Editorial: White in the 46th / It's a tough call between two promising candidates
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Two young Washington County men, both of whom served as municipal officials and worked as news reporters, are seeking the state House seat in the 46th District. The seat was relinquished this year by a man who clung to the position for nearly as long as the two contenders have been alive.
For 26 years, the seat belonged to state Rep. Victor Lescovitz, D-Midway, who was among a dozen lawmakers who declined to seek re-election after voting themselves generous pay raises that provoked voter outrage. The newcomers facing off for his job are Jesse White, a Democrat from Cecil, and Paul Snatchko, a Republican from McDonald.
Both previously sought to unseat Rep. Lescovitz. Mr. Snatchko, a political and media consultant, tried twice and got incredibly close in 2004, considering Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district by nearly 2-1. Mr. White, who operates his own law practice and the Cecil Coffee Stop, came within 800 votes of defeating Mr. Lescovitz in the 2004 primary.
Those races and the public service by these two knowledgeable and energetic young men have made them known in the district, which includes 18 municipalities in northern and western Washington County; McDonald, Oakdale and South Fayette in Allegheny County, and Hanover and Frankfort Springs in Beaver County. As a result, the margin on Nov. 7 may be narrow between Mr. Snatchko, who serves on McDonald Borough Council, and Mr. White, who has served on the Cecil Board of Supervisors and is now the township's elected auditor.
Mr. Snatchko, 30, and Mr. White, 28, agree that changes must be made in the way the Legislature operates. Mr. White would like to limit terms, perhaps by capping the number that may be served consecutively. He also favors reducing the size of the Legislature, but does not have a specific number in mind.
Mr. Snatchko believes in term limits, and said 10 would be a maximum, or 20 years in the House. He also says the Legislature should be cut, saying between 150 and 175 members might be optimal. He wants other reforms as well, including a prohibition against significantly changing a bill after it's been voted out of committee and perhaps a prohibition against voting after midnight. These were both problems in the legislative pay raise scandal.
Both want to eliminate school property taxes. Mr. White would increase both the state personal income tax and the sales tax to replace the revenue and would limit school district budget increases. Mr. Snatchko would rely on raising the income tax to reduce property taxes and he'd seek a new way to fund schools in order to help poor and rural districts; he opposes an increase in the sales tax because he feels it would harm retailers in the district, many of whom draw shoppers from West Virginia.
On two other issues, they differ.
Mr. Snatchko would outlaw abortion, except to save the life of the mother; Mr. White believes abortion should be safe and legal. Mr. White would support an indoor workplace smoking ban everywhere except in restaurants and bars; Mr. Snatchko said government should not tell businesses what to do.
In a close call, the Post-Gazette endorses Jesse White, whose pro-choice view on abortion and tough stance against workplace smoking show him willing to take principled positions that may not be popular in the district. His law degree will also help him write the legislation he wants to reform the Legislature.
First Published October 13, 2006 12:00 am
