Candidate for
Director; San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District

Ralph Was Born In Brooklyn, New York, June 30, 1942

Ralph was born in the same month & year as the Beatles' Paul McCartney. Barry Manilow, and Barbra Striesand, also 64, are contemporaries, also born in Brooklyn. Unlike Paul, Barry, and Barbra, Ralph doesn't sing for his supper. Of the foursome, Ralph considers himself most like Barbra, despite her being Jewish and him a Christian. If you want someone who's always "Politcally Correct," Ralph says "Don't vote for me. Like Barbra, I've stopped playing nice a long time ago." The Brooklyn Dodgers won their first World Series in 1955, beating the New York Yankees four games to three games. Ralph's boyhood hero was Jackie Robinson. Dodgers' fans battle cry, and Ralph's lifetime philosophy has been "Wait 'til next year," the concept of never giving up and keeping your eye on the prize. The last Dodger game Ralph saw at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn was in 1956.

Ralph's family moved to a small farm in upstate New York when he was 2 years old. Ralph's family lived in abject poverty, but the whole family, including Ralph, always worked, never receiving any kind of government assistance.

In 1967, Ralph and his parents moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where he began to immediately work after school as a Motel Bell Hop, to earn additional money for college. The Pinellas County School System, fourth largest county in Florida, where Ralph attended St. Petersburg High, is known as a model system in which any student, who works hard and achieves top grades, can graduate from quality Universities, debt free. Ralph and Tom James soon became best friends, graduating in the Top 10% of their class at St. Petersburg High in June, 1960. Tom went on to graduate from Harvard Business School, and is now President and CEO of Raymond James Finalcial Services, one of the largest Brokerage Houses in the USA. They enrolled in college in September, 1960, going their separate ways to successful careers.

Ralph paid the entire cost of his undergraduate studies at GA Tech, through his savings from work before college, plus work as a Co-Op student engineer for Standard Oil of New Jersey. At GA Tech, Ralph received a BS in Chemical Engineering (Co-Operative Plan) in June, 1965, and an MS in Chemical Engineering with a teaching assistantship in June, 1966.

Ralph has lived in 8 States in the USA; in Danville the last 21+ years

Ralph spent a total of 14 years in the Houston, TX area, in two stints. Ralph cautions, half-jokingly; "Don't mess with Texas, especially with someone born in Brooklyn!" This travel gives Ralph perspective of how things are done all across our land: What we do best, What others do best. He worked in the energy field his entire career, the latter half advising top management and Boards of Directors of major multi-natonal corporations through his Post-Grad. training in the Management Sciences. Ralph retired from the Corporate world at Chevron World Headquarters, San Ramon. He still maintains a full-time life in philanthrophy, investing, and consulting, plus deep awareness of local, state, National, and International Government.

Ralph married his only wife, Betsy, over 41 years ago

Betsy is a Graduate of Agnes Scott College (BA Spanish). Betsy has Taught High School Spanish for over 25 years. Most all of those years were at SRVHS. She was Foreign Language Department Chair many of those years. Elder son Carl, 39, married to Judy, owns a home in Santa Clara. Carl is a Graduate of Cal. State, Chico (Journalism). Younger son, Eric, 37, single, lives & works in downtown London, UK. Eric is a Graduate of UC Berkeley (BSME), University of Idaho (MSNE) and Carnegie-Mellon University (MS Industrial Administration). Both Carl and Eric worked their way through college.

Ralph Received Training Relative to Being a Board Member

Ralph is a 2001-2002 graduate of Leadership Contra Costa, and welcomed the Class of 2007 at a reception at Diablo Country Club September 26, their Twentieth Year of Excellence.

Ralph was a Fire & Safety Engineer in one job. Ralph has received HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) Training, SHOVM (Safe Handling of Volatile Materials) Training and CPR (Cardio-Pulminary Resusitation) Training in companies he's worked for in his career. Ralph received military CBR (Chemical, Biological and Radiological Warfare) training. Realp is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers since graduation from GA Tech, and is registered as a Professional Engineer in Texas since 1972. When, in his career, the situation applied, Ralph was a member of The Project Management Institute, and the American Society of Cost Engineers, and MENSA. Ralph is a regular attendee at Chevron Corp. Annual Meetings, socializing with Members of their Board of Directors.

Ralph is familiar with methods used in the 09/11/2001 attacks by foreign terrorists, the worst domestic terrorist attack, the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building attack, and the worst industrial disaster in USA history, in the port of Texas City, Texas, in 1947, and the worst natural disaster, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, not the 2005 New Orleans Hurricane Katrina, or the 1906 SF Bay Area Earthquake. Ralph has consulted with local, state, and national officials on each of these events. Ralph has the common sense not to go into further detail on these occurances on a public web site.

Ralph is regular whole blood donor, having donated about 10 gallons of blood to the American Red Cross, with no compensation, in his lifetime. Ralph has served for many years as Election Inspector here, a job that pays below-minimum wage.

Ralph has much experience as a worker in politics, little as a candidate

Ralph taught the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Course "Action Course in Practical Politics" in the early 1970s. He paricicpated in a 2 week summer seminar on Libertarian Philosophy in the '70s sponsored by the Cato Institute, their think tank. He graduated from courses in successful campaigns, put on by The Leadership Institute of Arlington, VA. Ralph has successfully managed a number of non-partisan campaigns. However, he is a newcomer as a candidate for elective public office. The first time in his life that he ran as a candidate for elective public office was the General Election of 2000.

Ralph funds his entire campaigns for elective public himself, so that when elected he will not be beholden to Business or Labor Lobbies.

