount of energy to bring about change and hope in a better tomorrow and a more equal system in all ways. And by the way… If you’re a judge, or guardian ad litem, and you didn’t like it when I said its ALL of you, tell me please, how does it feel to be stereotyped? Justice is not as blind as it should be. Justice has its eyes wide open. And justice is a racist and biased against fathers unfortunately. This needs to change.

1. Gun Control – Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun? Yes, we should require strict background checks before gun purchases. We should make it much more difficult for violent convicted criminals and mentally ill to obtain guns. Personally, I am a proud gun owner. I learned to shoot a gun in the boy scouts. It was a good experience. I also love to go to the shooting range to practice with friends. I will defend the right of clear-minded, law-abiding citizens to own guns in which to hunt and to protect themselves and their families. 

2. Armed Teachers – Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school? Yes. In some cases. I would love to focus on hiring professionally trained security guards instead. Allowing teachers to carry guns could increase the risk of accidental shootings... However, if in smaller schools, or in some schools where it is difficult to hire security personnel, certain teachers, who might want that profound responsibility, and who have demonstrated a large degree of trust among students, parents, faculty and the community, should be able to carry a gun after they have had the proper training in order to protect students. The responsibility of which teachers could be chosen for this extra duty would ultimately fall on the school board or perhaps the superintendent alone. No extra pay would be given to this teacher. It would be a position of much responsibility.

3. Drug Policy – Are you in favor of decriminalizing drug use? No, I hate drugs with a passion. I cannot emphasize enough my disgust for drugs. However, I think we should decriminalize SOME drugs that offer medicinal benefits such as marijuana. I do not smoke marijuana, nor do I shame people who do it for recreation or certain health reasons. I just choose not to smoke. I really don’t like drugs and want them off our streets. I have seen people shooting up around the corner of my own street. I know it is happening all over. I will do whatever steps I can do to crack down on drugs. Drugs destroy lives and communities. I want them the heck out of Cincinnati, Ohio!

4. Gerrymandering – Should the redrawing of Congressional districts be controlled by an independent non-partisan commission? Yes, I am an independent and I belief firmly that gerrymandering gives an unfair advantage to the party in power during redistricting. We need to switch to a multi-member, proportionally selected redistricting system.

5. Term Limits – Should there be term limits set for members of Congress? Yes, term limits will increase performance and prevent corruption.

6. Supreme Court Reform – Should the Supreme Court be reformed to include more seats and term limits on judges? No. I respect strong arguments for reforming the court, and it is very tempting to want to go this route, especially when it could help your particular stances. However, reforming the Supreme Court is unconstitutional and would upset the balance of power. Judges need to be far away from the current wild swings of public opinions of the day. If it is a strong enough argument or case, it will make its way back to the supreme court in good time and change will take place. I hate being patient too on some issues where I think the supreme court got it wrong. We need to adhere to how it is written in our constitution in my opinion.

7. Affirmative Action – Do you support affirmative action programs? Not always. Regardless, we should create more social programs to address poverty.

8. Muslim Surveillance – Should local police increase surveillance and patrol of Muslim neighborhoods? No, this decision should be based on crime rates instead of race or religion. Targeting Muslims is unconstitutional, racist, and incendiary. Police should increase surveillance and patrol of all high crime neighborhoods.

9. Gun Liability – Should victims of gun violence be allowed to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers? No. manufacturers and dealers should only be held liable for negligence.

10. No-Fly List Gun Control – Should people on the “no-fly list” be banned from purchasing guns and ammunition? Yes, but not until the no-fly list screen process is improved for accuracy and includes due process. If the government considers you too dangerous to board a plane, it might be wise for us to make it more difficult for that person to buy a gun. 

11. Patriot Act – Do you support the Patriot Act? No. The Patriot Act was passed after 9/11 to combat terrorism with lots of support. However, in recent years, the government has been using this law outside its original intent to spy on Americans. Additionally, it is unconstitutional, because section 215 violates the 4th amendment, the protection against unlawful searches and seizures, by permitting warrantless searches. Plus, section 505 allows the government to investigate people based on their speech which is a direct violation of our first amendment rights. 

12. NSA Domestic Surveillance – Should the NSA (National Security Agency) be allowed to collect basic metadata of citizens phone calls such as? No, only with a warrant showing probable cause of criminal activity.

