StopLouBarletta.com

Every day, this site gets lots of hits from people who are looking for more information on Mayor Lou Barletta.  Believe it or not, there are still lots and lots of people who have no idea who he is, what he does, or why he’s so controversial.  For people who don’t follow local and State politics all that closely (of which there are many), Lou Barletta isn’t a name that they are familiar with.  For those of you who may not know who Lou Barletta is, or for those of you who are just beginning to follow this political race, this post is for you.

Lou Barletta is the mayor of Hazleton, PA.  He was first elected in 1999 and has held the position ever since.  In 2002, Barletta ran for Congress, seeking to unseat Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D) in the 11th Congressional District of PA.  Barletta lost that race by a large margin.  It didn’t help that during this election, Barletta was strongly in favor of privatizing Social Security and putting it at the mercy of the stock market.  Paul Kanjorski kept his seat in the US House of Representatives and Mayor Barletta, much to his dismay, kept his seat as Mayor of Hazleton.  While Kanjorski got to go work in Washington D.C. and rub shoulders with the US political elite, Barletta had to go back to his hometown of Hazleton, which was struggling with massive debt and a sagging economy.

In 2006, Barletta was still mayor of Hazleton.  He liked the job well enough, but Barletta wanted more.  He wanted to be famous.  He wanted all of the cable news shows to be talking about him and how awesome he was.  This would be hard, Barletta knew, because he was 1.) Mayor of a run down, debt straddled city and 2.) Was not awesome.  Barletta had a plan though.  Knowing that everyone loves a good publicity stunt (especially those cable news shows that Barletta loved so much), he decided to pass a law making English the official language of Hazleton.  Additionally, this law would also require anyone renting or working in Hazleton to register with the local courthouse, showing multiple forms of identification.  Barletta called this publicity stunt the “Illegal Immigration Relief Act.”

As Barletta predicted, the cable news shows tripped over themselves to get interviews with Lou Barletta, the whack-job mayor of some small PA city.  Barletta claimed that his “Illegal Immigration Relief Act” was a response to an “illegal immigrant crime wave” that was sweeping over his city.  Problem was, though, that there was no crime wave.  Barletta soon found himself sitting in court, where he forced to answer questions about his little publicity stunt.  No, Barletta was forced to admit under oath, there really was no “crime wave”.  In fact, less than one percent (.25%) of all crime committed in Hazleton over a five year period was attributed to illegal immigrants.  And that data came straight from the Hazleton Police Department.  Very quickly, as expected, Lou Barletta’s “Illegal Immigration Relief Act” was deemed unconstitutional by a Federal judge.  Once again, Lou Barletta had to shuffle back to Hazleton, defeated and humiliated.

In 2008, Barletta was still mayor of Hazleton, much to his dismay, and decided that once again, he would seek the bright lights of Washington.  Again, Barletta ran against Paul Kanjorski.  This time, however, Barletta believed he had an advantage over the long-time incumbent.  Due in large part to his fifteen minutes of fame on those always-classy cable news shows, Barletta believed that he could fashion himself as a political rock star.  In Barletta’s mind, he was the Lady Gaga of politics.  “Mayor Lou”, as he was calling himself now, was indeed a minor celebrity.  Loving the concept of the “Illegal Immigration Relief Act”, Barletta was being endorsed for Congress by David Duke, one of the nation’s leading racists and long-time member of the KKK’s senior leadership.  With that kind of backing, Barletta figured, it would be impossible to lose this election.  NEXT STOP: VICTORY, FAME, GLORY, AND A CONGESSMAN’S PAYCHECK!!!!!!

Barletta lost that election, too.  Despite the backing of his Ku Klux Klan friends, and all of the face time he was getting on the cable news channels, Barletta still came up short.  Back in the Mayor’s Mansion in Hazleton (which Barletta had now, out of boredom, fashioned into a Batcave), Barletta sat brooding.  Is this all Barletta would ever amount to?  The bumbling mayor of some near-bankrupt town?  Lou Barletta was meant to be Lady Gaga, not some crack-pot, joke of a mayor.  But what to do, what to do?  Clearly, if Lou was going to hit the big time, he would have to try something new.  Something different.  SOMETHING BOLD!

