HAZLETON – U.S. Congressional candidate and  Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta today joined the Alliance to Stop I-80 Tolling, a group of elected and business leaders opposed to the state’s plan to put fees on Interstate 80.

Joined by state Sen. Lisa Baker, state Rep. Mario Scavello, and Ed Edwards of the Alliance at his side, Barletta pledged his support for the effort to stop I-80 tolling. 

“One of the greatest assets we have in northeastern Pennsylvania is our easy access to interstate highways”, said Barletta. “Our interstates have brought northeastern Pennsylvania economic success. We’ve seen hundreds of businesses move into our area, and they’ve brought dozens of thousands of jobs here. Those jobs allowed local residents to start families, build homes and buy cars.”

Barletta argued that 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.”

Barletta accused his opponent, Democrat Paul Kamjorski, of being “on every side of the toll issue”.

“First, he was in favor of tolling I-80, saying the state had the right to do it. When two Pennsylvania congressmen, John Peterson and Phil English, proposed legislation that would have stopped I-80 tolling, my opponent did nothing to support them. Instead, the language was removed from the bill and the toll plan moved forward. Then my opponent went to a meeting in Columbia County and said the government should toll every highway in Pennsylvania,” Barletta said.