13. Social Media Regulation – Should the government regulate social media sites, as a means to prevent fake news and misinformation? No, social media companies are private and should not be regulated by the government. The government should not determine what is fake or real news, the people however, do have that luxury. 

14. Net Neutrality – Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)? No, treat all traffic equally and continue the openness of the internet. 

15. Flag Burning – Should it be illegal to burn the American flag? No, this is a violation of free speech. However, I love our flag. I will always treat it with respect. Whether or not you do, is up to you.

16. Eminent Domain – Should the government be allowed to seize private property, with reasonable compensation, for public or civic use? Yes, as long as landowners are fairly compensated, and the projects will benefit the community. 

17. Juneteenth – Should Juneteenth be declared a federal holiday? Yes.

18. Edward Snowden – Should the government grant immunity to Edward Snowden? No. Many of us appreciate what he did. Some of us dislike what he did. However, he knew the consequences of his actions and he took action and then got away. So here we are. Hero or villain? We all get to decide for ourselves. From me, he has my respect, but it is probably better he stays where he is. It is interesting that this is the only issue on here about one man. I like to think this shows the profound power each individual human has. What we do in our lives can have major impacts on society. So, decide what you have to do to make a positive impact and go do that thing.

19. Political Advertising on Social Media – Should social media companies ban political advertising? No. This would violate the first amendment. It is not the job of a candidate to get you to vote for them, it is the job of a candidate to inform the public on where they stand. Political advertising helps accomplish this for the betterment of society. (They are annoying though, aren't they?) 

20. Air Force One – Should the military upgrade Air Force One? No, not until the cost of $4 billion dollars is dramatically reduced.

1. Police Body Cameras – Should police officers be required to wear body cameras? Yes, this will protect the safety and rights of police officers and citizens.

2. Defunding the Police/More Social Workers – Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community-based programs? No. We need the police. Our community appreciates the work, the protection, and the sacrifices of our polices officers. We will not defund the police. However, we can maybe (and I do mean maybe because I need more research data available and only a handful of cities try it. Cincinnati is not an experiment and we should wait to do something like the following ) add an additional social workers-based unit to respond non-emergency mental health calls to ease the workload on the police and have add a softer touch when dealing with a family mental health crisis. I want this for our city. However, I am not sure how 911 operators could determine this with 100% accuracy and get it right. I need more data before I would just give 911 operators that call. That is not fair to the operators if they get it wrong and were trained wrong either. My wife is a social worker. I also don't want her wrongly dispatched and killed when an officer should have been there. One option might just be to provide our officers with more social work training so they can be both a social worker and an officer in a sense. I am not sure exactly yet how this will play out with the future of policing but I am super interested in the ideas surrounding it. But back to the main question. No, we should not defund the police. I would be hesitant to ever decrease a police budget by one cent. More likely it needs to go up with inflation, but the funding percentage should hover right around 35-37% of the full budget in Cincinnati.

3. Qualified Immunity for Police – Do you support qualified immunity for police officers? No, and increase the personal liability for misconduct. I love and appreciate our officers that encourage accountability. It shows honor and bravery. Special thank you to all police officers. You are loved and appreciated by me.

4. Demilitarize the Police – Should police departments be allowed to use military grade equipment? No, extreme situations should be handled by higher agencies with specialized training and equipment. This helps protect our regular officers as well as our public.

5. Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences – Do you support mandatory minimum prison sentences for people charged with drug possession? Yes. I loathe drugs. We need penalties to keep drugs of our streets.

6. Private Prisons – Should the government hire private companies to run prisons? No, private prisons will sacrifice quality of care and rehabilitation services for profit. Bad idea.

7. Solitary Confinement for Juveniles – Should prisons ban the use of solitary confinement for juveniles? Yes, it is severely psychologically damaging to young undeveloped minds.

8. Drug Traffic Penalties – Should drug traffickers receive the death penalty? No. I do not believe in the death penalty. Spending life in prison is a harsher sentence anyway.

9. Collective Bargaining – Do you support limiting police unions collective bargaining power for cases involving misconduct? Yes. I love the police and the police union. When there is misconduct, bargaining power should be limited.

10. Criminal Voting Rights – Should convicted criminals have the right to vote? Yes, but only after completing their sentences and parole/probation and debt to society.

11. Prison Overcrowding – Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding? Yes, but they must perform community service on a daily basis and be placed under house arrest using an electronic bracelet. They must also show complete willingness to abide by the process.

