StopLouBarletta.com

Local blogger Gort42 has invited local politicians to provide statements on Marcellus Shale gas drilling.  This is a pretty hot topic for the area, with a story about gas drilling showing up on an almost daily basis in local newspapers.  Many residents and local governments are concerned about the environmental impact of the drilling.  Others are hopeful that the gas reserves can provide a much-needed boost to the economy.  As someone seeking to represent the 11th Congressional District, which is directly impacted by this debate, Lou Barletta’s stance on this issue is obviously of high importance to many people.  This is why I was eager to read Barletta’s statement on gas drilling, which was posted to Gort’s blog.

After reading the statement, however, it became clear that Mayor Barletta was doing his best to offer a non-answer answer.  Here’s an excerpt from the statement (the full statement can be found HERE)….

“The government and energy companies need to put all the cards on the table and proceed with full transparency. Residents and landowners should continue to express their concerns.

“Our region and our nation have been blessed with an abundance of natural resources. We should not turn our back on these blessings. We need to harness these gifts while continuing to be stewards of our land.

“If we can do this, if we can have the transparency and rational dialogue, we can move forward in a way that benefits the community, the nation and the world.”

As you can see, with this statement, Barletta is attempting to be all things to all people.  The statement could have just read, “If government, land owners, and drilling companies all get together for a group hug and promise to be best friends for ever and ever, we can make this world a better place.”  Barletta’s statement is so full of fluff and happy talk that he might as well have just submitted a crayon drawing of a smiley face to Gort.  It would have been just as informative.

After reading the statement a few times over, and doing my best to read into what Barletta was trying to say, I think he’s trying to say he’s in favor of the drilling.  Maybe.  In his closing statement, I think Barletta says that he supports the gas drilling, although he does use the word “if” twice in that single sentence.  So, does that mean that he supports the drilling but only if certain conditions are met?  And if those conditions (transparency, rational dialogue, and being stewards of our land) are not met, does that mean that he would oppose the drilling?  And is he saying that these conditions have already been met or is he saying that they haven’t yet?

I also find it interesting that Mayor Barletta is giving so much lip-service to being “stewards of our land” considering he’s the same guy who has championed shipping sludge into his city of Hazleton in exchange for cash and who has defended BP in the Gulf oil spill disaster.  Considering his actions and past statements, it can be safely assumed that Barletta doesn’t give a damn about the environment.  If he thought there was a way he could make money off of it, I could honestly see Barletta selling Bald Eagle beaks and Panda Bear coats out of the back of a van.  But, still, I guess it’s nice that with this most recent statement, Lou Barletta is at least trying to pretend that he thinks being environmentally responsible is important.

Does Lou Barletta support Marcellus Shale gas drilling?  Probably, but it can’t be determined one way or the other based on the statement that he released.  If you are in support of gas drilling, you can not safely cast a vote for Lou Barletta and think that, as a Congressman, he’ll use his influence to support it.  Likewise, if you are opposed to the drilling, you can not cast a vote for Barletta and think that he’ll stand up against the drilling companies.  Based on Lou Barletta’s statement about his thoughts on Marcellus Shale gas drilling, no one can safely assume they know where he stands on the issue.  And that is exactly what Barletta wanted.  Mayor Barletta’s intentional ambiguity on this important issue is just one more reason why voters can not trust him and why he should not be elected to the United States Congress.

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

According to the FEC’s Campaign Finance website, Lou Barletta has accepted multiple donations and thousands of dollars from the Eagle Forum PAC.  For those that don’t know, the Eagle Forum is one of the most extremist political action groups in the nation.  The belief system that they champion is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous in US politics.  It’s interesting, then, that Mayor Lou Barletta is so cozy with this group of crazies.

The Eagle Forum is a political action committee that was established in 1967 by Phyllis Schlafly, a life-long opponent to the equal rights movement.  I mentioned that the Eagle Forum is one of the most extremist groups in American politics, and I wasn’t exaggerating.  Among other things, the group believes that it should not be illegal for a man to rape his wife, opposes sex education in public schools, believe women should be relegated to “full time homemakers,” as opposed to pursuing careers, and is strongly opposed to vaccinations for infants.  The Eagle Forum has been a long time supporter of Mayor Barletta, donating thousands of dollars to his various political campaigns.

