I am not your typical politician. In fact, I'm not a politician at all. I am just a man with a vision of an America with greater economic and personal liberty.

Born in Cleveland and raise in it's West Park neighborhood, I always felt that I was living in the greatest country on earth. Maybe it was the nuns at Our Lady of Angels grade school that instilled that sense of patriotism, or maybe our founding fathers were right; "We hold these truths to be self eveident.." and it was self evident to me. It was evident that I lived in a country that valued "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". We honored hard work, self-starters, as well as the rights of others.

Growing up in the 70's wasn't easy. Economically the country was in bad straits and Cleveland was hit even harder. My first job was a paper route with the Cleveland Press when I was 7 years old. Part of my earnings went towards the family. My mother got a part-time job in the evenings at Lawsons and my Father worked as a bookkeepper in the construction industry. Twice my Father was laid off, but fortunately was able to find work quickly.

By the time I was in high school, first at St. Edwards then Berea High, Cleveland had been in default for about three years but things seemed to be turning around. The election of Ronald Reagan had given the country new hope and things began to improve economically. It was during high school that I started my first company. It was a small landscaping and house painting enterprise. My Father helped me with the bookkeepping. It was hard work, but profitable.

After high school I went on to college spending a couple of semisters at Cuyahoga Community College. While I love to learn, I had a hard time focusing on what degree I wanted to earn. I'm what you would call a "Jack of all trades". I fix my own cars, do my own home improvements, painting, landscaping, plumbing and electrical. I can build and repair computers, design websites, graphics, photography and do some programming. I also write colulms for NolanChart.com. What I don't know I learn and learn quickly. Learining is one of my passions in life. I guess, if I could have afforded it, I would have been a professional student, earning one degree after another. Of course that is not what I did. I headed out into the world to to find my entrepreneurial niche.

Today, I am still a small business owner and independent contractor. As an automotive photographer in the resale market, I help dealerships manage their invetories to increase their market exposure and sales.

On the political side, I was a Reagan Republican. I believed in smaller government and more economic freedom. I was never comfortable with the conservative social aganda, believing that whatever you did in your own home amoung consenting adults was your business. If you were looking for moral guidance, there are plenty of organizations out there willing to help you. I helped usher in the Republican Revolution of 1994, converting my parents, who were life long Democrats, to Repuplicans. Unfortunately, the Republican promise of smaller, less intrusive government never materialized and today we have a $3.1 Trillion budget, and a projected budget deficit of $158 Billion for fiscal year 2008. In Ohio, the Republicans under Governor Taft enacted the largest tax increase in this state's history while state spending had been growing at 12 times the rate of the population and more than twice the rate of inflation.

As for the Democrats, they seem to talk a good game, but it ends up being more government, higher taxes and less freedom. They will point to the budget surpluses under President Clinton, but if you look at every year there was a surplus, our national debt grew. I don't know about you, but in my house, if I have "extra" money, my debt has not grown and I'd use that money to pay down what I did owe making my debt less. So if we did have these "surpluses" where did this money go? Certainly not to pay off our debt.

With both sides, there is always someone to blame; Big Oil, Big Pharm, Big Agriculture, Big School, Big Labor...What about blaming Big Government?

I believe in you. I believe that you know what is best for you and your family. I want you to have the means to make that happen. I want the government out of your wallet, out of your bedroom, and off your property. I want the government to protect your liberties, your inalienable rights, not limit them or take them away. You will be more prosperous for it and so will the nation both economically and socially.

Blessings to you and your family,

Paul Conroy
Candidate for US House of Representitives, Ohio - District 10