1. 2020 Election – Was the 2020 US presidential election conducted fairly? There are more than 3,000 counties in the United States. As an independent, I toured our Hamilton County Board of Elections personally to make sure nothing fishy would present itself. The people there are class acts and take their service seriously. I have met with the director and staff and was able to check out the facility where it all happens. They have a bipartisan system for verifying results. As for Hamilton County in Ohio, I believe that yes, it was conducted fairly. I do acknowledge small amounts of voter fraud has happened in other counties in other parts of the United States. However, it is my belief that this did not and would not have changed the outcome of the election. We need to remain extremely on guard here though, and I love the high accountability and “prove it” attitude we have surrounding our elections. We need to always have this and remain skeptical. Trust, but verify for ourselves. Yes, it was fair.

2. Voter Fraud – Should a photo ID be required to vote? Yes, this will prevent fraud. We also need to do a better job of helping those who are disadvantaged to the point that they lack the resources to obtain one.

3. Foreign Lobbying – Should foreign lobbyists be allowed to raise money for American elections? No, foreign interests should not be able to buy the influence of our politicians. 

4. Electoral College – Should the electoral college be abolished? Yes, and switch to a ranked-choice voting system. The electoral college was good for its time when it was created in. It served its purpose. It is no longer needed. We need to get rid of the nostalgia surrounding it. We can do better and need to get with the times we are in.

5. Right of Foreigners to Vote – Should foreigners, currently residing in the United States, have the right to vote? No, only legal citizens should have the right to vote.

6. Minimum Voting Age – Should the minimum voting age be lowered? No. It should not be raised or lowered. It is fine where it is at.

7. Campaign Finance – Should there be a limit to the amount of money a candidate can receive from a donor? Yes, politicians should not be bought by wealthy donors.

8. Campaign Finance – Should corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations be allowed to donate to political parties? No, these types of donations just turn into bribes.

9. Lobbyists – Should there be a 5-year ban on White House and Congressional officials from becoming lobbyists after they leave the government? Yes.

10. Candidate Transparency – Should political candidates be required to release their recent tax returns to the public? Yes, and require a public audit each year they are in office.

11. Criminal Politicians – Should a politician who has been formally convicted of a crime, be allowed to run for office? Yes, so long as they have finished serving their sentence and as long as it was not a felony, violent, financial, or sexual crime.

1. Drug Price Regulation – Should the government regulate the prices of life-saving drugs? Yes, slightly, and shorten the lifespan of drug patents slightly too. However, too much regulation on drug prices would also limit the investment in research and development into new life-saving drugs. I fully take that into account. Typically, the government should not regulate prices of private businesses. However, when these prices save lives, we need to make an exception with life-saving prescription drugs. The people of the drug companies that make these drugs are so appreciated and we thank them. This is not meant to hurt them. It is meant to balance saving lives with some excess profits. 

2. Pre-Existing Conditions – Should health insurers be allowed to deny coverage to individuals who have a pre-existing condition? No, it is immoral to deny health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions. This, even knowing that insuring people with pre-existing conditions drives up costs for everyone. As a society, we need to be able to absorb some of this to help those most in need. Typically, the government should not be involved in health insurance and how they do things. We need to make an exception in this case.

3. Mask Mandate – Should the Federal government mandate that masks be worn by all people on public transportation? Only during imminent danger from a virus about to run rampant without a large portion of the population vaccinated yet. We have learned that we need to be proactive, not reactive. 

4. Mental Health – Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment? Yes, slightly or at least stay the same. Then incentivize private companies to continue their care.

5. Marijuana – Do you support the legalization of Marijuana? Yes, I believe it is time. We should legalize, tax, and regulate the heck out of it instead of criminalizing it. This will free law enforcement up to focus on the harder drugs.

6. Medicaid – Should the federal government increase funding of health care for low income individuals (Medicaid)? Yes, for elderly and disabled.

7. Obamacare – Do you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)? Yes, I support the majority of the plan but not all aspects. The single most important and achievable thing we can do is to improve the health insurance subsidies. We all knew in 2010 when the law was signed that the subsidies were not adequate, and that for many people the Obamacare was not affordable enough. So, for Congress to amend the law now that the makeup of congress has changed, and make the ACA genuinely more affordable is long overdue and badly needed.

