News

Hazleton city council

November 7, 2007

GOP’s Graham, Yannuzzi sail to new terms

Democrat challengers say fact that Illegal Immigration Relief Act originated with incumbents was difference-maker.

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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HAZLETON – The city will apparently continue its illegal immigration fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court with the apparent triumph Tuesday night of incumbent council members Joe Yannuzzi and Evelyn Graham.

The GOP team, who sailed to victory on a ticket with Republican Mayor Lou Barletta, have supported his stance on illegal immigration and appealing a federal judge’s decision to strike down the city’s illegal immigration ordinance as unconstitutional.

And that issue is what the challengers for the two council seats attribute to their loss by an approximate 2-1 margin, unofficial results show.

“Obviously, that was the main issue in the election. … Of course, we supported (the Illegal Immigration Relief Act ordinance), but it was their baby, their idea. We were just worried about paying back $2.4 million (in legal fees),” said Democratic challenger Maureen Pozzessere.

“If there were any of our ideas they thought were good, hopefully they’ll implement them. I wish them well,” Pozzessere said.

Pozzesere, a Luzerne County tourism bureau employee, ran on a ticket with Dominic “Dickie” Cusatis, who owns an asphalt business in the city. Both of them were first-time candidates.

“We gave it our best shot. We had some ideas we thought we could implement in the city. The voters spoke. The Democrats came out almost 2-1 to Republicans and they voted Republican,” Pozzessere said.

Graham said she wasn’t surprised by the election results.

“As I’ve said a couple times before, we’ve been doing what the people of the city of Hazleton wanted us to do,” Graham said.

“We’ve been working on drugs, crime, violence, and those are the things that are important to people. I’m glad the people recognized it and voted for us,” she said.

Yannuzzi said he and Graham would “continue to do what we normally did in the past. That seems to be what the citizens of Hazleton are telling us, they like what we’re doing.”

Barletta, who had a joint victory party with Yannuzzi and Graham at the Hazleton Elks Lodge, said their victory means he will enjoy the support of a council majority that intends to keep in place an appeal of a federal judge’s decision to strike down the city’s illegal immigration ordinance.

“We are in a position to fight the illegal immigration fight all the way to the Supreme Court. It’s bad news for the illegal aliens in Hazleton,” Barletta said.

“As I’ve said a couple times before, we’ve been doing what the people of the city of Hazleton wanted us to do.”

Evelyn Graham

Hazleton Councilwoman

“If there were any of our ideas they thought were good, hopefully they’ll implement them. I wish them well.”

Maureen Pozzessere

Democratic challenger

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 459-2005.

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