Since December 17th, the Eagle Forum has donated $2,000 to Lou Barletta’s campaign for Congress.  Considering what this group of scary people believe in, I find it troubling that Lou Barletta has not only accepted money from them, but has also accepted multiple donations from the group.  Groups like the Eagle Forum don’t donate money to candidates at random.  They donate money to individuals who they believe will further their cause in the halls of government.  And by continuing to accept their money, Lou Barletta is sending the message that, “Yes, I will support your beliefs in Congress.  You can count on me, guys!”

On his website, Lou Barletta has just released a video claiming that he “stand with you.”  Unless you oppose equal rights for women and feel that infants have no right receiving life-saving vaccinations, I would cast serious doubt on that statement.  The Eagle Forum, one of Barletta’s strongest backers, is working very hard to get Lou Barletta elected to Congress.  Considering the horrific, Taliban-like beliefs that the Eagle Forum endorses, I would be strongly opposed to any candidate that this group thinks is a good idea.  The fact that the Eagle Forum supports Lou Barletta is reason enough for sane people everywhere not to.  Clearly, Lou Barletta does not belong in the United States Congress.

See also: Barletta Palling Around with White Supremacists and Racists

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

Mayor Lou Barletta, feeling more and more pressure, appeared on the Sam Lasante Show to address charges that his incompetence has led to the imminent financial ruin of the city of Hazleton.  During the interview, Barletta managed to blame every major problem currently facing the city on someone else, mostly State and National politicians.  Barletta used charts, graphs, and lots of fluffery to try and shift some of the heat away from himself and onto as many other people as possible.  Overall, Barletta’s performance came across as desperate.

During the interview, Barletta failed to, at any point, accept any responsibility for any of the city’s current problems.  This, despite the fact that every major problem currently facing the city originated during his tenure as Mayor of Hazleton.  Addressing the city’s pension fund fiasco (which could, by itself, bankrupt the city), Barletta offered this cheery analysis of the situation (from the Standard Speaker)…

In reviewing the pension fund crisis, the mayor stressed that the city has never taken money out of the pension fund and has never failed to make the full required contribution to the fund. In several years, the city contributed more than it was required to the fund

Utilizing a portion of the Pension Tax revenues to pay for health benefits for pension beneficiaries is the issue that set the stage for the current controversy between state Auditor General Jack Wagner, state Rep. Todd Eachus and the mayor.

“I don’t believe we did anything wrong. I believe what we did will benefit, not only the retirees in this city, but many other municipalities that would benefit from Senate Bill 961,” Barletta said.

Senate Bill 961 would formally legalize the use of a portion of Pension Tax revenues to pay for retiree health benefits in addition to mandatory municipal pension fund contributions.

So you see?  Everyone thinks that this whole mess will bankrupt the city.  And despite previously warning that this situation really could bankrupt the city, Barletta now says that it will “benefit” not only the city retirees but also other municipalities, as well.  Why haven’t we given this man a medal yet?  And then when talking about the huge legal bills from Barletta’s ill-advised defense of his “Illegal Immigration Relief Act”, Barletta gave this hopeful response (from the Standard Speaker)…

As the city continues to defend its Illegal Immigration Relief Act, the unconstitutionality of which is currently under appeal in the Third Circuit Court in Philadelphia, the city is also fighting to hold its insurance carrier responsible for possible plaintiff attorney fees.

Barletta remains optimistic that those costs will be reduced or paid by insurance.

Well, as long as Mayor Barletta remains optimistic, shouldn’t we all?  I mean, yes, if the city were to have to pay all of these legal bills, then, yes, Hazleton would go bankrupt.  But what are the chances of THAT happening, right?  Did I mention that Mayor Barletta is optimistic about the situation?  And when discussing the city’s budget shortfalls, Barletta explained that none of it was actually his fault and that it was all those bastards in Harrisburg’s fault.  As reported by the Standard Speaker….

