Rick grew up in a housing project on the West Side of Cleveland, OH. He was literally poor whitey in the hood. From an early age Rick worked numerous odd jobs cutting grass, shoveling snow, painting, cleaning, whatever paid. At age 8 he held his first paper route delivering the now defunct Cleveland Press in the evenings and at age 9 also took on a morning route delivering the Cleveland Plain Dealer. These early experiences taught Rick the value of hard work and perseverance. Rick is currently a 19 year member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Vice-President of the International Labor Communications Association, www.ilcaonline.org. Rick earned an Associates of Arts degree in Liberal Art and a Bachelors of Art degree in Political Economy.

As a kid Rick handed out leaflets for then Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich and since then he has spent countless hours helping likeminded politicians run for political office. This civic responsibility kicked into overdrive in January 2001 when the Supreme Court of the United States awarded George W. Bush the Oval Office in a 5-4 decision. The decision, counting the votes would be injurious to George, forced Rick into action.

When John Kerry lost in 2004 Rick realized that he had to do more. So on Labor Day weekend 2005 Rick began his radio journey. United for Progress was born out of frustration and optimism as a vehicle to add balance to the conservative controlled airwaves. 2008 looks to be a very positive year and the Rick Smith Show will be on the front lines.