Dear Friend,

I will be your Democratic Congressman, I will be your voice and represent you. We need to restore balance and good stewardship to our government. I have practiced law representing citizens and small businesses. I am a lawyer and have spent 30 years representing citizens and businesses in this District. I have seen how laws sold to legislators by lobbyists have harmed my clients. I want your support so that I can continue the fight against injustice, and oppression as your representative to the United States Congress. I have seen businesses close and move away. Pensions have been lost because they were not properly funded and policed by the Federal Government. I have seen families leave after they have lost their jobs. I have seen public education bled by unfunded testing requirements. I have seen local school districts forced to ask for levy increases because of funds taken from them. I have seen increasing number of citizens having healthcare catastrophes and those citizens with insurance having premiums and co-pays become unaffordable. I will represent you with independence, vision and courage. I will fight to protect your constitutional rights. I hope and pray that you will join me in working for a better America.

Medicare D

The bill enacting Medicare D is 675 pages long. It was written by Washington lawyers for the pharmaceutical industry and I will bet that no representative or senator read the bill before it was passed.<<more

On the War

It is easy to be patriotic when we are at war. War brings warm feelings when we see our young men and women in uniform. George Bush often gives speeches using service men and women as a backdrop for this reason. <<more

Economy

Where does the economy stand?

• We have a record budget deficit
• We have a record trade deficit
• The value of the dollar is falling
• We have record consumer debt <<more

For legal questions, contact Richard Siferd.

Education: - Lima Senior High, Class of 1962 - The Ohio State University, B.A. in English 1970 - Varsity “O” Letters 63-64, 64-65 in Ice Hockey - Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University 1973

Experience: - Practicing Ohio Attorney since 1973 - Assistant City Prosecutor 1974 - Law Director, The City of Lima, Ohio, 1980-1984 - Certified in Civil Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1994-present

Professional Licenses: - ALL Ohio state courts and agencies - US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio - US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - United States Supreme Court

Professional Memberships: - Allen County Bar Association (President 1993) - American Bar Association - American Association for Justice - Ohio State Bar Association - Ohio Association for Justice - William Howard Taft, Inns of Court – Master

Other: - Served in US Army from 1965-69 with honorable discharge as Staff Sergeant (Field Artillery 65-68, Drill Sergeant 68-69) - Member: - Vietnam Veterans of America - Veterans of Foreign Wars - American Legion - AmVets - Elks

Richard Siferd was born and raised on State Street in Lima, Ohio. He attended Roosevelt Elementary, Lima Central High and graduated from Lima Senior High in 1962. During his junior year in high school, he was a camp counselor and archery instructor at Camp Lakota in Defiance, Ohio.

He entered Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio), in the fall of 1962 and attended until 1965. During this period he played ice hockey for Ohio State earning two Varsity “O” letters. He worked summers selling ice cream from a truck and spent one summer at Davidson Enamel Company, where as a steelworker he unloaded ceramic coated panels from a high temperature furnace.

Some of his fondest memories during those years were times spent in the fall hunting rabbits and quail with his friends Mark Delaney, Ron Bible, now a township trustee and Bill Rentz, now a retired teacher.

In September, 1965 he turned 21. Before that time his father had refused to sign to permit him to enlist in the Army. Two days after his 21 st birthday, he enlisted and was formally inducted on September 29, 1965. Basic training was at Ft. Knox (Kentucky); then he was sent to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for training in artillery. From Ft. Sill, he was sent to Germany where he served 14 months in the 3 rd Infantry Division in an artillery battery. This was the time for the build-up in Vietnam and he volunteered for service in Vietnam.

He served a one year tour from 1967 to 1968 in the Central Highlands in the 1/92 Artillery, a 155 mm towed artillery unit. His tour included stints in Pleiku, Kontum, DakTo, and various Landing Zones (LZ) and firebases, such as LZ Incoming and Bunker Hill. He rotated out of Vietnam in April, 1968.

Back in the states, he was stationed at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky where he was selected to attend the Drill Sergeant Academy at Ft. McClellan, Alabama. He successfully completed the course, graduating 3 rd in his class and was sent back to the training brigade at Ft. Campbell where he served out his enlistment as a drill sergeant. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Staff Sergeant in July 1969.

He returned to Ohio State University and finished with a B.A. in 1970 and entered law school at Case Western Reserve. He graduated in 1973 in the upper third of his class.

He began practicing in Lima in 1973 in a general business practice. He was hired as an assistant City Prosecutor in 1974. In 1981 he was elected as Law Director for the City of Lima and served a four year term, not running for re-election. He felt that he had accomplished his goals during his term, and felt it was time for someone else to try some of their ideas.

During the 30 years that he has practiced, he as represented citizens and businesses in Allen and the surrounding counties. He is the only lawyer in Allen County, or any surrounding county, who met all of the qualifications to be board certified in Civil Trial Advocacy. He has handled cases at all levels of court in Ohio and has had cases before the Ohio and United States Supreme Courts.

As an attorney, Richard has experience in managing a small business. Currently the firm, Siferd & McCluskey has nine employees and has been in existence with a succession of lawyers for eight decades. The oldest employee currently working in the firm came in 1954. In managing a small business, he has had to successfully handle all the various issues confronting small businesses today, including changing business trends, the loss of infrastructure and jobs.

Richard is married to Mary Beth and has four children and two step-daughters. His youngest son is a senior at Lima Senior High School. One of Richard’s favorite companions and considered part of his family is his beloved hound dog, Charlie.