Lou Barletta Continues to Blame Others For His Failures
Friday, September 3rd, 2010I’m becoming increasingly convinced that the people who write Lou Barletta’s press statements are heavily addicted to hard drugs. This week, Mayor Barletta’s campaign has released what is perhaps its most bizarre statement yet. In a press release dated August 31st, Barletta blasts Rep. Paul Kanjorski for representing the district with the highest unemployment level in the state. This is odd because the city that Lou Barletta runs, Hazleton, is part of that district and is a big reason for why the district is ranked where it is in terms of jobs. As mayor of Hazleton, Lou Barletta has done everything possible to chase away jobs and scare away employers.
Lou Barletta has been the mayor of Hazleton since 2000. Since being elected as mayor, Barletta, who is the text-book definition of a moron, has systematically drove Hazleton into the dirt. This past year alone, Barletta raised property taxes by 70%. That isn’t a typo. Despite his city struggling with one of the highest unemployment rate of any city in Pennsylvania, Lou Barletta thought it would be a good time to slam the residents of the city with a brutal tax hike. Multiply this type of “leadership” by ten and you’ll begin to understand why Hazleton is the mess that it is. Barletta has a long history of spinning his screw-ups into being someone else’s fault. Since becoming mayor, he hasn’t taken responsibility for anything. And with this latest press release, the trend continues.
What Barletta is trying to do here is disgusting. If you want to attack your political opponent on his record, that’s all well and good. However, don’t try to play games where the object is to find a way to make your failures someone else’s fault. The people of Hazleton aren’t struggling to pay off their city taxes because of Paul Kanjorski. Paul Kanjorski didn’t raid the Hazleton City Pension fund, taking money that was supposed to be used to help support city retirees. Lou Barletta did that. And it wasn’t Paul Kanjorski who’s been relentless in trying to bankrupt Halzeton with failed political scheme after failed political scheme. Again, you can thank Mayor Lou Barletta for that.
Lou Barletta has done everything in his power to ruin Hazleton. At every opportunity, he has been perfect in his attempts to make things worse for the people who he supposedly works for. This is a man who can raise city property taxes by 70% then turn around and blast his opponent for chasing jobs away. If elected to the US Congress, we should expect nothing but more of the same from him. The only difference will be that his ineptitude will be affecting a whole lot more people than just the residents of Hazleton. Instead of wrecking just one city, Barletta will have an opportunity to inflict his stupidity on an entire Congressional District.
Without question, electing Lou Barletta to higher office would be a disaster for everyone involved. As mayor of Hazleton, Lou Barletta hasn’t done one thing that anyone can point to and say, “Hey! That was a good idea. We should do more of that!” Drive down the streets of Hazleton. You will see one shuttered business after another. Buy a home in Hazleton and then try not to keel over and die when your property tax bill arrives. What Lou Barletta has done to the city of Hazleton is horrible. Let’s not give him the opportunity to ruin the lives and livelihoods of the rest of us. Lou Barletta should not be elected to the United States Congress.
-Dan Cheek
StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com
Twitter.com/StopLouBarletta










