About the issues

The crime rate in Cincinnati is unacceptable.
It’s time for a change.

We need to work together with our police force and community members to make our city safer. We need better data to understand what’s going on and how we can improve. We need to hold criminal accountable instead of giving them a slap on the wrist and a weak bail. And most importantly, we need hope—because if people don’t have hope, they will turn to crime to survive. Violence is a reflection of the hopelessness that plagues our nation. We must believe in the fundamental goodness of people, and work together to create opportunities for all.

If we want to make our city safer, we have to work together. Adam is the only candidate Endorsed by Hamilton County Prosecuter Joe Deters and the Fraternal Order of Police. He is also the only candidate who came from a neighborhood where crime was rampant. He has been the victim of it on many occasions including a bullet ripping though his bedroom window.

We can’t expect the police department to solve the problem alone. We deserve a city that works to prevent crime, and not just one that reacts to it. It’s time to stop the cycle of poverty, hopelessness, and violence by working with our communities to create safer spaces for all.

Education is a fundamental right of every American and one of the most important factors of future career success. All people of Cincinnati deserve access to a great education, quality resources, and scholarships to higher learning or trade school opportunities. Particularly so for marginalized communities, who face additional financial burdens, transportation issues, and information many others have access to.

Just that simple problem, if solved could change the lives of many young people in this city. This is the case at the schools where Adam volunteers where one of the neighborhoods has a poverty rate of 77.3% in a city with an overall poverty rate of 26.3%. A report by the U.S. Department of Education found that students from poor families were five times more likely to quit school. No wonder we face a dropout rate of over 40% in district schools. Many of the worst-performing schools are in the district Adam is running for and he sees that as unacceptable.

As your Ohio State Representative, Adam Koehler’s very first focus will be to make Public Schools in Ohio more engaging, safer, and career-focused. Koehler also has plans to restock our professional tradespeople. There is a strong demand for plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, and many other high-paying careers. Working with our friends in the trade organizations and rebuilding awareness in the public schools is important to not only the students but our ability to even build the future of Cincinnati.

As your chosen Ohio State Representative, Adam Koehler is keen on supporting the financial development and sustainability of all Ohioans; particularly the economically disadvantaged sections of the Cincinnati district he will represent. In fact, candidate Koehler grew up in one of the poorest parts of Price Hill. It has been his decades-long desire to help his community and others like it, to escape from the grasp of poverty. There are still those in our community that remain unbanked and that must change.

With a focus on issues such as local prices, local taxes, and financial security, Koehler is committed to creating a supportive environment where every citizen in Ohio is able to pursue their dream career and create their desired life – without having to struggle with a fluctuating and unstable state economy.

As a passionate supporter of cryptocurrency and currency digitalization, Koehler hopes to nurture a crypto culture in Ohio, which will allow individuals to make more secure payments and higher-value generating investments in future technologies. Cincinnati could position itself as a leader in emerging tech and bring new, high-paying jobs to the region. Adam often writes and speaks on the topic to local business communities, particularly real estate. Digital currency also has an opportunity to solve banking accessibility issues for many. He organized the first blockchain conference in the Midwest and word spread throughout the technology community that Cincinnati was the place to be and could be the “bitcoin capital of the midwest”.

Adam Koehler has always believed in and followed the maxim of “Support Local, Shop Local.” If selected as an Ohio State Representative, Koehler is committed to making Ohio a small business-friendly place for citizens and business/entrepreneurship visa holders alike.

Koehler also aims to reduce the red tape around entrepreneurship, making it easy and effortless to set up small businesses quickly.

Small business licensing and taxation are other areas he plans to focus on, where his priority is to make Ohio an affordable place to obtain business licenses and reduce corporate tax payments, rental taxes for commercial/industrial spaces, and other local trade taxes.

He is for tax cuts on small businesses and personal income tax relief. Plus, he is a vocal supporter of the Investing in Ohio’s Future Initiative which funds infrastructure projects that will attract new jobs and investment opportunities. This includes critical broadband expansion that will help small businesses compete.

Another area that Adam Koehler is committed to expanding small business financing and creative banking options. Adam also supports the digital currency movement and blockchain technology, particularly in the area of supply chain logistics, critical infrastructure, and finance. The current rise in prices shows us all just how vulnerable our supply chain is and the desperate need for better management. He is looking forward to creating an economically progressive state where future-focused businesses can thrive and embrace emerging technologies.

Ohio has a shortage of homes for sale and rent, and the ones available are often priced highly. Adam Koehler is determined, once an Ohio State Representative, to work with developers, landlords, and renters in an effort to bring more attainable housing options into the market. As a landlord who has provided housing to low-income residents for over 20 years, Adam knows the space and has worked directly with HUD, and has had candid conversations with tenants. Adam recognizes the fact that only 25% of residents in need are approved for low-income housing solutions.

A report from HUD shows a deficit of nearly 30,000 affordable and available units in Hamilton County and 19,000 in Cincinnati for extremely low-income renters. The National Association of Home Builders announced that nearly 70% of U.S. households cannot afford the median (middle) priced house. These are major issues in our city. We need innovative solutions so that more families get access to budget-friendly housing in the Cincinnati area.

In his personal life, Koehler is the owner of several affordable rental homes located across the city. His experience as a small landlord has taught him many lessons about the business and the needs of his renters. He also understands the challenges of owning rental property and can sympathize with the struggles mom and pop landlords face.

Adam believes in bringing everyone to the table. Groups like REIA whose investors are willing and able to bring non-performing housing stock to market are vital in these discussions. What do they need from the government to remove blighted property and bring it back into service in an affordable way? How can we get more people into the trades so that projects are not delayed due to a lack of skilled workers? Adam plans to uncover the solutions with stakeholder organizations in conjunction with those in need of housing. Adam also looks forward to making rental agreements more tenant-friendly while also offering adequate protection for landlords.

It’s time for us to start finding solutions. There are many steps we can take as a government to help with the pressure of high rental costs:

1. Expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program
2. Provide tax incentives for developers who build affordable housing units
3. Increase funding for Section 8 vouchers for renters with incomes at or below 30% of area median income (AMI)
4. Make it easier for families who have fallen behind on their mortgages to refinance their loans at more affordable rates

According to Mental Health America, 25% of people in Ohio have some form of mental healthcare need. However, across the US (and this includes Ohio), there is no adequate mental health support available in the form of trained first responders, affordable psychiatric care services, and the negative connotations around mental health.

As your Ohio State Representative, Adam Koehler is committed to making Ohio a safe and supportive haven for individuals seeking mental care support. From spreading the message about mental health to supporting the set-up of psychiatric care facilities and providing affordable therapy services, Adam Koehler has many plans to make Ohio an empathetic state for all.