Why I Run - Building Blocks not Stepping Stones

By Todd B. Portune

Recently I was asked a question by someone I had just met, "I always thought you would have run for higher office by now. When are you?"

It is a question I have been asked many times over the years and is an interesting one at that. For it implies a couple of things:
1.That I have an interest in running for other office by using the county commission as a stepping stone to get somewhere else; and
2.That Local office is less important or impactful than state or federal office

Neither of which are true.

Sure, I've felt the temptation of the trappings of state or federal office: the media interest in glitzier campaigns and activities; and the palpable electricity you feel in our state capital and in Washington DC.

And I have been asked many times over to run for Congress, or statewide office.

But the reality is that every time I have been asked or every time I have given it thought, I have always decided that the cons far outweigh the pros. So:

I have stayed in local office.

I've remained focused on the needs of my hometown.

And as a consequence, I have been able to make a huge difference in our county and region.

Consequently, I have been asked by Hamilton County civic and business leaders alike - Republicans, Democrats and Independents as well - to lead an agenda that will set the stage and provide the opportunity for the county's next 100 years of growth and prosperity.

You see, the farthest you get away from the area you represent, the less effective you become. People leave - promising to remember where they came from - but far too often they forget; while those that haven't are still rendered less effective by the institutions they have become a part of.

At the statehouse, you are one of 33 or 99. Or worse yet you have an office that has little to no impact on the issues facing the county. In 2002, I was asked by the Ohio Democratic Party to be the candidate for State Auditor. State Auditor?! What in the world could I do there to impact the day to day issues that are priorities here?

In Congress you are one of 435 and are a part of a body that has lost sight of why it exists. Instead of moving America forward, it argues and bickers along political lines + neither side willing to compromise for the best interests of the nation. Both parties more interested about winning elections thatn solving the country's problems.

In contrast, here as a Commissioner I am always only 1 vote away from being able to convert an idea into policy. Because we are a body of three, we work together. We don't let differences fester into becoming irreconcilable divisions. And we have unanimously adopted an Agenda that contains elements of each of our ideas resulting in a county where all people and ideals are represented.

In my case, my colleagues have recognized that 20 years of experience in leading on the tough issues and of successful work in moving the county forward are the characteristics we need to tackle the biggest problems we face. That track record and experience has often proved to be the difference-maker in whether we have advanced necessary policies and programs. They often take years to accomplish. Without someone who is in it for the long haul, the best answer is often overlooked in favor of the more expedient + and as a consequence our county suffers.

So, to avoid that, I have been asked by my Republican Colleagues to lead the county's agenda on issues of Transportation; Public Safety and Emergency Management; the Environment and Solid Waste Management; and intergovernmental relations on transportation and planning measures. They have unanimously appointed me as: ■Chair of the county Transportation Improvement District ■Chair of county Emergency Management ■Chair of county Recycling and Solid Waste Management ■Chair of county Homeland Security ■Representative to the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments [OKI]

The delegates at OKI have named me an officer where I currently serve as First Vice President of OKI, overseeing all federal transportation and planning funding that comes to our area and that is spent in the 3 States, 8 Counties and 186 cities, villages and townships that make up the OKI region.

Lower Office? Lesser Impact?

Hardly. The reality is, from where I sit, to run for state or federal office would be a step down in the impact I am able to make. It would be an abandonment of the trust and faith that local leadership has placed in me to move this region forward. And it would be an irresponsible move where I'd have placed ego ahead of my duty and responsible to the people of the Greater Cincinnati region, undermining the progress we are poised to make these next four years.

No, the question is not, `when will I run for higher office?' The question I ask is, "Why would I run for an office with lesser impact on the 2.2 million people in Greater Cincinnati that I care deeply about and on this place that I call home and that I love?"

For me, Local Office is the best way to develop the necessary Building Blocks of community. It should never be a Stepping Stone to another place. That is the key difference between me and those who would run against me this year. And that may very well be the best reason why I am asking for your vote November 6th.