Station Identification: StopLouBarletta.com
Hello and welcome to StopLouBarletta.com. For two years now, this site has been standing in opposition to Lou Barletta, mayor of Hazleton, PA, and his efforts to be elected to higher office. On this site, I’ve explained, and will continue to explain, why I am so opposed to Mayor Barletta being elected to any higher office, especially the United States Congress. The number of visitors to this site continues to increase, almost daily, so I’d like to take a moment to explain who I am, why this site exists, and (for those that don’t know), who Lou Barletta is. For many of you, this post will serve as a review for things you already know. For others, I hope it proves to be a good starting point.
My name is Dan Cheek and I am the owner and operator of StopLouBarletta.com. As of this writing, I’m 28 years old and live with my wife, Krissy, and our dog, Molly. We live just outside of Scranton, PA. I graduated from North Pocono High School in 1999 and joined the US Army shortly afterwords. I served in the Army for four years (2000 – 2004) as a tanker in various armored units. I was stationed at Fort Knox (KY), Fort Iriwn (CA), and Camp Casey (South Korea). I was honorably discharged in 2004. I worked for about a year at RCN, a national telecommunications company, working out of Wilkes-Barre, PA. I enrolled at Wilkes University in 2005 and graduated in 2009 with my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. I am currently the co-owner and president of Laser Burn Media.
As for who Mayor Lou Barletta is, I’ll let him introduce himself. Here is his official biography from his website….
“Louis J. Barletta is the mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania – a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a two-to-one margin. Born and raised in Hazleton, he left his family businesses to create his own company with his wife, Mary Grace, building one of the largest companies of its type in the country. They are the parents of four daughters, Kelly, April, Lindsey, and Grace, and have one grandson, Gabriel Louis.
Lou Barletta was elected to Hazleton City Council in 1998, and became mayor in 2000. He inherited a massive budget shortfall, and was able to turn the city of Hazleton around with tough prudent financial decisions, earning statewide praise and recognition. He now leads Hazleton through one of the most impressive revitalizations in regional history.
In September, 2004, Mayor Barletta was appointed by the White House to serve as a member of the United Nation Advisory Committee of Local Authorities representing the United States of America. In February, 2006, Mayor Barletta was appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities Legislative Committee. Also in February, 2006, Mayor Barletta was appointed to serve on the Republican National Committee Chairman’s Advisory Committee on Catholic Outreach. Mayor Barletta is on the National Board of Advisors of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, (FAIR). He also is a Board Member of the Northeast District of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Luzerne County Community College. In 2008, he was named “Mayor of the Year” by the Pennsylvania State Mayor’s Association.”
I started StopLouBarletta.com in April of 2008 as a way of voicing opposition to his 2nd run for Congress. Barletta had run against Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-11) in 2006 and had lost. By a lot. In 2008, after receiving all sorts of national exposure for his controversial and unconstitutional “Illegal Immigration Relief Act”, Barletta decided to try and run again. He was endorsed by David Duke, one of the nation’s leading racists and former member of the Ku Klux Klan leadership. Barletta was also receiving large financial support from convicted drug dealers and indicted politicians. Additionally, as mayor of Hazleton, Barletta had run Hazleton into the ground. It continues to teeter on the brink of bankruptcy and has one of the worst economies in the state. For all of these reasons, I was deeply opposed to Lou Barletta being elected to higher office and this website represents my efforts to keep him out of Congress.
Both Mayor Barletta and myself are members of the Republican Party. I’ve been a Republican since I was old enough to register to vote and consider myself a moderate. Lou Barletta was a Democrat and now, after switching parties, wants to represent the Republican Party in Congress. Many people have asked if I’m a Republican and Lou Barletta is (for now) a Republican, why I would be so opposed to him. My answer is this: Lou Barletta does not represent my views. He is an incompetent fear and hate monger who has a proven track record of making stupid decisions and then blaming everyone else for the consequences of his actions. I think the Republican Party, and the voters of the 11th Congressional District, can do better. In short, I would rather have anyone in office, even a Democrat, than Lou Barletta. I am not a mindless sheep and I refuse to throw my support behind whomever the party leadership props up as a candidate.
Mayor Barletta has already ruined Hazleton. Seriously, Barletta’s failures were of such an epic proportion that Temple University now teaches a course attempting to explain how he managed it. StopLouBarletta.com is determined to keep Lou Barletta from taking his brand of “leadership” to the halls of the US Congress. This nation has enough problems right now without having to worry about Lou Barletta being in a position to make things worse for all of us. Lou Barletta does not deserve to be elected to the United States Congress.
-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com
April 7th, 2010 at 12:33 am
To the stop lou Barletta campaign is not as difficult as one may seem, the good people of Hazelton Pennsylvania can have his office recalled and he can be kicked out of office and for some reason this does not happen, get rid of him and fire him from his job as mayor and it can be done so why do the people of this city do not do this is my QUESTION????????, fire him AS MAYOR.
April 8th, 2010 at 1:07 am
If you find the procedure, I’ll bring the volunteers to get the signatures required to recall him.
April 11th, 2010 at 9:04 am
The big problem with this website is Paul Kanjorski, who sees himself as a federal cash distribution machine, and has been accused of passing federal money to family members. Kanjorski’s cynical vote for the so-called health-care bill, which strips $500 billion from Medicare, guarantees tax increases and health care rationing, has made me so mad I’ll vote for any Republican rather than Kanjorski.
Besides, the country is being bankrupted and weakened by this mad rush toward socialism.