Mike Marsicano for Congress

From his press release:

Former Hazleton Mayor Mike Marsicano announced today his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Congress representing the 11th Congressional District.

The announcement was made before a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters on the steps of the former Hazleton High School. The school, a historic local landmark, was slated for demolition during Marsicano's tenure as mayor. Marsicano led a community wide effort to save the building, at one point refusing to issue permits for demolition work. His actions resulted in the building being saved and restored and is now in use as both an elementary/middle school as well as the site of the Wiltsie Center for the Performing Arts.

Marsicano stressed the themes of bipartisanship and the restoration of a more congenial approach to governing. He indicated his intention to knock on doors in every part of the 11th District to bring his campaign directly to the voters, and will begin to do so immediately in Carbon County. His full announcement and biographical information is attached.

Issues positions can be found at the campaign website www.marsicano.net



 From the TL:

HAZLETON — Michael Marsicano, former Hazleton mayor and a pilot who flew key players in the Kids for Cash scandal to a Florida where their condominium was located, announced his bid Sunday for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta.
Marsicano read from a prepared text and did not take questions from the media in the brief announcement on the steps of the former Hazleton High School from which he graduated in 1966.

Mark Guydish really clobbers him:

Marsicano lost his re-election bid after four years. Having entered office with a small surplus, he left the city $1.4 million in debt.
He returned in 2007 to run for mayor anew. Unopposed in the Democratic primary, Marsicano lost. I’m not kidding. Incumbent Mayor Lou Barletta mounted a write -in campaign for himself as Democratic nominee and beat Marsicano.
Through all this, Marsicano repeatedly pushed for a freight-only airport outside Hazleton that several experts said was unneeded. At one point he joined Gladstone Partners, with Powell and Greg Zappala, to push the idea. Powell and Zappala were co-owners of the PA Child Care juvenile facilities at the heart of “kids for cash.”


Are there no Matt Cartwright's in that district. This is a tough district for the Dems as Romney won it by 10 points in 2012 but they can surely come up with a better candidate than this guy or the disbarred lawyer they ran last time. 

I'm sure my good friend McGruff could add more information with a Hazleton perspective  if he wasn't so busy cooking and eating too much.