So now, again, Mayor Lou Barletta is running for Congress, seeking to unseat Paul Kanjorski.  Because this has worked so well for him before, I guess.  So this is where we are now.  Lou Barletta is running for Congress.  At this point, it’s gotten really awkward, watching Lou Barletta run around, telling people how awesome he is, and why he should be elected to Congress.  If there was any sense of humanity or mercy in politics, Barletta would have been put down by now.  However, like a crazed, fame-seeking reality TV show star, Barletta continues to dance his dance and sing his song, hoping that this time he won’t get voted off the Island and will become the next American Idol.  Or become a Congressman.  Whichever comes first.

Obviously, I don’t think Lou Barletta should be elected to Congress.  In my mind, someone who has run a city into the dirt and who has been endorsed the the KKK is not someone who we want sitting in the halls of Congress, voting on things that affect all of us.  That’s why I set up this website over two years ago.  The United States Congress is not a reality show.  Barletta is highly unqualified for the position and, actually, his resume screams “DON’T ELECT ME!  I’LL SCREW ALL OF YOU!”  Lou Barletta is a failure of a mayor and a joke of a candidate.  Lou Barletta should not be elected to the United States Congress.

See also: Barletta Campaign Finances Still a Disaster

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com

Lou Barletta has been, once again, named a Republican “Young Gun.”  This is very exciting to the Lou Barletta people.  His imps on Facebook are sending out all sorts of spam talking about how wonderful it is and how Barletta has now pretty much got the entire election in the bag.  Anyone with a memory, however, will probably recall that Barletta was also named a “Young Gun” during the last election.  He ended up losing that election.

So what, exactly, is a “Young Gun?”  Basically it’s a marketing gimmick sponsored by the Republican Party.  But those are my words.  Here is how the Republican marketing guru’s describe it (full details HERE)…

“Founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Congressmen Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Young Guns Program began as a Member driven organization of House Republicans dedicated to identifying, recruiting, and mobilizing a new generation of conservative leaders.

NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) adopted the Young Guns program as the candidate recruitment and training program for House Republicans and it is designed to assist Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives build a foundation for victory.

The Young Guns is not just a political program, but an ongoing movement to go on offense and strengthen the GOP, welcoming your participation with and support for strong Republican candidates nationwide. Sign up for the Young Guns team today and you will be on the front lines of a historic election; we’ll keep you informed as news breaks and look to you for strategic advice on how to conduct this campaign.”

This all sounds well and good, but it’s not going to help the Barletta campaign.  This is Lou Barletta’s third attempt at running for Congress.  His previous two campaigns have floundered because 1.) He’s a lousy candidate with nothing important to say about real issues 2.) His campaign has struggled to raise cash and is now carrying a massive debt and 3.) His biggest supporters are racists and convicted criminals.  The Republican Congressional Campaign Committee (RCCC) can call Lou Barletta whatever they want.  Make him a Power Ranger for all I care.  It won’t change the fact that Barletta is unelectable.

And Barletta is just that: Unelectable.  You can try and argue with me on that point, but I have the election results of two previous, consecutive elections on my side.  Both times, a majority of voters said “NO!” to Lou Barletta and his candidacy.  Being a “Young Gun” didn’t help Lou Barletta raise money during the last Congressional election, it didn’t help him run a competitive election, and it didn’t help him win.  Because, when all is said and done, the last time Lou Barletta was named a “Young Gun”….he lost the election.  So from that perspective, the “Young Gun” program is a failed experiment.

The most entertaining part of the Lou Barletta press release is this part…

“The NRCC lauded Mayor Barletta’s “proven track record of serving Pennsylvanians’ best interests as mayor of Hazleton,” his “tough but prudent financial decisions that earned statewide praise,” and his service on the United Nations Advisory Committee on Local Authorities.”

His “tough but prudent financial decisions?”  Which ones would those be?  The ones that involved raising Hazleton’s tax rates to the highest in the State?  Or maybe they were referring to Barletta’s grand scheme to sell off the Hazleton Water Authority to the highest bidder.  Either way, there really isn’t anything to “laud” about Barletta’s financial decisions as Mayor of Hazleton.  The only explanation I can think of as to why the NRCC is so high on Lou Barletta is that they were all slipped roofies by the Barletta campaign.  And considering that a good portion of the little money that Barletta has raised was donated by convicted drug dealers, I probably shouldn’t joke about that sort of thing.

