What would you expect from a person who "owes her political soul to the company store," the Ohio Republican House Caucus being the "company store" in the case of Christina Hagan. Of course, Hagan was not even born when the song was first recorded in 1946.
Earlier this year she was astoundingly - in light of her credentials and experience - appointed to Republican Todd Snitchler's Stark County based 50th district Ohio House seat. Snitchler jumped ship to become Republican Governor John Kasich's appointee at $124,500 per year as chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).
Hagan went from being a college student and a server at a Canton area restaurant to being a $60,000 a year state legislator. Wouldn't just about any college student love to have the stroke of good fortune? Especially these days when finding a job, any job, is tough for new college graduates.
The SCPR has always known that the primary reason for the Hagan appointment is that the caucus folks knew she would be a dependable water carrier and Kool Aid drinking caucus member for them. Her father John was when he held the 50th seat (2000 - 2008). Why wouldn't the daughter? After all, "the apple does not fall far from the tree."
And so far she has not disappointed the Republican caucus leaders. She has voted in lockstep with the dictates of Billy Batchelder (the Republican Speaker of the House) on each and every controversial issue that has come before the Ohio House: Senate Bill 5, the state budget (to name just a couple) and now the congressional redistricting bill which passed the House on Thursday.
Hagan had her talking points in hand (i.e. from the Ohio Republican Statehouse caucus and, apparently, Stark GOP Chair Jeff Matthews - who has been quoted as having the same take) when she talked to an Alliance Review (Regula, Boccieri react to redistricting, Jack R. Weber, Jr., 09/15/2011) reporter on Thursday about her vote, to wit:
"The county will now have three sources of congressional representation that can provide assistance related to federal issues. This increases the number of voices that the people of Stark County have to represent them and allows our region to have additional clout in Washington. While the state is losing two congressmen, Stark County could gain two, to our benefit."Only the mind of Christina Hagan would conclude that fragmentation and division is a strength!
Gee, why doesn't Stark volunteer to be chopped even more. Wouldn't it be just grand to be able to say that Stark has a half dozen congressmen looking out after her in Washington?
It appears that Hagan is a total wipeout, at least on this issue: again, taking her marching orders from the likes of Ohio GOP party chair Kevin DeWine. Why doesn't Hagan put her college education to work and demonstrate she can do her own thinking?
Of course, what does the former 16th District Congressman (for 36 years running and having sat in on three prior reapportionment efforts) Ralph Regula know?
Again, from The Alliance Review:
"This plan is going to cause a lot of confusion for constituents," said Regula, who sat in on three redistricting plans during his tenure as a U.S. representative but said he never remembers a plan "this gross."
"Part of the job of a representative is to be an ombudsmen between the people and government agencies," continued Regula. "The people of Stark County won't know who to call. This plan will make it very difficult for the people. They shouldn't need a GPS to figure out who their representative to Congress is."It is yet to be determined what Hagan's "new" district will be when the Ohio Apportionment Board gets its work done on October 5th.
She will not be allowed by Ohio's election rules to run "as for re-election." Rather, she will have to run for "retention" inasmuch as she has never been elected to any public office.
One thing for sure. Whomever runs against her should make one of a number of issues against her be her support for diluting the power of Stark County in Washington.
Some kind representative she is!
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