TRACKING OUR LEGISLATORS SERIES: JUST HOW "REPUBLICAN" IS TODD SNITCHLER, ANYWAY?

Back on August 13th, the SCPR did a piece what accomplishments Representative Todd Snitchler (R-50th) has had in his nearly one year in the Ohio Legislature.

The answer:  none, in terms of legislative achievements.  But the SCPR does know of at least one instance where a 50th district constituent is pleased with Snitchler for his efforts to solve a family SERB (State Employment Relations Board) problem.  And undoubtedly, there are others within the 50th who will say that Snitchler has helped with problems they have/are experiencing with state government.

He is likely a vast improvement over his predecessor in office on this count.

Over the eight years that Hagan (R-Marlboro) held the office, the SCPR heard seemingly countless stories how Hagan blew off 50th District constituents.  Maybe that is why he lost countywide in his commissioner race to neophyte Democrat Pete Ferguson in 2008?

But on legislation, Hagan - a limited as he was, beats Snitchler hands down.

How's that?

Big difference.

Hagan was part of a "majority" and sometimes "supermajority" Republican caucus in the Ohio House. 

Whereas Snitchler is in the minority.

Ordinarily, the SCPR would be emphathetic with the Snitchler situation.

However, it is difficult to be so with Snitchler because The Report believes that he is just a kinder, gentler and more personally responsive John Hagan.

In terms of partisanship and "toeing the party line."  It's hard to see any difference.

So, his expressed frustration (CLICK sentence to read the details) on the Ohio House Dems shutting him out on getting any legislation through (even, apparently non-partisan bills) seems to be more than a tad hypocritical.  

Snitchler could change the SCPR thinking on this, if he were to take the "pledge" set out in the referenced blog and e-mail it to yours truly.  But he hasn't to date.  Nor did he communicate it in an encounter at the Stark County Fair just a week ago.

To show readers just how partisan Sntichler is, look at the pdf based graphic (presented below) which shows his top 20 contributors for the period he announced in the Republican primary (2007) through to the latest campaign finance report.

Of the $662,085 he has raised to date, of the top 20 contributors - a whopping 86% came from Ohio Republican Party sources.  Contributions viewed overall show that 90% of political donations came from both the party and individual/Polltical Action Committee contributors who gave ONLY to Republicans. 

Moreover, of the "less that 100%" contributions to Republicans group, the average contribution rate to Republicans has been 80%.

Hardly, sounds like a guy who is trying to be bi-partisan, non-partisan, does it?

A note:  companies cannot contribute to candidates by law and therefore attribution to "Timken Company" means that individual contributors worked for a Timken company or political action group.

Here is the pdf graphic on the top 20 Snitchler contributors redacted by the SCPR from material as published by National Institute of Money in State Politics.Gop to Snitchler