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Our Opinion: Luzerne County’s draft 2017 budget calls out for public scrutiny, reasoned comment

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2 from Philly burbs in Pa. attorney general race

<p>By now, the news media have saturated the public arena with stories about words that Donald Trump has said in years past and now allegations from women who claim he made unwanted physical advances. This is behavior which, if proven, is unacceptable from any person.</p><p>The media, however, have given Hillary Clinton a pass on her record regarding similar issues.</p><p>In fact, Clinton served as a defense lawyer for a 41-year-old man who was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in Arkansas. In an audio tape, Clinton can be heard laughing about the plight of the young victim, and the fact that the rapist passed a lie-detector test, which she said destroyed her faith in that technology. This is also unacceptable behavior. So if we are judging both candidates by the same moral standard, it is fair to say that neither can claim victory.</p><p>Despite the constant media attention paid to negative campaigning, voters should refocus their attention to how each candidate would address the important issues facing our nation. The person we elect as our next president will determine which path our country takes for the next four years and, with the appointment of the next Supreme Court justice at stake, long after that person leaves office.</p><p>Trump is the clear choice for a commander in chief who will stand up for the issues that impact Americans&#8217; lives every day. Trump is resonating because politicians have stopped listening to the voters who sent them to Washington. The American people are tired of the same dishonest and failed policies that put special interests in front of the American interest.</p><p>Trump is not a politician, and he is not afraid to tackle important issues such as securing our borders.</p><p>The same cannot be said about Clinton. Her recently released comments about her dream of an America &#8220;with open trade and open borders&#8221; demonstrates her disconnection from the concerns of the American worker, as well as a dangerous disregard for national security. It should come as no surprise that Clinton made these remarks in a paid, closed-door speech to a group of Brazilian bankers.</p><p> Not once did she mention how these policies would lower wages for American workers and expose our families to the unfettered flow of threats from foreign countries.</p><p>Border security is an issue that will help to determine the type of country we leave for our children and grandchildren. Without secure borders, we do not have a country.</p><p>I have been fighting to secure our borders and enforce our laws for more than a decade. As mayor of Hazleton, I traveled to Washington to explain to Congress the problems illegal immigration was causing our city and to ask for the federal government&#8217;s help. After all, illegal immigration was &#8211; and remains &#8211; a problem created by politicians in Washington who refuse to enforce our laws and secure our borders.</p><p>More than a decade later, Clinton&#8217;s comments serve as evidence that politicians in Washington still lack the courage to do anything to address this problem.</p><p>As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I am given classified briefings about the threats that open borders pose to our nation. Terrorists, such as those sympathetic to the Islamic State, have stated that their goal is to enter America through our open borders. Terrorists also have made clear their intention to infiltrate our country through our refugee program. Despite testimony from top national security experts that we cannot properly screen refugees from Syria and Iraq, Clinton is calling for a 500 percent increase in refugees from these countries.</p><p>Trump has made securing our borders &#8211; with Mexico and Canada, but also along our air and sea ports &#8211; a top priority. He understands that border security is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government, because without secure borders we cannot defend our national security or protect American jobs.</p><p>With less than four weeks to go until Election Day, we should not allow the media and negative campaigning to distract us from the real issues facing our nation.</p><p>Our children and grandchildren deserve to grow up in an America that prioritizes safety and opportunity for its citizens. This is not the America of Hillary Clinton&#8217;s dreams.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Lou Barletta</p><p>Guest columnist</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Lou Barletta, a Republican, is a U.S. congressman serving the 11th District, which includes portions of Luzerne County. He lives in Hazleton.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta: Donald Trump knows the imperative of secure borders