"What if you could leverage a couple of million dollars to get $1 billion in capital projects, keep or create 10,000 jobs, and attract and retain young professionals and innovative entrepreneurs?"
This is the question posed by Paula Schleis (Akron Beacon Journaql business editor) in her column of March 15th.
The question is relevant to this Ohio 50th because candidate Todd Snitchler is the front and center candidate not only of the Ohio Republican Party in its quest to keep control of the Ohio General Assembly but also of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.
My question is will Snitchler (a past president of the Lake Chamber) bring this Greater Akron Chamber project to Stark County? If he does and if the goal or a good portion of it is reached by November, 2008, then I'd say he's the odds on favorite to win the 50th Ohio House seat.
Why? Because raising economic development money funded by private sources that will not be burdened by the siphoning off of government bureaucratic overhead costs that finds its way in to the local economy producing real jobs is more than rhetoric. It is action. Stark Countians, and, indeed all Ohioans crave action.
The burden that Snitchler bears is that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce allied with the Ohio Manufacturers Association and the Ohio Republican Party have jointly presided over the tanking of the Ohio economy over the past 17 years.
Snitchler (who will be the endorsed candidate of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce) owns this history whether he was part of it or not. One cannot choose the good and not the bad. One way for him to overcome this negative history is to go about re-inventing the way the Chamber does business.
The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT would not be surprised if Snitchler were to be the impetus to adapt the Akron Chamber's plan to Stark County. Will/does DeHoff have an answer?
Snitchler probably has an edge on new- Stark County Party chair Johnnie A. Maier controlled-Democrat Celeste DeHoff because the 50th District was gerrymandered in the last redistricting plan to keep a Republican in office.
But it will take more than the gerrymandering this time around. This is an open seat. Statehouse Democrats realize that if they are going to be able to get Governor Strickland's "Turnaround Ohio" plan moving; they must win districts like the 50th.
If the Republicans are successful in keeping control of the Ohio House, then Governor Strickland will very likely be a one term governor who had a lot of promise but could not deliver on his promises because of lack of legislative support.
The 50 District will be a battleground district and we at the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT promises to provide 50th District voters with information and independent analysis so voters can make an informed choice as to who would be best come November.
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