Days Removed from Passing a Tax Increase, Twice Rejected Barletta Will Now Run For Congress. Again.

By THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

Just days after passing a budget that raises taxes and fees on Hazleton residents, Lou Barletta is now planning to ditch the fiscal mess he created as Mayor of Hazleton to take his paltry, twice-rejected record to voters across Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional district. This morning Lou Barletta announced he is running for Congress, a job voters have twice rejected him for already.

Last year, voters rejected Mayor Barletta’s commitment to failed George Bush economic policies, including the privatization of Social Security as well as special interest tax breaks that only benefited the wealthy. Coupled with his record of increasing taxes, Lou Barletta shouldn’t expect this campaign to end any differently.

“Just a year after being rejected for the second time by voters across the 11th district, Lou Barletta is now trying to ditch the mess he created in City Hall,” said Shripal Shah, Northeast Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “The phrase ‘failed leadership’ doesn’t do Barletta’s paltry record justice; under his tenure, Barletta squandered the city’s funds, depleted Hazleton’s resources, and now is looking to pass the buck to residents in the form of higher taxes.”

“That record exemplifies exactly what families can’t afford during these tough economic times and Barletta should expect it to be rejected for the third time next year.”

BACKGROUND:

Barletta increased spending by 14% last year. Barletta ’s 2008 budget proposal, which was approved by the city council, included $9 million in spending. This was an increase of 14 percent ($1.1 million) over the 2007 budget. About 90 percent of the increase went to police salaries, as Barletta continued his attempt to increase the number of police officers after having slashed the department nearly in half years earlier. Spikes in overtime and gas costs also played a role in the increase. City garbage collection costs rose 67 percent to $2 million, forcing an increase in the city’s trash-collection fee, from $35 to $52 per quarter. [Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 12/09/07]

And this year, Barletta just passed a budget that raises taxes on Hazleton residents. The Mayor’s budget includes a “70-percent hike in real estate taxes and an 18-percent increase in earned income tax.” [Times Leader, 12/4/09]

Barletta is a proponent of special interest tax breaks that benefit the wealthy. Barletta said that he believed the budget-busting Bush tax cuts should be made permanent. “I believe Bush’s tax cuts will prove that allowing people to have more of their own money will turn the economy around,” he said, adding that he particularly wanted the temporary elimination of the inheritance tax made permanent. [Allentown Morning Call, 11/03/02]

Barletta supports Social Security privatization. In May 2002, Barletta said he was in favor of allowing seniors to invest a small percentage of their Social Security benefits in government bonds or secured funds that would remain in control of the government – in effect partially privatizing the program. However, he denied that he was in favor of “privatizing” the system. [Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 9/14/02] Had the Bush plan prevailed, millions of seniors could have lost their guaranteed benefits during last year’s economic crisis.

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