8. Vaccine Passports – Should the government issue vaccine passports? Yes, until this virus is under control. We might be about there.

9. Medicaid Work Requirement – Should people be required to work in order to receive Medicaid? No, the large number of people who receive Medicaid are disabled. It is hard to apply for a job if you are sick. I would help States reduce Medicaid costs to require work because research shows people who are employed are healthier than those who are unemployed, but this is too harsh for some.

10. Safe Haven – Should cities open drug “safe havens” where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals? No, this would encourage drug use and lower funding for rehabilitation centers. I would only do this to use it as a sting operation. I hate drugs.

11. Single-Payer Healthcare – Do you support a single-payer healthcare system? In theory, I do, sure. We all do. Sounds great. In real practice, I am skeptical. I don’t want to bankrupt our nation and I believe a single-payer healthcare system, would strap us so much financially, it could lead to our ruin. I can get behind lots of changes as you can see from reading where I stand on lots of other issues. However, right now, I do not support this.

12. Medicare Drug Prices – Should the federal government be allowed to negotiate drug prices for Medicare? Yes, but only for certain life saving medications. Pharmaceutical companies are appreciated for providing what they do for us and need to make profits somewhere to continue life-saving research.

13. World Health Organization – Should the government fund the World Health Organization? Yes, but we should decrease the amount slightly or perhaps relative to the amount that other countries contribute. We need to fund our national and local programs too. 

14. VA Privatization – Should there be more or less privatization of veterans’ healthcare? More. Veterans should be able to see any doctor of their choice.

1. Will you support a strong separation between church and state? Yes. But I will also support religions and their right to believe whatever they want. We NEED to have religious freedom in this country. However, we need to stop it from creeping into our government. (It would be a terrible thing if we became a theocracy like Iran. Even if it is a Christian version.) Check out the picture of me on my confirmation day at a Lutheran church in Cincinnati, OH! I was about 12 years old. I am the one in the top left. I still go to church sometimes with my wife and kids. It’s fun sometimes. I can do as I wish. I can believe as I wish. And it is a beautiful thing. As far as I know, my entire family identifies as Christian. I 100% support them and their right to believe whatever they want. However, this is what I now believe: Religion is a lifelong con job on the gullible masses. These gullible masses, including those in my own family, my own community, and my own circle of friends, refuse to accept reality. The reality is, there is no heaven or hell. There are no gods, or angels, or demons, or ghosts, or spirits. When you die, it will be just like it was before you were born. When you die, the consciousness you have now, will be absent forever, just like it was for an eternity in the past before you were born. There is no eternal celebration. Nor is there eternal torment. Charismatic religious leaders here in Cincinnati and around the world like to promise wonderful things they can’t possibly know while also using scare tactics to keep a grip on their power, influence, and flow of money. Religion is a lie and a drug that creates delusional thinking. Religion rejects scientific facts like evolution because it is at odds with the biblical account of creation. Groundless irrational dogmas are finding their way into our laws resulting in the discrimination of LGBTQ people and limits on women’s reproductive freedom. I want to UNITE this city against such deceptional traps as religion while still upholding the constitutional right for the religion-machine to believe in whatever imaginary super-entities it wishes. I want to ignite the power of human reason and critical thinking skills in our city. I want us all to feel free to judge and scrutinize everything without fear. Some people dislike tension. I like our tension. It makes us stronger. Think of our democracy like lifting weights. You need the tension to build muscle. Challenges should be welcomed! And they are with me. That's democracy and we will always have varying degrees of tension. ( However, if you go to North Korea, it is all group-think and perceived unity. There is very little freedom of thought. That would be terrible don't you think?) Furthermore, as a child it was confusing to be taught facts and science Monday - Friday about dinosaurs and evolution etc., and only to then be taught on Sundays questionable stories from a book complied by a bunch of dudes at the 'Council of Nicaea' (Now near  İznik, Turkey ) in the year 325. The people who believe in such imaginary gods, no matter what religion or cult they identify with, are delusional. I do not apologize for saying so. Furthermore, religion seems to think it is above scrutiny and criticism. Only weak ideas or people require excessive praise or coddling. I want to critically examine our own communities, our own selves, and MY own self. I want to find BOLD new innovative ways to improve our city and our lives. I want to challenge the status quo on EVERYTHING and push us and our city collectively into greater heights. It is time for an enormous societal shift to take place. If you want to stay stuck in the past, don't vote for me. My job as a candidate is not to get you to vote for me. My job as a candidate is to let you know what I think and where I stand. If you want to propel all of us into a brighter future where the sky's the limit, and anything is possible, well then, I say, bring it on. I am ready to get to work NOW. Our community and our city hall needs big change from intelligent independent-minded people who can think freely without being constrained by party, religion, or group-think. People who can admit when sufficient evidence is not available to support their once die-hard beliefs. People who can look at facts and can change their mind when cold hard evidence is presented instead of arguing a ridged party line vs. another ridged party line into oblivion. I am a proud Independent Cincinnatian no matter what and I would be proud to serve you as a member of council. I'll never bow down and kiss the ring of any particular party or religion for that matter. I understand each individual is free to make his or her own choices. I gladly accept that because it also allows me to do the same. I love our country and our constitution. Go USA!