Clever marketing schemes will do nothing to help get Lou Barletta elected.  His campaign is running on fumes.  As mayor of Hazleton, he’s driven the city to the brink of bankruptcy.  Being named a “Young Gun” will not change any of that and it will not convince voters, a majority of whom have consistently voted against Barletta, to vote for him this time around.  If people wanted to have Lou Barletta as their Congressman, they would have made that happen by now.  And, thankfully, they haven’t.  Lou Barletta should not be elected to the United States Congress.

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com

Lou Barletta is running for Congress again.  And, after the departure of Chris Paige from the race, Barletta is the lone Republican candidate and will be representing the party in the November general election.  As a Republican, I think this is horrible.  Lou Barletta is, quite possibly, the worst political candidate currently on any ticket in any race in any part of the country.  Allow me to explain why I feel this way.

If you support Lou Barletta for Congress…

• You support massive tax increases. Yup.  Because if Lou Barletta is about anything, he’s about raising taxes.  And not just by a little or from time to time.  Barletta likes raising taxes so much (it’s like a hobby of his), that he’s actually gone to court to seek permission to raise taxes above the legal limit.  If you live in Hazleton, you know all about this.  Because of Barletta, the city of Hazleton enjoys one of the most oppressive tax rates in the state.
• You support bailouts. Lou Barletta loves these things.  After raiding the Hazleton Pension Fund, illegally, Barletta was ordered to pay it back.  Problem was…he couldn’t.  Because he’d already spent that money.  So, Barletta did what any good fiscal conservative Republican would do.  He went screaming and crying to the State legislature and demanded that they give the city a bailout.  Instead, they simply changed the law to make what Barletta originally did legal, so the sad little mayor wouldn’t have to pay any of that money back.
• You support convicted drug dealers. Or, more accurately, convicted drug dealers support you.  Lou Barletta gets a lot of money from the DeAngelo brothers, a pair of convicted heroine dealers who now operate one of the biggest businesses in Hazleton.  When I first heard this, I laughed because I always said, “You’d have to be on drugs to support Lou Barletta.”  I’ll probably get sued if I continue with where I was going with that, so I’ll stop here.
• You support cutting police forces. As mayor of Hazleton, one of Lou Barletta’s first acts was to slash the Hazleton Police force in half.  He did this to save money.  However, it didn’t really save any money.  Crime rates increased and Barletta tried to blame that on some imaginary “illegal immigration crime wave.”
• You support stupidity. Lou Barletta, as mayor of Hazleton, has managed to screw that city into the dirt.  Hazleton is now teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.  Lou Barletta’s answer to this is to sell the Hazleton Water Authority to the highest bidder.  When this fails to fix things, maybe he’ll try to sell some bridges or something.
• You support a loser. This is Lou Barletta’s third try at running for Congress.  In two previous, consecutive elections, running against the same opponent (Rep. Paul Kanjorski), Barletta has come up short.  His campaigns (all of them) have struggled to raise cash and he’s flopped around the campaign trail, embarrassing himself, his supporters, and the Republican Party.  If you like losing, frequently and on a regular basis, please put a LOU sign in your front yard to show your support for losers and losing.

Over the past two years, I’ve laid out my case as to why I think Lou Barletta should not be elected to Congress.  So far, the majority of the voters out there agree with me.  If you look at the state of affairs in the city of Hazleton and can honestly say, “Boy!  I wish the whole damn Congressional district was run like that!”, then you should probably send Lou Barletta all of your money (he needs it) and vote for him in November.  But if you have any common sense, you’ll realize that Mayor Lou Barletta should not be elected to the US Congress.

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com

Since April, I have been posting my opinions on why Mayor Lou Barletta is unfit to represent Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives.  During that time, Barletta has done nothing to change my opinions and has, frequently, given me even more reason to doubt his ability to effectively represent his constituents in Congress.  Now, on the eve of election day, I would like to recap the main points of my opposition to Lou Barletta.

