PA GOP: Barletta Meets With The People Of The 11th, Kanjo Remains MIA

HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Spokesman Mike Barley released the following statement applauding Lou Barletta for his open town hall meetings with voters from around the 11th Congressional District.   Barley also questioned where Paul Kanjorski has gone.

“Lou Barletta continues to prove that he is exactly the type of leader the people of the 11th Congressional District need fighting for them in Washington, D.C.,” Barley said.  “Lou Barletta should be applauded for holding these open forums to discuss the important issues with the people of the district.  Paul Kanjorski has ignored his constituents and cast his votes for big government policies they didn’t want, like ObamaCare and the national energy tax, as he continues to take his marching orders from liberal Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“Kanjorski’s stance on town hall meetings has been well documented when he said that he wasn’t going to hold meetings for ‘nuts’  to hit him with a camera while his campaign also complained that his town hall meetings only drew 20-30 constituents.  Well last night, Lou Barletta had over 150 people attend his town hall meeting and the only ‘nut’ with a camera was the tracker that was sent by the Democratic Party on Kanjorski’s behalf.

“While Lou Barletta continues to be campaigning hard as we rapidly approach Election Day, we have been left to wonder what happened to Paul Kanjorski?  Just last week, Kanjorski voted with Nancy Pelosi to adjourn Congress, allowing the largest tax increase in our nation’s history to be imposed on Americans at the end of the year.  However, despite voting to adjourn so he could come back to the district to save his job, we have seen surprisingly little from the Congressman.  One can only help but wonder if the Kanjorski strategy is to hide and hope things get better?  It’s a good assumption since Ed Mitchell already told the Scranton Times-Tribune that Kanjorski was too busy to respond to questions on health care.”

According to The Washington Post vote database, Rep. Paul Kanjorski has voted with Nancy Pelosi more than 97% of the time.

According to an article in the Wilkes Barre Times Leader, Congressman Kanjorski said that he was not holding face-to-face town hall meetings because he feared being videotaped and his campaign complained that no one attended.

“…I’m not going to set myself up for, you know, nuts to hit me with a camera.” 

Mitchell (Kanjorski’s Campaign Spokesman) said Kanjorski has held face-to-face town meetings for 26 years “that usually had crowds of 20-30 people a meeting.”

Last week, House Democrats including Congressman Paul Kanjorski and Speaker Nancy Pelosi voted to adjourn the House, despite the fact that Americans are facing the largest tax increase in our nation’s history. (House Resolution 321,”Adjournment Resolution,” Roll Call 546)

According to The Wall Street Journal, the expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts will impose a massive increase on taxpayers.  For example, a typical single filer with adjusted gross income of around $40,000 it might be about $400 a year and for someone on $80,000, about $1,600. (Arrends, Brett, “What Would Happen if the Bush Tax Cuts Expire” The Wall Street Journal, 7/28/10)

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