Tom Ridge

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tom Ridge

Thomas Joseph "Tom" Ridge (born August 26, 1945 in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania ) is a US-American politician ( Republican Party ), who belonged to the cabinet of President George W. Bush as the first Minister for Homeland Security . He was previously the governor of the state of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2001 .

Early years

Tom Ridge attended St. Andrews Elementary School and then Cathedral Prepatory School . Then he received a scholarship to Harvard University , which he successfully completed in 1967. After studying law at the Dickson School of Law , he was drafted into the United States Army . As Staff Sergeant of the Infantry , he went to the Vietnam War . For his work he was awarded the Bronze Star , the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the Combat Infantry Badge . After suffering from appendicitis , he returned to the USA in 1970 and finished his studies in 1972. Since then he has also been wearing a hearing aid on his left ear, the result of an ear infection from childhood getting worse. After his studies he worked in a private law firm; he then became assistant district attorney in Erie County and remained so until 1982. In that capacity, he handled 86 cases in two years.

Political rise

In 1982, Ridge was elected as a Republican candidate to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC . He held this mandate until 1995. In 1984 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Dallas , where Ronald Reagan was nominated for a second term as US President. In 1994, Tom Ridge was elected as the new governor of Pennsylvania. He succeeded in asserting himself against the previous Lieutenant Governor Mark Singel .

Governor of Pennsylvania

Ridge took up his new position on January 17, 1995. Nearly 300,000 new jobs were created in Pennsylvania during his tenure. Tax breaks have saved citizens and employers over $ 8 billion. In the economic field, he relied entirely on new technologies that brought the state forward. The education system was also expanded further. The teachers also received better training. Ridge advocated a law and order policy . He called for an accelerated procedure in the handling of death sentences . He was an advocate of this punitive measure and has signed about 224 death sentences during his tenure. On a social level, he opposed gay marriage . On the other hand, despite his Catholic faith, he was a proponent of abortion. Ridge was also committed to protecting the environment. In 1998 the governor was confirmed in office. He resigned on October 5, 2001 to join the federal government. President George W. Bush made him the first Secretary of State for Homeland Security. The term of office was ended by Mark S. Schweiker , the previous Vice Governor .

Tom Ridge (above, 4th from left) at the meeting of the G8 Ministers for Home Affairs and Justice in May 2004

Minister of Homeland Security

As early as 2000, Tom Ridge had supported his then counterpart in Texas as a Republican presidential candidate. For a short time, Ridge was also under discussion as his vice-presidential candidate and possible defense secretary. Finally, in October 2001, he took over the post of Minister of Homeland Security, which had arisen in response to the 9/11 attacks , and led it until the spring of 2005, when he handed it over to Michael Chertoff .

Today Ridge is a consultant and board member of several companies. In the 2008 presidential campaign he was one of John McCain's advisors . In August 2009, Ridge stated in a book publication that shortly before the 2004 elections, George W. Bush pressured him to raise the threat level for terrorist attacks one notch. According to him, the aim was to significantly increase the chances of the Republicans being re-elected because of an alleged threat. However, Ridge refused.

Tom Ridge has been married to Michele Moore since 1979. The couple have two children.

Web links

Commons : Tom Ridge  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Ridge, Tom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ridge, Thomas Joseph (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania