Lou Barletta Doesn’t Want to Talk About Hazleton
If you’re Mayor Lou Barletta, the last thing you want people talking about is Hazleton. Yes, Hazleton is the city that Mayor Barletta has run since 1999. However, with the city’s finances in tatters, tax rates sky rocketing, and the highest unemployment rate in the state, Lou Barletta would much prefer if you just turned a blind eye to his city and how he’s been running it. Lou Barletta is embarrassed by Hazleton and he’s doing everything he can to not talk about the city.
Instead, Mayor Lou would much rather talk about other things. Like the current immigration debate raging in Arizona. Bareltta is sending out messages across Facebook and Twitter bragging about, “Before Arizona, there was Lou Barletta & Hazleton.” He’s also produced a new video, in which he claims to be the first local official, ever, in the history of mankind, to stand up against illegal immigration. Barletta loves talking about illegal immigration because it keeps people’s minds off of Hazleton, and how horribly he’s managed the city.
But I think it’s critical to look at how Barletta has run the city of Hazleton. The man is running for Congress. I think it’s important to look at the decisions he’s made as the elected leader of the city that he’s been running for over a decade, now. If you owned a business and someone came to you looking for a job, wouldn’t you find it odd if they said they had eleven years experience, but didn’t want to talk about it? Shouldn’t that be a red flag that, hey, maybe this guy is a bumbling idiot? If you’ve been an elected official for over ten years, and your performance during that time is so embarrassing that you’d rather talk about something happening in another state, across the country, I find it difficult to put very much trust in you.
Here are some of the things that Mayor Lou Barletta has done (or not done) as mayor of Hazleton…
- This year, he’s raised property taxes in Hazleton by 70%
- One of his first actions as mayor was to slash the police force in half
- He’s illegally taken money from the Hazleton City Pension Fund for purposes other than for what it was intended
- He’s run businesses out of town, Hazleton now has the highest unemployment rate in the state of Pennsylvania
- He’s allowed the city streets to rot and fall apart. I get emails every day from people blasting the mayor over the condition of Hazleton roads and his refusal to fix them.
- He’s accepted political donations from convicted drug dealers, and then defended these scumbags as “hard working citizens.”
So considering all of this, why in the hell would you want to vote for him? As far as I can tell, he’s done about as bad of a job as humanly possible while working as Mayor of Hazleton. If running a single city is too daunting of a task for this man, how can he be trusted to represent an entire Congressional District? These are the things that Mayor Lou needs to be talking about. He needs to explain why we should trust him not to screw the entire 11th Congressional District in the same way that he’s screwed the city of Hazleton. He needs to explain why we should trust him to help rebuild our economy when the economy of Hazleton has imploded during his time as mayor. And he needs to explain how he can keep jobs for residents of the District, even though his policies of mayor have sent businesses fleeing the city he governs. He needs to explain why we should trust him to not do us what he’s already done to Hazleton.
The immigration debate is a debate worth having. It’s an important issue that needs to be addressed. However, when you’re unemployed and struggling with property taxes that you couldn’t afford even if you did have a job, the immigration debate is not the most important issue at hand. As mayor of Hazleton, Lou Barletta has systematically lowered the quality of living for the residents of the city. Taxes are high, jobs are scarce, and the city’s budget is on life support. Mayor Barletta needs to spend less time talking about Arizona and more time fixing the mess that he’s made in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. For the sake of everyone, Lou Barletta should not be elected to Congress.
-Dan Cheek
StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com
Twitter.com/StopLouBarletta
August 2nd, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I am quite shocked that people get away with this kind of mess. Do people not due their due diligence when electing officials. ITs sad really. Lemmings!
August 22nd, 2010 at 1:45 am
Dan, you are my hero. I AM A REPUBLICAN, but there is trash in every party. The only thing Lou is good for is getting his picture printed in the newspaper for “grand openings”. In my opinion, Lou is a master illusionist. He dangles illegal immigration (i.e. a pro topic) while he hides the sludge, city pension, association with convicted drug dealers, etc…The condition of the City of Hazleton has deteriorated during HIS terms as Mayor. I have never witnessed such neglect. His so called “sweep” of the entire city, in order to find violations of the building codes, health codes, etc…was for publicity purposes only. I think the only reason he continues to run for Congress is in order to run away from Hazleton and the mess he has made. I, for one, hope in a way, that he does win a congressional seat. That way we would be rid of him and perhaps Hazleton could be salvaged.
August 22nd, 2010 at 1:56 am
Dan, you are my hero. I am a REPUBLICAN, but there is trash in every party. Let’s take out the garbage. The only thing Lou is good for is getting his picture published in the newspaper for a grand-opening. Pass City Hall any day, any time, Lou’s parking spot is always empty. I consider Lou a master illusionist. He dangles a carrot (illegal immigration) while in the other hand he hides everything else (sludge, city pension legalities, questionable associations, riff with city street workers, budget crisis). I think the only reason why he keeps running for other political offices is that he is running away from Hazleton and the mess that he has created. I truly believe that he, himself, is eager to leave the cesspool that Hazleton has become since he has taken office.
August 28th, 2010 at 1:38 am
GIVE ME A BREAK! Now Lou is opposed to the proposal to locate a diplomatic training center in Conyngham Township. His concerns of bomb blasts and machine gun fire threatening the safety of the residents is ridiculous. As I understand the training center is to be under the direction of the U.S. State Department. Does he actually believe the U.S. State Department would allow any of his far fetched fantasies to happen? I am certain they would not.
Lou you sure weren’t concerned about the safety of any of the citizens of Hazleton when you fought to bring the river sludge into our backyard. Why is that? Especially considering that the whole sludge project was going to be headed by the private sector.