Referring to the page A3 top-of-the fold article with Ralph's picture in the Friday, September 29, 2006 "Times," "Lawmakers deny support of candidate." he, with a grin quotes ancient Asian Political Philosophy of an excerpt from "Sri Chinmoy Speaks," part IV; "Love me or Hate me, but don't Ignore me." (Ralph credits the reference librarians at Danville and San Ramon Libraries for confirming the accuracy of this quote and source.)

Ralph's doubly sworn not to lie; the Public, Press, Electeds not on the Ballot are free to Lie and Cheat at Will

As far as the denying endorsers none of course had to accept responsibility for the truth and accuracy of statements they made to the press, or statements the Press made about Ralph's site, as he did, in sworn statements to the League of Women Voters, and the California Statement of Fair Campaign Practices (Of course, it's common knowledge all persons, not just politicans, lie at times when not under oath.) The Honorable Roxanne Lindsay, one of the directors on the non-partisan fire district board is quoted in the article "Ralph is the eternal candidate," forgetting apparently, her own highly partisan position as head of the San Ramon Office of many-term Honorable Member of Congress Richard Pombo, or that she came in third in the 2004 3 vacancy race, slightly ahead of Ralph's fourth place finish. Ralph doesn't recall telling Scott Marshall, Staff Writer, "They're full of c***," using instead a multi-syllable more polite equivalent. After communicating with them, He's removed four endorsers. Two, The Honorable County Supervisors Gayle Uilkema and Mark DeSaulnier, aqnd The Honorable Member, Danville Town Council, Candace Andersen, at their request.

The only other persons Ralph removed as both an endorser and endorsee is The Honorable Danville Mayor Karen Stepper, without her request, for reasons unrelated to Ralph's campaign. Ralph removed both US Federal Senators Feinstein and Boxer, after receihrather than get into a futile argument. They have both lost my support, which would have been more valuable to them than their endorsement to me. As far as the California State Firefighters' Association (CSFA), if they don't know Ralph as they claim, "Why did they call me, one day after I filed for office, requesting a donation, and have sent me several letters, asking for money. (Letters I've kept; I guess they didn't know where I was born. :-) )"

Ralph's Primary Objective is to Bring the SRV Together Again

To that end, Ralph is a member of The Republican National Committee (RNC), The Republican Presidential Task Force (RPTF), The Democratic National Committee (DNC), The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), The Libertarian Party (LP), Common Cause, and The Chinese American Political Association (CAPA). Ralph says, "Come, Let Us Reason Together." Our Assemblyman, and Ralph's friend, Guy Houston, has come around to this same conclusion that bipartisanship, not Gerrymandering, is a key to cooperation. Guy terms out of AD-15 in 2008, and would be an excellent choice for the Republican Nomination to SD-7, wheb Bi-Partisan Democratic Party Member Tom Torakson will have termed out of his Senate seat.

Ralph has over 40 years experience working with electeds

Ralph has personally known four of our American Presidents, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, and George Walker Bush. Ralph and his wife Elizabeth were guests-of-honor the week of the January 20, 1981 Inauguration of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. President Carter spent his Freshman year at GA Tech. The Honorable President Bill and First Lady U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton have both corresponded with Ralph, asking his help.

Ralph has worked with many Members of Congress. He has a working relationship with all three Contra Costa County Members of Congress; Richard Pombo, Ellen O. Tauscher, and George Miller and his wife Cynthia.

At Ellen Tauscher's invitation, Ralph & Betsy plan to attend a "Democrats for the Future" event, (Ellen is Honorary Chair of this nationwide organization,) to be held at Mark DeSaulnier's T.R.'S Restaurant in Concord. Ralph knows many other Members of Congress, but is a firm supporter of only two, Members of Congress Ellen O. Tauscher (D-10th-Alamo, CA), who he's known and respected for ten years, and Ron Paul, M.D.(R-TX), on whose first election he worked ~35 years ago.

Ralph has a working relationship with all three Contra Costa County members of the State Legislature; State Senator Tom Torlakson, and Members of the Assembly Guy Houston and Terming-out Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla. Ralph is familiar with a number of other members of the State Legislature.

These contacts will be an asset to the SRVFPD, when Ralph's elected

Ralph Has a Record of Non-Discrimination:

By Sex, Handicap, National Origin and Race and opposes hate, injustice and intolerance, as witnessed by his membership in such organizations as NAMI, CAPA, DBSA and as a Founding Member of the National Campaign for Tolerance, Rosa Parks, Founding Chair.

The Board of Directors of the SRVFPD, by their policies, discriminate against citizens of the San Ramon Valley by race and National Origin, in violation of Federal Laws. Asian and Pacific Islanders, Latinos, and Blacks are grossly underrepresented among employees and management, in comparison to the population of these citizens in the Valley. When elected to the Board of Directors, Ralph shall vigorously correct this violation of Federal Law, before the District is sued by the Attorney General. Ralph & Betsy received a Certificate of appreciation as Century Members of NAMI - Contra Costa.

Ralph has become an enthusiastic user of public transit

Ralph flew on business to Washington, D.C., in May, 2005, via a round-trip Flight on United, near bankrupcy. Because of poor cabin air circulation, upon return, Ralph developed beginning stages of pneomonia. Police, believing Ralph was having a stroke, sent him to the DMV for re-examination. Ralph instead entered Valley Care in Pleasanton, for treatment of pneumonia with IV injection of Cipro, an antibiotic. Upon release, Ralph voluntarily gave up his Drivers' License, at the Pleasanton DMV. Since then, Ralph has become an enthusiastic user of fixed route, and LINK County Connection Busses, as well as other means of public transportation in the Bay Area and beyond.