August 18, 2005
Behind Every Candidate...
Bortz campaign's weight in gold
By Kit Higgs
Guest Columnist
A wise candidate once said, “Volunteers are not paid -- not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”
Chris Bortz has many priceless volunteers.
As a person who has worked on campaigns in the past, I believe you can gauge a candidate’s campaign not by polling, but by the dedication and the breadth of his or her volunteers. Based upon this simple observation, I believe Chris Bortz has an excellent chance of winning a seat at City Hall.
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Getting volunteers to show up at a church festival on a hot Saturday, or late in the evening to get petitions signed is never easy, but for Chris volunteers are never in short supply. On one hand, this is due to the fact that our Volunteer Coordinator, Cathy Green (a volunteer herself) has done an absolutely spectacular job finding lots of people who care deeply about Cincinnati to surround Chris and help get his message out to the electorate. On the other hand, Chris’s large volunteer base is simply due to Chris being such a genuinely nice person who is truly concerned about the direction of our city.
If you know Chris personally, you will undoubtedly agree. Ask anyone that has known him or his family and you will find that the Bortz name is synonymous with improving the city and helping others. Couple that with the Green Family, Chris’s wife’s family, and you have the perfect foundation on which to build a successful campaign.
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Campaigns start with family, and the Bortzes and the Greens have enabled us to hit the ground running. Chris’s father Neil and uncle Arn (former Mayor of Cincinnati) serve as advisors, while his wife’s, Susie’s, family serves as the ground force. All of Chris’s relatives have contributed in one way or another, and because of this, Chris has been able to mount a formidable campaign.
I have no blood ties to Chris, nor does his Campaign Manager, Jeff Cramerding, but whenever you work with Chris he makes you feel like family. I have worked for three candidates, from both sides of the aisle, and I have never felt so welcome as I do with the extended Bortz Family. Although most voters will not have the privilege of knowing Chris and his family on this personal level, it is our hope that they can gauge the content of his character by the support of his family and volunteers.
Of course, Chris has other assets besides those that surround him.
Chris has the intelligence and drive to see a problem, formulate a working solution and then efficiently execute his plan. This could be because of any number of things including his legal education and tenure as a middle school teacher. Regardless of the source, Chris is a well-spoken candidate who has the vision and patience to dedicate himself to bettering Cincinnati . Without a doubt, this is why so many people have willingly put up with hours in the heat, making phone calls, writing letters and doing the many tedious tasks that are necessary for a successful campaign.
The motivation of staff and volunteers has begun paying dividends. We have collected over 500 valid signatures to get Chris on the ballot, fundraising is going strong, additional volunteers keep streaming in, our message has gained new focus, our media campaign is creative and effective, and people are taking notice.
That notice has spurred the realization that Chris is going to be the non-incumbent candidate to watch over the next few months. Everywhere we go people are eager to speak with Chris and share their views on how the city needs improvement. As we’ve seen, no matter where Chris is, whether he is knocking on doors in Price Hill, or at a church festival in Mt. Auburn, the main concern of the Cincinnati electorate seems to be crime control. While there is no easy solution to this problem, Chris believes the first step is to improve the relationship between City Council and the Cincinnati Police, and to stop micromanaging this vital department. This is not an article on Chris’s platform (please visit our Web site www.chrisbortz.com to learn more about Chris’s views), but people have been very pleased with his approach to combating this problem.
In sum, we believe Chris Bortz deserves a seat on Cincinnati City Council because he honestly stands for Pure Integrity and Real Government. We’ve come to recognize the fact that Chris’s only aim is to improve the City, and that he is not looking to use City Hall as a springboard for higher office. Chris’s excitement about the city’s potential is contagious. People everywhere have come to rediscover all that is great about Cincinnati through the Bortz Campaign. His vision for the city is, without a doubt, infectious. To be quite honest, his vision for the city and his ability to clearly articulate it are the reasons I have dedicated myself to the campaign. Take a minute to check out for yourself what Chris is all about. I think you too will find that he really is the best candidate for the job.
"The Podium" is Queen City Forum Magazine's opinion page. Guest writers and staff writers offer their take on social, political and life issues. "The Podium" will feature a new "Behind Every Candidate" each week on Sunday going to the election on November 8th, 2005. The Mayoral Primary will be held on September 13th.
Contact Information
· podium@queencityforum.com
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