If you want help getting out of your religion but don’t know where to turn, you can reach out me or research a number of other organizations that can help you.

*Some include:

     1. The Freedom from Religion Foundation. https://ffrf.org/ 

     2. The Secular Coalition of America. https://secular.org/ 

     3. The Center for Freethought Equality. www.cfequality.org/

     4. American Humanist Association. https://americanhumanist.org/ 

     5. The Center for Inquiry. https://centerforinquiry.org/ 

2. Should we tax religious organizations? Actually , yes. I mention this above when I talk about our city's affordable housing problem. I believe it is time for an enormous societal shift to take place. But to start this shift, elections at the local level need to reflect the people’s will and resolve for positive major changes. And this is why I have decided to apply this new tone to everything else I’ve said and laid out as my vision for Cincinnati over these past many months and over the course of my campaign. I want to support the re-examination of tax exemptions for religions across our city and all of the US. For these changes to take place, it will need to be done at state and federal level. However, I will be a voice for these changes. Exemptions from property taxes, for example, represent an enormous benefit to religions that we ALL pay for — the total value of all property owned by religious groups in Cincinnati and throughout Hamilton county for that matter, easily runs into the tens of millions of dollars. And for the United States as a whole it easily runs into the tens of billions. This creates a problem, because these tax exemptions amount to a substantial gift of money to religions at, again, the expense of someone. The taxpayers… YOU. For every dollar which the government cannot collect on religious property, it must make up for by collecting it from its citizens… As a consequence, all citizens are forced to indirectly support religious organizations, even those of us that recognize the crookedness of them. Every time you pass a religious property, know that YOU are paying for it, not them. And I think that’s bull. The religious that congregate there should be paying for it. This is a violation of our constitution’s establishment clause because it directly aids religion. We need reexamine exempting religious organizations from taxes as a society. That real and difficult conversation needs to begin now. And when our society finally decides it is time to tax the religions, and the three branches of our government reflect that in their decisions too, these religious organizations should then feel proud that they are actually helping society out with their tax dollars. These are tax dollars that can go to help fix our affordable housing problem for example, help aid more youth programs, and care more for our elderly. Religions can look at paying taxes as a real act of kindness. We cannot keep taxing our businesses and citizens into oblivion when there is so much wealth being tricked out of people by religions. Religions, who are using make-believe spirituality as a guise for a business of conning Cincinnatians and the rest of the American people. I think they should be taxed much like casinos. Religions and casinos offer similar highs to its users.

1. Military Congressional Approval – Should the President be able to authorize military force against Al-Qaeda without Congressional approval? No, Congress should approve all military conflicts. However, if the danger is imminent, in rare cases, the president should be able to use whatever means necessary to prevent another terrorist attack.

2. Foreign Assassination – Should the U.S. assassinate suspected terrorist in foreign countries? Yes, but only if there is undeniable evidence, they are planning to attack our country.

3. Capitol Defense – Should the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. be protected by a security fence? No, the capitol should always be open to the people. If there was an immediate threat, I trust our military could quickly set up a perimeter with barriers and a high-tech surveillance type wall if needed. Fence = nonsense.

4. Nuclear Weapons - Should we increase or decrease our supply? We should decrease and work with other countries to encourage them to do the same. One day I would like to see a world with peace. Long lasting peace where the human race can work together to make the world a better place to live, work, learn and play. This will take a lot of work and our military will always be vital. That's the dream though.