On September 10th the SCPR did a blog on "the rat" political flyer put out by the Ohio Democratic Party on Republican (50th Ohio House District) Todd Snitchler.
It is no surprise for The Report to learn from Snitchler yesterday that he is in the process of filing an elections ethics complaint against the Ohio Democratic Party for its publication of "the rat" and another politically derogatory flyer against Snitchler.
Snitchler tells the SCPR that he is not filing against his Democratic opponent Todd Bosley because he is joined on the publications themselves as being a party to the flyers.
To The Report this is a distinction without a difference.
On September 13th Snitchler filed with the Ohio House a proposed piece of legislation (House Bill 580) to require the consent of political subdivisions as a requirement of an "expedited type II annexation."
There are two noteworthy things about Representative Snitchler's "belated" filing of this bill for Ohio House consideration that smack of this being a purely political move:
- There are about 75 days left in the 128th Ohio General Assembly (OGA). If the bill is not passed by OGA by December 31st, it dies and will have to be re-introduced in the 129th which begins on January 1, 2011 to regain its life.
- Only Snitchler's name appears on the bill as being a sponsor/co-sponsor. Normally, there are at least a few co-sponsors.
And this is to say nothing of the "in a uproar" the Ohio Municipal League, the Ohio Townships Association and the Ohio County Commissioners Association would be in at his attempt to change legislation that all three organizations bought into when the bill was last changed (10-26-2001).
Bosley himself has declared in Stark County commissioners meetings (when he has had to vote in favor of expedited annexations because all the statutory requirements have been meant) that the law needs to be changed.
But will he endorse the Snitchler effort? Of course, not. Undoubtedly, he will call Snitchler's move what it really is: a political stunt.
The SCPR goes one step further. If Bosley is elected and attempts the same move, he will come up empty-handed unless he can get the powerful political subdivision associations to support his effort. But the effort will look good to the constituents back home.
Another curiosity is why Snitchler finds the political gamesmanship necessary.
The Stark County (and 50th District) hotbed of anti-annexation fervor is in Tuscarawas Township (a district won by Snitchler overwhelmingly in 2008 - see below). Residents there are up-in-arms about Massillon's attempted Poets Glen annexation (recently denied by county commissioners but which Massillon is appealing) and the Bit O Eden and Tuslaw schools Massillon annexation effort currently under consideration.
Does Snitchler think the election is to be won or lost in Tuscarawas Township?
Hmm?
Turning to Snitchler's ethics complaint.
Another case of political gaming?
Apparently.
In The Report's conversation with Snitchler yesterday, he said he understands that the complaint going anywhere is not that great. Moreover, there is an ironical twist to his filing of a complaint against Bosley. In his 2006 Republican "bitter" primary battle with fellow Republican Tina Hagan (daughter of former 50th District Representative John Hagan - 8 years before term limits forced him out), Snitchler himself was a the object of a Hagan elections ethics complaint.
So what is there to make of all this Snitchler political maneuvering?
The SCPR suspects that hard polling is telling him that he is behind his Democratic opponent Todd Bosley.
Each candidate has polls indicating that he is about 10 percentage points ahead of his opponent.
Whom among the two is to be believed?
Look at their actions!
Snitchler's legislative worthless action of introducing HB 580 and his likely futile ethics complaint look like they may be acts of political desperation!!!
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