Hypocrisy Is Alive And Well In Camden

Camden Mayor Frank Moran

I really hate to go on and on about the Holtec story but I’m mad. I’m mad that the press in this state allows politicians to get away with their BS.

In this case the BS is the press letting Camden Mayor Frank Moran off the hook for not going after Congressman Donald Norcross in the way he attacked Holtec’s Kris Singh. We can argue all day about the comments Singh made concerning Camden’s workforce, but there is no argument that Norcorss’ made remarks that backed up Singh’s comments. Even those who protested in front of Holtec in Camden “blasted” Norcross according to WHYY.

I will say Moran was right to stand up for his city. Any mayor should go on the attack when one perceives someone disses their municipality. Unfortunately, Moran loses points for choosing to go after only Singh.

If I can see Norcross backed Singh up, protesters can see it and public television can see it, why can’t the rest of the press? Why can’t Mayor Moran?

Instead, from New Jersey’s press all we get is excuse after excuse, employers should invest in training, blah, blah, blah. When I entered my first career as an EMS professional I went and paid for training out of my own pocket. Before going into political consulting I went to school at night and paid for it out of my own pocket. My point? I found a way to get the education required to do what I wanted to do.

Moran was quoted, “This is a warning to anyone that wishes to diss my city,” and “We will not tolerate anyone speaking down to my city.” One would think that the rule according to Moran would include Norcross. Apparently not, because after making his rule clear Moran was at a press conference with Norcross. According to WHYY:

Yet at the City Hall press conference, Moran and a half dozen other local leaders vouched for Norcross’ character and praised the work he has done in Camden, where he lives. The two-term congressman also announced that he would be organizing a summit on jobs and career training in Camden next week.

Moran didn’t publicly demand Norcross apologize for his remarks like he did Singh. Nope! Instead Moran stood at a press conference with Norcross and praised him. Why the double standard from Moran?

What about the warning? Did Moran mean anyone not in the Democratic Party that disses his city? It appears Moran tolerated Norcross’ diss of his city. Or is it okay because he and Norcross are both Democrats?

These are fair questions that residents of Camden deserve to have answered by Moran. I sent an email, via the city’s website, asking Mayor Moran to come on The Bob & Steve Show yesterday. I even explained in the email that we do have listeners who live in Camden. We’ve had callers from Camden, so we know it to be true. So far my email has gone unanswered.

Whether Moran accepts my invitation to come on the show or not remains to be seen, but one thing is clear, calling out Singh and then joining Norcross and praising him at a press conference is hypocritical at best. At worst, it’s a sign Moran is afraid of the Norcross machine. I prefer to believe the mayor is a hypocrite, and at The Bob & Steve Show we’ll do our best not to let him get away with his hypocrisy.

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.