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GINO TROIANI Times Leader Correspondent

NANTICOKE – Saturday night opened the 2010 Challengers’ Town Hall meeting, which highlighted several candidates, all vying for seats in the upcoming political elections.

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Sam Rohrer, Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, speaks during the 2010 Challengers Town Hall Meeting at Luzerne County Community College Saturday evening. Candidates behind him are, left to right, Peg Luksik, Tim Mullen, Betsy Summers, Brian Bergman and Lou Barletta. The Luzerne County Campaign for Liberty hosted the event.

S. JOHN WILKIN/THE TIMES LEADER

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The event hosted by the Luzerne County Campaign for Liberty was held at Luzerne County Community College’s Educational Conference Center in hopes of highlighting several third party and mainstream candidates running for public office. In attendance were around 50 individuals from surrounding communities, all interested in learning more of each candidate’s personal stance on an array of issues, such as health care, education, immigration, and governmental spending.

Event organizer Michael Harrison, of Nanticoke, explained the event was “Designed to highlight the candidates who are challenging the status quo,” by raising awareness of the less mainstream candidates running for public office.

In attendance were Sam Rohrer, running for governor; Peg Luksik, U.S. Senate; Tim Mullen, state House, 120th District; Lou Barletta, U.S. House, 11th District; Jake Towne, U.S. House, 15th District; Brian Bergman, Pennsylvania House, 119th District; and Betsy Summers, state Senate, 14th District.

Republican Sam Rohrer was first to the microphone. He expressed major concern for how the state education system is currently funded. “I will not sign a tax increase bill to battle the budget,” said Rohrer. “Right now the education system of Pennsylvania is broken fiscally, it is unsustainable and we can’t continue to fund (it).

Another widely discussed issue was energy. “We should be the energy producer to the world, not the consumer,” said Luksik. “I don’t know about you, but I want my country back.”

Rohrer agreed with Luksik, lobbying his position for increased cultivation of Marcellus Shale around the state, a process he explained would both create jobs, and increase income for the commonwealth.

Another major topics discussed was illegal immigration. “Anywhere there is a national airport, your state is a border state,” said Barletta. “If America is not strong at home, we can not be strong around the world.”

During the event, the crowd was given the opportunity to ask each candidate questions pertaining to their personal stance on each topic. “I’m impressed with all of the candidates here tonight,” said Eric Villano of Pittston Township. “I really liked Lou Barletta, he really strikes a chord with a lot of people with some of the local problems.

“I think a lot of people are disgruntled with some of the choices within the party organizations… I think people are looking for good old fashion conservative American values,” said Villano.

Matthew Schutter of Jim Thorpe agreed. “Our deficit is totally out of control… My great-grandchildren won’t be able to pay his debt,” he said. “I think events like this are great. The public can get a chance to see what the third parties are about and how we are actually about freedom and the constitution.”