Barletta offered proof that certain decisions in Harrisburg resulted in less money in Hazleton. He said it was an act of the state legislature that reduced the amount of Local Services Tax revenues collected by municipalities statewide.Authorized by the legislature in 2005, the $52 EMS tax was originally deducted from paychecks in one annual lump sum. In 2008, the legislature changed the name of the EMS to LST (Local Services Tax) and changed the $52 lump sum deduction to $1 per week for 52 weeks. In its $52 form, the tax was deducted from most paychecks and later refunded to those earning $12,000 or less. In contrast, the $1 weekly tax is only deducted from citizens earning more than $12,000.

Barletta said if a citizen works two jobs, each job paying $12,000 or less, the combined earnings could be as much as $24,000, but the tax would not be deducted from either paycheck. The red tape of deducting a $1 tax from employee paychecks each week is also considered a nuisance to some employers, Barletta said. So the fee goes uncollected, leaving the municipality with less LST revenues.

The city received $539,798 in EMS revenue when the legislature first authorized the tax in 2005. After the legislative change, the city received $316,903 in LST revenue in 2008 – which is a $222,895 reduction in the amount of money the city used for public services.

“That’s almost a quarter-million dollars less. We hired the police, now we have less because of what they do in Harrisburg,” Barletta said.

See?  It’s not Barletta’s fault that the city’s budget is a trainwreck.  It’s because of “what they do in Harrisburg”.  But the very best part of this interview was the part where Barletta talked glowingly about himself, bragging about how popular he is in California (he has a fan club) and how he could probably be the Governor if he wanted (he’s decided he doesn’t) and that people in Washington DC are practically begging him to come be a Congressman so he can save the country from itself.  Again, as reported in the Standard Speaker…

“It would be a lot easier for a lot of politicians if Lou Barletta would go away. But I’m not going to.”According to Barletta, a recent statewide opinion poll gave him a significant approval rating for the office of governor or lieutenant governor.

“But I have ruled both those out,” Barletta said.

Still, a run for higher office appears to be a sure thing in Barletta’s future.

“It is no secret they have been talking to me in Washington. But right now there is so much going on here in Hazleton. Yet I definitely think Hazleton has been short-changed. Take stimulus money, for example. Hazleton hasn’t gotten any. And I believe it’s for no reason other than politics,” Barletta said.

“I definitely feel Hazleton needs a stronger voice in Washington,” he said.

The mayor said he was recently approached by a woman in a grocery store who was visiting from California. She said there is a huge “Barletta Fan Club” on the West Coast.

“We love you in California,” the woman said.

After receiving similar accolades from a citizen of Houston, Texas, Barletta said the news makes him feel more frustrated than flattered.

“That shows there are so many voices across the country shouting for the same things, but the people in Washington and Harrisburg have grown too big, too powerful to listen,” Barletta said.

All of this finger pointing, blame shifting, and pipe-dream-happy-talk is nothing new for Barletta.  This man, as Mayor, has ground his city into the dirt.  He has left it a financial disaster area, one of the worst run cities in the nation.  And now, despite this, he wants to run for Congress.  Lou Barletta wants to bring his brand of “leadership” to Washington.  Facing the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, the people of the 11th Congressional District can not afford to have Barletta represent them in Congress.  Lou Barletta should not be elected to the US Congress.

See also: Hazleton’s Financial Problems Might Get Even Worse

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

Yet again, Mayor Lou Barletta is trying to pretend that he has a position on a major issue, when in fact, it would appear to almost anyone of at least average intelligence that he does not. This time the issue is the War in Iraq. Barletta, questioned about his position on the war, offered up some vague, meaningless statements that contradicted earlier statements that he made. In other words, more of the same from Lou Barletta.

In a Scranton Times article, it becomes clear that Barletta is unwilling to say anything meaningful about his position on the Iraq War. As explained in the article…

“Lou Barletta, Mr. Kanjorski’s Republican challenger in the upcoming election, won’t say now whether he would have voted for the war, even though he supported authorization of the war when he ran against Mr. Kanjorski in 2002. He wants the troops home as swiftly as possible, but favors letting military commanders decide when.

He won’t fault Mr. Kanjorski for voting for the war, although he once implied Mr. Kanjorski’s vote was politically motivated.”