• Lou Barletta’s Flawed Immigration Policies.  Mayor Barletta is well known for his attempts to pass one of the nation’s most extreme immigration policies.  His “Illegal Immigration Relief Act” was one of the most heavy-handed approaches to dealing with illegal immigration.  A Federal Court struck down the law as being unconstitutional.  Worse, while attempting to defend his flawed law in court, Barletta managed to rack up over a million dollars in debt for the city of Hazleton, despite the fact that the Hazleton City Council never authorized Barletta to take the matter to court.
• Lou Barletta’s Refusal to Take Stands on Real Issues.  Barletta made his name by ranting and raving about illegal immigration.  However, when it comes to other issues, such as the Economy, the War in Iraq, and US Foreign Policy, Lou Barletta has issued, at best, rambling and ambiguous answers.  On the Iraq War, he has refused say whether or not he is in support of the war and what actions he would take in Congress in regards to the war.  On the Economy, Barletta has actually blamed the entire economic crisis on his opponent, Paul Kanjorski.
• Lou Barletta’s Ties to Crime.  In many of his commercials, Lou Barletta has claimed that he will bring “change” to Washington.  Considering that Barletta’s campaign is, in part, being funded by convicted cocaine dealers and an Senator who has recently been convicted of corruption, the “change” that Barletta wants to bring to the US Government won’t be for the best.  Even when confronted about the fact that his campaign has accepted money from convicted fellons, including drug dealers, Barletta has not only refused to give the money back, but he has actually defended these people as “honorable”, “hard working” citizens.
• Lou Barletta’s Lack of Experience.  Lou Barletta, in terms of real experience dealing with real issues, comes up short.  When confronted with a budget deficit, Mayor Barletta responded by cutting the Hazleton Police force in half and then blaming, falsly, the increase in crime on illegal immigrants.  Showing his complete incompetance in terms of the economy, Barletta has said that the entire US financial crisis in his opponent’s fault.  And, as I mentioned earlier, he has refused to take a stand on the Iraq War.  This is not the type of leadership that we need in the US Congress.

For all of these reasons, and a few more, I am strongly opposed to Lou Barletta representing anyone in the United States Congress.  Even though I am a Republican, I am opposed to Barletta because I feel that he lacks the values, experience, and leadership skills that make him an acceptable congressman.  Lou Barletta is clearly not fit to serve in the United States Congress.

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com 

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In an effort to help ensure that the voters of Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District have all the information and facts that they need when considering whether or not to vote for Mayor Lou Barletta, I present this Lou Barletta Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) post.

Q: Who is Mayor Lou Barletta?
A: Lou Barletta is the current mayor of the city of Hazleton. While serving in this position, Barletta has systematically run the city into the ground. As a direct result of Mayor Barletta’s “leadership”, Hazleton is now struggling with a massive amount of debt, unemployment, and vacant commercial real estate.

Q: I’ve heard that Mayor Barletta has helped “save” his city from an illegal immigrant crime wave. Is this true?
A: No. Barletta engineered this “illegal immigrant crime wave” lie to try and cover up for the fact that as mayor, he cut the city’s police force in half. As a result, crime in Hazleton began to increase. However, crime data, released by the Hazleton Police Department, shows that out of all crimes committed in Hazleton since 2002, LESS THAN 1% of those crimes have been committed by illegal immigrants.

Q: But Lou Barletta says he’ll bring “change” to Washington. That’s a good thing, right?
A: The kind of “change” that Lou Barletta has in mind is probably not what this nation needs. Barletta has several close, personal ties to criminals, including former drug dealers. In addition, there is also a controversy surrounding a “loan” made to Barletta by a local bank due to the fact that Barletta has not been charged any interest on the loan and has not been required to pay any of it back. Worse, Barletta has repeatedly lied about the loan, making up three separate stories about the loan in eleven days.

Q: Is Lou Barletta in favor of privatizing Social Security?
A: It’s hard to say. Barletta has flip-flopped on the issue already and it’s difficult to say where he now stands. He says he is not in favor of privatization and that he never was. However, the last time he ran for Congress, Barletta was a strong supporter of privatization. And history has taught us that a person who has flopped on issues before will probably do it again.

Q: Lou Barletta is a hero for saving his town from illegal immigrants, right?
A: No, because Barletta never did any such thing. Although he does like to tell everyone that he did. The truth is that Barletta’s “Illegal Immigration Relief Act” was struck down by a Federal judge as being unconstitutional, over a year ago. Additionally, Barletta was unable to prove any of his claims that Hazleton was under attack from an “illegal immigrant crime wave”, in fact, just the opposite was proven. Finally, as a result of the legal defense that Barletta mounted, with city money but without city approval, Hazleton is now being suffocated by a huge debt.

To learn more about Mayor Lou Barletta, and why he should not be elected to the United States Congress, please read some more information found on this site.

-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com