Political Philosophy for Scott V. Seidewitz

Candidate for
Council Member; City of Cincinnati

My political philosophy grew out of my experiences in the business sector and working in the community. From these experiences, I have developed four fundamental principles that guide my political decisions:

1. Government and business must work in partnership to create jobs and a healthy, growing economy. As a businessperson, I've helped bring new products to market, made loans to help companies grow, and started my own successful business. All of these created jobs and helped strengthen the local economy. Business is the economy's engine for creating jobs and income for families and tax revenues for the government.

Politicians do a disservice to the community when they bash big business instead of working with it. I think one of the fundamental functions of government, especially at the local level, is to work productively with business to create jobs and a strong, growing economy that will benefit us all.

2. Government has the obligation to be responsible with taxpayers' money. As President of SmartMoney Community Services, I've overseen an organization that is funded through hundreds of thousands of charitable contributions. At Procter & Gamble, I was responsible for managing budgets of as much as $200 million. In both cases, I've been responsible for managing other people's money. I always felt it was my responsibility to treat that money with the same care I would if it were my own.

The same is true of the taxpayers' money. Tax money belongs to taxpayers, not politicians. I believe that the government has the obligation to spend taxpayers' money responsibly. That doesn't mean I am in any way anti-government. To the contrary, I think the government plays an important role in dealing with both economic and social issues. However, I also believe that government should measure how well programs work and only continue to spend money on those that work well. Government should also use management techniques from the private sector to keep its costs - and our taxes - as low as possible.

3. We are all responsible to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed and prosper. At SmartMoney Community Services, I've seen the terrible impact that living in an environment with little or no hope has on people. It is especially devastating to children. I've also seen the power of giving people the tools they need to take the initiative to improve their own lives.

I believe that all of us (government, business and individuals) share the responsibility to make sure that everyone has the tools and opportunities they need to succeed. This doesn't mean that we have to guarantee that they will succeed - that is up to each individual. But it is our responsibility to make sure everyone has the opportunity to live a full, productive life.

4. Every person has inherent worth and our differences should be celebrated rather than feared. In the past 20 years, Procter & Gamble has transformed itself, building a diverse, dynamic workforce that is a competitive advantage in the global market place. The reason P&G was able to undergo this transformation was because its leaders recognized that diversity is an asset.

I think the same holds true for our community. It is in our own best interest to learn to value our differences and see them as a source of strength, not something to fear. It is the only way for Cincinnati to grow and thrive. It is also the only way to preserve the things that make Cincinnati great.