Get to know Pam Limes on March 3

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

In a few days, there will be a great opportunity to meet an outstanding – and bona fide – resident of Hillsboro who has aspirations of being the next mayor of Highland County’s county seat.

Her name is Pam Limes. And if you have not met her, you may do so from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3 at the Hillsboro Elks Lodge.

By the way, she is a Democrat.

As first reported by The Highland County Press on Aug. 3, 2014, Pam’s announcement for mayor of Hillsboro was made by former Hillsboro Mayor Betty Bishop at the annual Highland County Democratic Party Picnic at the AmVets Park at Rocky Fork Lake.

Without a doubt, Pam brings the most impressive resumé to the 2015 campaign for mayor.

She holds a bachelor's degree from Miami University and has completed post-graduate academic studies in legal, real estate and business fields. From 2000-11, she served as an executive assistant for Highland District Hospital in Hillsboro. Prior to that, she was an office manager and administrative assistant for Birch & Bush, P.C., in Cincinnati. Pam also has worked with the former law practice of (now Judges) Rocky Coss (D) and Kevin Greer (R) in Hillsboro.

Suffice it to say, she has the qualifications and credentials for the job.

For full disclosure, my wife and I were pleased to make the very first donation ($100) to the Pam Limes for Mayor campaign. In fact, we sent our small donation prior to her official announcement. Later, I sent another small donation.

Afterward, I started thinking about my political contributions over the years.

My first real memory of politics was from my senior year at Whiteoak High School in Mowrystown. After class one day, advanced mathematics teacher Mr. Bob Boyd asked me a rather personal question about my family’s politics.

I think I said something like “My dad is pretty conservative, so he’s probably a Republican.” (He was.)

Mr. Boyd then told me that Congressman Bill Harsha, a Republican, was looking for students in his southern Ohio district (probably the old Sixth District) to nominate for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Mr. Boyd asked if I had any interest. I did.

Long story short, thanks to Mr. Boyd, Mr. Joe Himes, Mr. Bill Fawley and most definitely Mr. Randy Roush, on April 25, 1979, I received a congressional nomination to West Point. I remember the date very well since it also is my sister’s birthday.

From 1979-1990, I was working full-time and attending college. Politics was not much of a consideration, whatsoever. At some point in the 1980s, I believe, my mother made her first attempt – a successful one – at an elected office, that of Hillsboro city auditor. I did not contribute to her political campaign at any time. But I did vote for her!

Fast-forward to the early 1990s, and I made my first political campaign contribution. I was making $4 an hour (seriously) and I gave $20 to the Bob McEwen for Congress campaign staffer in the basement of the Merchants Bank building. I think I told the guy to have lunch with it, but I wanted to give something.

To the best of my memory, for the next 20 years or so, I made these political contributions: $100 to the Highland County Republican Party Century Club and $100 to Ohio Senator Bob Peterson.

For further disclosure, I may or may not have contributed to Sen. Rob Portman and/or Rep. Brad Wenstrup. But I do not think that I did. You can look it up. (I have endorsed both on multiple occasions. They both won, anyway!)

Also, I was appointed to the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees by an Ohio Republican governor in Bob Taft.

Moreover, the first U.S. presidential candidate for whom I voted was Ronald Reagan in 1980. I voted for RR again in 1984; for GHW Bush in 1988 and in 1992; for Dole/Kemp in 1996; for W in 2000 and 2004; for McCain/Palin in 2008 (a liberal friend of mine had a McCain/Palin bumper sticker); and for Romney/Ryan in 2012. I think that makes me 5-4 in presidential votes.

I give you this background for obvious reasons as a prelude to something much more important.

In 2014, I ended my 35-year association with the Republican Party. There were valid reasons, and the timing was good.

The fortunate opportunity was provided due to two Libertarian candidates on the Ohio statewide ballot. I voted for both of them in the primary and, without looking it up, I could not name either one of them. These votes were on principle. I remain true to my personal conservative convictions, but from what I have witnessed locally since the November 2011 election, I will have little to do with what was once the Grand Old Party.

Sometimes, rare as it happens, the establishment members of the nation’s two prominent political parties ought to ask of themselves: Are we simply here to elect our token R or our token D, or do we really want to elect the best person for the office?

Sadly, the obvious answer is that the vast majority of political operatives simply want to have their chosen R or D elected, regardless of individual integrity, personal qualifications or concern for the betterment of community. (There are many examples, to be sure.)

Now that you have this background information from a still conservative, please do yourselves a favor and become acquainted with Hillsboro Mayor Candidate Pam Limes. She is, without question, a great person and a great candidate for Mayor of Hillsboro.

Former Hillsboro Mayor Betty Bishop agrees. So do many others – of both parties.

“I am excited and I believe Pamela Limes is the right person for mayor of Hillsboro," Betty told me. "Along with her education, Pam has work experience and life experiences in big and small cities as well as big and small companies. She also has owned a small business, and all of this gives her the ability to have a common-sense approach for our community.

"She also has a love for people that gives her the ability to treat everyone she meets with respect. I have watched Pam grow in stature, and I know she is the one that I can trust. These are only a few of the reasons I am supporting Pam Limes for mayor of Hillsboro."

Having worked with Betty Bishop for many years, I have good reasons to trust her opinion. She tells it like it is.

When Pam Limes announced her candidacy for mayor, one of the public responses came from professional businesswoman Charlotte Cooper, who said: “I’ve known Pam most of my life. She is honest, ethical, and comes to this race for one reason – her concern and love for Hillsboro, her hometown. Additionally, Pam is intelligent and has common sense (which is a great combination.) There will be no personal or hidden agenda, only a desire to serve the community. I am pleased to call Pam my friend. I will be proud to call her my mayor.”

Many others shared Charlotte’s sentiments. Many from both political parties shared these sentiments.

But ultimately, it’s up to you, the voters in the city of Hillsboro. If you have any doubts or if you’d just like to meet Pam Limes, stop by the Elks from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3. You’ll be glad you did. She is a class act. And it’s not an act.

For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pam-Limes-for-Mayor/841020259289403 or http://highlandcountypress.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=20&ArticleID=23792.

Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press.