Schneider Announces for State Senate

Yet another Republican with poor record on taxes and spending

Former State Representative Michelle Schneider has launched her campaign for the Ohio Senate in 2010, seeking to replace State Senator Bob Schuler. Unfortunately, Schneider has a pathetic record on tax and spending issues from her eight years in Columbus.

Schneider won her seat representing northeast Hamilton County and parts of Warren County in 2000 pledging to oppose all tax increases while in the legislature. Well, Schneider was consistent in breaking that pledge, voting 100% of the time in favor of Bob Taft’s many tax increases. These included:

• Supported a 1 cent increase in the state sales taxes;
• Supported a 27% increase in the gasoline tax;
• Supported new taxes on dry cleaning;
• Supported an entirely new Commercial Activity Tax on Ohio businesses;
• Supported increased taxes on alcohol and cigarettes.

Schneider also reliably supported wasteful spending while in Columbus, including:

• Schneider was the champion for funding for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (accepting thousands of dollars from the Pepper family for this apostasy);
• Schneider supported wasteful spending to bring the Olympics to Cincinnati;
• Schneider supported the wasteful Taft-sponsored Third Frontier initiative;
• Schneider voted for multiple state budgets increasing spending in the double digits, leading to the serial tax increases she also supported and the budget crises Ohio faces today.

Schneider had one bright spot in her 8-year stint in Columbus, helping COAST to expose the wasteful spending at Drake Center. But this single brave act in nearly a decade does not outweigh her years of breaking her pledge and stabbing southwest Ohio taxpayers in the back.

COAST fervently hopes a better candidate emerges than former Rep. Schneider.