The article goes on to highlight Mayor Barletta’s confusing, contradictory statements on the Iraq War, saying…

“Mr. Barletta declined to characterize the war as a mistake. In at least two interviews this year, he declined to say whether he would have voted for it.

“It would be speculating,” he said. “It might not have been they were justified to go to war in Iraq with what we know now. … Hindsight is 20-20. I’m sure many of the congressmen who voted for it regret their decision. I can’t fault him (Mr. Kanjorski), because they were acting on the information they were given.”

He notes now that he didn’t have the information Mr. Kanjorski had in deciding on what to do about Iraq, but during the 2002 campaign, he unequivocally backed the war.

“I fully support the actions called for in the joint resolution,” he said, according to an Oct. 4, 2002, campaign news release.

The mayor said the shifts in his position show he’s willing to change his mind when new information comes along.”

So Barletta is now bragging about his willingness to shift his position on important issues when “new information” comes along. Clearly, by “new information” he is referring to political opinion polls. Barletta has a history of flip-flopping on major issues in an attempt to get on the more popular side of an issue. Just look at his “position” on privatizing Social Security. He was, the last time he ran for Congress in 2002, in strong support of privatizing Social Security. Now he is saying he is adamantly opposed to it.

I find it highly insulting that Mayor Lou Barletta, who is attempting to get himself elected to the United States Congress, is unwilling to take a stand on an issue as important as the War in Iraq. Mr. Barletta wants to be elected to a position of political leadership, but he is refusing to act like a political leader. If Barletta doesn’t have the courage to even voice his opinion on the Iraq War, what can we expect from him if he actually were to get elected to the Congress? It would be a crap-shoot, at best.

Lou Barletta is political scum. He has a long and well documented track record of telling bold-faced lies. He has waffled on several major political issues facing this nation. And now he is REFUSING to take a position on the War in Iraq, a conflict that has already claimed over three thousand US lives. A vote for Lou Barletta is November is a vote for cowardice, shame, and disgrace. Mayor Barletta does not deserve to be elected to the United States Congress.

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

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With the upcoming election getting closer and closer, and the stakes for the American people getting larger and larger, Mayor Lou Barletta is showing less and less intelligence and worse and worse leadership. This is a trend that has come to exemplify Barletta. Rather than take real stands on real issues, Barletta attempts to use clever soundbytes and press releases to trick voters into thinking that he is taking a stand on an issue. In almost every case, on every issue, Lou Barletta has failed to show any real leadership.

That trend continues with the Bailout Package that Congress is considering. Barletta has come out against that package and has offered one of his most idiotic ramblings to date as an explanation for his position. In a recent press release, Barletta explained his opposition to the Bailout Package like this…

“Congress is about to reward financial institutions that think nothing of charging citizens exorbitant penalties for late payments, increasing interest rates for individuals with poor credit, and foreclosing on homes. Those institutions would receive a get-out-of-jail free card with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. These financial institutions are getting far better treatment than they give to their consumers.”

Nothing in that statement means anything. There are many good, logical reasons to be either for or against the Bailout Package. Not wanting to offer financial assistance to banks because they “raise interest rates for individuals with poor credit” or “foreclose on homes” is not one of them. Is Mr. Barletta now supporting the idea that banks begin issuing money to whomever asks for it, in whatever denominations they ask? Or is he suggesting that Congress simply allow the financial crisis to continue to spread, wiping out BILLIONS in investor savings in the process? It’s not exactly clear.

Barletta’s statement goes on to read…

“If we are going to fix this problem, we need to give Wall Street more of a workout than a bailout. Congress needs to do more to hold these companies accountable and to learn why they failed to stop the crisis.”

Again, I’m not exactly sure what Barletta means with this statement. What does “more of a workout than a bailout” mean? How will Congress hold these companies accountable if many of them are days or weeks away from bankruptcy? Barletta offers no insight into these questions. This is, I believe, a result of Lou Barletta suffering from an above average level of stupidity, inexperience, and ignorance. Barletta has no clue about what caused the financial crisis or what needs to be done to correct it.

