Notice How Fast The Holtec Story Died?

Did anyone else notice how fast the Holtec story died?

Since last week was so long ago, to refresh your memory Holtec’s CEO, Kris Singh, gave an interview in which he complained, “Holtec cannot recruit and retain the workforce it needs — despite huge efforts to hire local employees.”

Democratic Congressman Donald Norcross, in the same interview, made comments that appeared to be in agreement with Singh saying in part, “We saw the same thing (with the union) as Dr. Singh and Joe Balzano. There is mentoring that has to take place.”

Then of course everyone complained about Holtec’s CEO. Camden Mayor Frank Moran demanded an apology, left-leaning activists and organization’s lined up to call the CEO a racist and Sunday the South Jersey Times ran an editorial that was unflattering toward Singh. In the same editorial the folks at the South Jersey Times found a way to find something positive to say about Norcross.

I’m still wondering why an apology was demanded from Singh, but Mayor Moran still hasn’t demanded an apology from Congressman Norcross. The man said “We saw the same thing…” That means he agreed with Singh.

Could it be that Mayor Moran lacks the courage to call out members of his own party?

Why did the South Jersey Times not use their editorial to call out Norcross along with Singh? Could it be that it wouldn’t fit with their BS narrative?

About the only truth in the entire Holtec story is that something has to be done to improve the preparedness of the workforce in Camden. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen until folks start voting a different way. Given that the city has had a mayor from the Democratic party since 1936 one might think the folks living in Camden might try something different. Time will tell.

Camden Mayor Demands Apology From Holtec’s Singh; The Apology He Should Be Demanding Is From Democrats

Camden Mayor Francisco “Frank” Moran

I’m calling BS on this one! Camden Mayor Frank Moran, according to the Courier-Post is demanding an apology from Kris Singh, the founder of Holtec International.

Apparently, Moran is angry over comments Singh made in an interview in ROI-NJ. Singh was complaining that “Holtec cannot recruit and retain the workforce it needs — despite huge efforts to hire local employees.”

Then the ROI-NJ article goes on:

The issues range from entitlement to lack of training, Singh said. High turnover is the result.

“We are starting from a base which is zero,” Singh said. “People don’t have the skills.”

They also lack a history of working.

“There is no tradition of work in families,” he said. “That has been a problem. If we hire 10, we keep two. The other eight weed themselves out.”

Singh, a self-made millionaire, is trying to understand it.

“They don’t show up to work,” he said. “They can’t stand getting up in the morning and coming to work every single day. They haven’t done it, and they didn’t see their parents do it. Of course, some of them get into drugs and things. So, it’s difficult.”

The hope is, Singh said, that those that stay become examples in their neighborhoods and encourage more interest.

Of course, now a bunch of people are screaming about his comments being "racist and classist," never mind the fact that Camden is a city with people of many races, creeds and colors. I didn’t see that Singh singled out any particular race or class of people in his comments, but why let facts get in the way.

So, the Courier-Post’s article included a statement from the Mayor’s office:

An "official statement" from the mayor's office demanded an apology "on behalf of the entire Camden community."

"As someone who was born, raised and resides in Camden, the mayor, like many  residents, is all too familiar with the nasty generalizations placed upon our residents," the statement said.

"Do not disrespect my city," Moran added in a tweet that said Camden residents "have more grit & ability to succeed than any other place."

The Mayor apparently didn’t bother to mention the fact that in the ROI-NJ article Congressman Donald Norcross agreed with Singh. The ROI-NJ article quotes Norcross:

When you stop to think about it, I say children are that one asset that you can’t blame them for anything,” he said. “Same thing goes for people who have not had a structure that taught them.

“We saw the same thing (with the union) as Dr. Singh and Joe Balzano. There is mentoring that has to take place.”

Norcross admits the city still has its work cut out for it.

“Nobody’s batting 1.000 here,” he said. “But we’re batting a much high percentage (than before).”

And, there’s the BS. Why didn’t Moran demand an apology from Norcross? The answer to that question is simple, Moran wants to join the rest of the nutjobs and turn this into an issue of race. The issue is really the failed leadership that led to the decline of Camden and that city’s failing schools.

The better question is why isn’t Moran demanding an apology from the Democratic Party of New Jersey? Camden has had a mayor from the Democratic Party since George Edward Brunner in 1936. Camden has been represented, UNINTERRUPTED, in the assembly and the state senate since 1973. 45 years of nothing but Democrats representing your city in Trenton Mr. Moran. Democrats in Camden’s city hall for 82 years. Maybe, just maybe, that might be the problem. The problem is definitely not Kris Singh trying to get people to come to work every day.

Republicans Select Kush For Fifth District Assembly

CCGOP Chairman and Assembly Candidate Nick Kush

No! Not this Kush – Nick Kush – aka my dad, the guy who used to be married to my mother.

Because I do consult to the Camden County GOP I was the one who had the pleasure of asking him to step up for the party and run in this November’s special election. I was pretty sure he was going to say no, because the last time he was asked to do the favor and step up to run for freeholder he was left out on his own, he wasn’t even introduced to his running mate.

I was shocked that he said yes, and not only did he say yes, he’s going to actively campaign because as he put it, “This governor is terrible.”

Below is the press release announcing his candidacy:

Republicans Choose Kush As Their Candidate In The Fifth

Not that Kush, the other one. GOP consultant’s father picked by Republicans to run for Assembly

RUNNEMEDE – Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino and Gloucester County Republican Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante announced today that Nicholas “Nick” Kush has been selected as the GOP candidate in the special election to fill the unexpired term of former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay. The Republican Party is filing the paperwork this afternoon.

“After an exhaustive search Nick Kush has agreed to step up and run for Assembly in the fifth district special election,” said CCGOP Chair Rich Ambrosino. “This isn’t the first time Kush has stepped up to help the party, he put his name up for freeholder years ago when we had a candidate drop out at the last minute.”

Ambrosino continued, “I didn’t have the chance to interact with Mr. Kush when he ran for freeholder but having sat with him and discussed the race I think he can bring attention to the campaign. He’s a pro-Trump, anti-tax increase kind of candidate who is not a fan of Governor Murphy and his policies.”

“After I was elected chair in Gloucester County, Rich and I met and agreed we would leave no spot on the ballot our counties share open, that we will compete everywhere,” Gloucester County Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante said. “Everyone, including Mr. Kush, understands the fifth is a tough district for Republicans, but he may be the right guy at the right time, he’ll certainly keep the Democrats busy.”

“When my son was sent to ask me to run I was happy to help and made it clear that I’m not going to be one of those guys who just puts their name on the ballot,” Nick Kush said. “I’m still trying to figure out how so many people voted for a guy for governor who promised to raise our taxes, I’m against almost everything the governor is for. He’s going to raise our gas tax again, but it won’t make the roads any better. The governor is going to work with others to ban plastics, but that won’t make our neighborhoods any cleaner. This governor never met a tax he didn’t like, probably because he can afford it, but I can’t, somebody needs to fight against all his taxes, it might as well be me.”

Nick Kush resides in Runnemede with his wife Laurie. He has five adult children and several grandchildren. Nick was a member of Teamsters Local 676 for 27 years as the shipper/receiver at the Wonderbread/Hostess depot in Bellmawr. Retirement wasn’t affordable forcing Kush to spend another 12 years working in the Gloucester Township Public Schools as a member of the Gloucester Township Support Professional Union.

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