If Barletta is suggesting that this bill be re-worked so that all it does is point a big, scornful finger at bank executives and blame everything on them, fine. I would just wonder what effect he would think that would have on the continuing financial crisis. If Barletta is suggesting that Congress offer no help to the nation’s financial institutions, I would question him on what impact he would think that would have on the American peoples’ financial future and faith in the economy.

This entire statement issued by Lou Barletta is a bunch of hot air. It accomplishes nothing and adds even less to the debate about what should be done to remedy this financial crisis. Lou Barletta obviously has no intelligent opinions on what needs to be done to correct this financial crisis, even though he is trying very hard to give the impression that he does. In these trouble times, where so much of our future is on the line and in the hands of our political leaders, we simply can not afford to send a man like Lou Barletta to Congress.

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

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Mayor Lou Barletta, I have come to realize, is not a very smart man. However, his latest allegations, in which he blames his opponent, Representative Paul Kanjorski, for the collapsing stock market are beyond belief. That Barletta can pin the blame for all of the current stock market turmoil and financial institution failures on one person says a lot about how out of touch and simplistic Lou Barletta really is.

In a statement, Barletta explains why the stock market has done so poorly as of late, saying…

“Stock markets are plunging and financial institutions are collapsing, and it’s Paul Kanjorski’s fault,” said Hazleton Mayor and 11th Congressional District candidate Lou Barletta. “He was greedy and accepted contributions from the institutions he was supposed to regulate and monitor. Now, the hardworking taxpayers of the 11th District and the United States have to pay the price. Mr. Kanjorski’s greed destroyed the American dream for millions of people. Mr. Kanjorski sold us out and got us into this mess, but now he claims to be coming to our rescue. If he had done his job in the first place and held proper oversight of these institutions and industries, we might not be in this situation. Once again, he put his own personal interests ahead of his constituents, and once again, we’re forced to pay for Mr. Kanjorski’s personal blunder.”

Really? “It’s all Paul Kanjorski’s fault?” Clearly, Lou Barletta has absolutely zero understanding of how financial markets work, of the events surrounding the recent collapse of Lehman Brothers and Bear Sterns, or of the stock market in general. One man did not cause the stock market to plunge, yesterday. One man did not cause Freddy Mac and Fanny May to have to be bailed out by the government. And one man did not bring down Lehman Brothers.

And as for taxpayers being “forced to pay for Mr. Kanjorski’s personal blunder,” let’s take a look at what tax payers have had to pay as a result of Mayor Barletta’s personal blunders. The city of Hazleton is currently swamped with debt, over $2 million, as a direct result of Mayor Barletta attempting to defend his “Illegal Immigration Relief Act” in Federal Court. That defense failed, and the act (one of the most oppressive immigration bills ever enacted in this country) was declared unconstitutional. Worse, Barletta went ahead with this costly legal defense without permission from the city council. Hazleton tax payers are now being drilled into the ground as they have to hand over their money to pay for Barletta’s horrible miscalculation.

So what will Lou Barletta attempt to pin on his opponent, next? The assassination of Abraham Lincoln? The Great Depression? Paris Hilton’s music career? Barletta is a rat of a man and will say anything if he thinks it will get him five minutes of media attention or one more vote in November. His reputation is filthy and full of reasons not to trust a word that comes out of his mouth. Clearly, Lou Barletta should not be elected to the United States Congress.

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

Today, Mayor Lou Barletta put out a press release talking about how he’s joined an alliance to stop Interstate 80 from being turned into a toll road.  Several state leaders want to toll the road as a way of funding urgent bridge and road repairs.  Barletta and his group of buddies think this is a bad idea that will hurt small businesses.  Unfortunately, in his press statement, Barletta offers no explanation as to how he would raise money to fix Pennsylvania roads.  Typical.

To quote from Barletta’s press release…

“Putting tolls on I-80 will cripple local businesses. It will hurt commuters and tourism. It will hurt local farmers. And it will hurt communities all along the I-80 corridor, because they will not only see the loss of businesses, jobs, and local tax revenue, but they will also see an increase in traffic on municipal roads, jeopardizing public safety and increasing the cost of repairing those roads,” Mayor Barletta added.

So, according to Mayor Barletta, Pennsylvania will collapse into a steaming pile of dog mess if Interstate 80 is turned into a toll road.  Okay, assuming we buy into that logic, what is the brilliant Mayor Lou proposing we do to raise the money for the roads?  Another quote from the press statement….

“So where do we come up with the money we need to fix our roads? First, we need Congress to make fixing our infrastructure a priority. This is a national emergency. Congress needs to adjust its spending priorities. Forget bridges to nowhere. We need bridges right here – like those along Interstate 80 in Monroe County, those on all of our highways here, and around the country. Our elected leaders need to show financial discipline and fix our roads.

Oh, well that clears things up.  Or not.  The truth of the matter is that Pennsylvania, along with every other state, needs millions of dollars right now.  Bridges all around the country are crumbling.  Anyone who’s driven on I-80, or I-81 for that matter, knows that the roads are in horrible shape.  Bottom line: they need to be fixed and soon.  Or things will get much, much worse.

Saying that “Congress needs to make fixing our infrastructure a priority” is meaningless blabber.  It’s fluff.  The problem is hugely complex and too difficult, apparently, for Mayor Barletta to get a handle on.  Where will the BILLIONS of dollars needed to fix these roads and bridges come from?  How much money will come from the state?  Which roads will receive the bulk of the money?  Once the repairs are made, where will the money come from to maintain them?  Barletta has no answers to these questions.

Am I thrilled at the idea of turning I-80 into a toll road?  No.  I’m a full time college student who has to commute to school every day.  Paying to use a road isn’t all that of an exciting idea to me.  However, it is a plan.  It will raise money, quickly, to help repair roads.  Bridges will at least begin to be worked on.  It would help.

If Mayor Barletta is so staunchly opposed to this idea, he needs to present a detailed plan of his own.  Why should we scrap an idea that will help fix the problem and just go back to square one without any hope or promise of an alternative?  ”Just elect me to office and I’ll figure it out later,” is not a sollution.  And it will not fix our roads.

Mayor Barletta has perfected the art of spouting off lots of words and sound bytes while not really saying all that much.  This is more of the same.  Lou Barletta has no plans on how to get the money needed to fix Pennsylvania’s roads.  Lou Barletta will not fix our roads and bridges and neither will his meaningless talk.  Mayor Lou Barletta should remain a mayor and not be elected to the United States Congress.  We can’t afford it.

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

Mayor Lou Barletta has unveiled his “position” on American Foreign Policy.  In six short paragraphs, Lou Barletta explains his vision of American’s role in the world.  Sadly, however, this “foreign policy” statement is nothing more than a rambling mess.  In attempting to explain his Foreign Policy position, Barletta has demonstrated that he doesn’t understand the first thing about it.

Mayor Barletta sums up his “Foreign Policy” statement with this two sentence paragraph…

“The United States – both on its own and through our global alliances – is be a beacon of hope for the entire world. That is the promise and pledge of this nation, and it’s a responsibility I take seriously.”

That’s it?  The rest of the statement is just as pointless.  I mean, “a beacon of hope?”  How is a beacon of hope a foreign policy?  What does that even mean?  I don’t know and I’m willing to bet that Lou Barletta doesn’t know, either.

In the second to last paragraph, Barletta sums up his outlook on the world…

“The world is not a uniformly safe and secure place. Each day, millions of people live in fear of physical attack. They live in poverty and hunger. They are under constant threat of disease and disaster.”

Again, this statement reveals nothing about Lou Barletta’s “foreign policy.”  Saying that the world is a scary, mean, and unfair place is all fine and good.  However, that is NOT a foreign policy.  A foreign policy would, by definition, explain, at least in some detail, how the United States should interact with this scary, mean, and unfair world.  At no point in Barletta’s entire statement does he even attempt to offer such an explanation.

I realize that as a first-term Congressman serving in the House of Representatives, Lou Barletta would have almost zero impact on American Foreign Policy.  That said, however, I do think it is important for someone looking to take up a leadership role in the United States Government to have a basic understanding of foreign affairs and have intelligent opinions on what America’s role in the world should be.  Lou Barletta has neither and his “Foreign Policy” statement is proof of that.

Lou Barletta would like you to believe that he is an intelligent candidate with solid positions on meaningful issues facing the constituents he is seeking to represent.  He doesn’t.  Lou Barletta is a troubled candidate who is not fit to represent the people of the 11th Congressional District.  Mayor Barletta should not be elected to the United States Congress.

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

Click HERE to learn about Lou Barletta’s Organized Crime Connections

Mayor Lou Barletta is dipping deep into the “stupid things I can say to get people to notice me” well.  This time, he has released a statement blasting his opponent in Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional race, Representative Paul Kanjorski, for failing to bring more money to Lackawanna County.  Considering Barletta’s outright ineptness in handling any sort of finances, this statement is stupid on an epic scale.

Consider the following:

• One of Mayor Lou Barletta’s first acts as mayor of Hazleton was to cut the Hazleton Police Department in half.  He did this, he said, to help ballance the city budget.  And when the crime rate skyrocketed, Barletta blamed it on an “illegal immigrant crime wave” and not on the fact that there were now half as many cops on the street.
• A political hell-storm has been swirling around the Barletta campaign because of a $65,000 “loan” that Barletta took out in 2002 to help pay for his last, failed, Congressional campaign.  This “loan”, according to paperwork filed by the Barletta campaign, hasn’t been repaid, at all, and has accrued no interest.  In six years.  When local papers brought the issue up, the Barletta campaign offered three different explanations (1. There was no loan.  You’re all on drugs.  Leave us alone.  2. Okay, there was no loan, but we said there was a loan, but it was just a paperwork error.  3. There was a loan.  I am stupid.  Elect me to Congress.) over the course of eleven days.
• Barletta, if elected to Congress, will be one of the most controversial politicians in the House of Representatives.  So controversial, in fact, that John McCain, Republican presidential candidate, wants nothing to do with Barletta and has refused to meet with him.  Add to this that Barletta will be a first term Congressman.  Add to this that Barletta will be a Republican in a Democratic controlled Congress.  All of this adds up to the fact that Barletta will be lucky to be able to bring home pocket change to his district.

Now, based on all of that, I find it stupefying that Lou Barletta would be dumb enough to even try and insinuate that he could bring more money to the 11th Congressional District that Representative Kanjorski.  He can’t.  It simply isn’t possible.  So, either Lou Barletta is lying or he is very stupid.  At any rate, clearly, Lou Barletta should not be elected to the United States Congress.

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

Lou Barletta must really be desperate.  He’s attempting to try and make people believe that he has overcome his long-time fear of taking stands on issues.  Recently, he’s released a whole slew of videos on YouTube in which he claims to “talk about the issues.”  Sadly, however, Mayor Barletta has done nothing of the sort.

In almost all of the videos, Lou Barletta speaks in soundbites.  He rants on and on in each of the videos, often opening by talking about illegal immigration, and says very little of substance.  Take his Social Security video, for example.  Barletta begins the video by reminding everyone about how he’s always hated immigrants, and then urges Congress to give the billions of dollars that they took from the Social Security Trust Fund back.  He then goes on to say that a “lock box law” needs to be passed and that anyone who says he is in favor of privitizing Social Security is a liar.

Sigh.  “Give the money back” isn’t a sollution.  “Pass a lock box law” to keep Congress from tapping into the Social Security Trust Fund is a tired idea that has been talked about for several years that has, repeatedly, amounted to nothing.  Finally, the bit where he says that anyone who says that he is in favor of privitizing Social Security is a “liar” is actually a lie on Barletta’s part.  When he ran for Congress in 2002, Lou Barletta was heavily in favor of privitizing Social Security.

The rest of Barletta’s videos offer much of the same.  Most of the things Barletta mentions are not his own ideas and he offers no details on how he would pay for or implement any of them.  All he does is throw out soundbites that he hopes will look good in the news and, possibly, help garner him some attention.  Mayor Lou Barletta obviously thinks that the voters in the 11th Congressional District are stupid.  Otherwise, why would he be using these slime-ball tactics?

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