Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due, Atlantic City Democratic Committee Does The Right Thing

Frank Gilliam & Jeffree Fauntleroy

I like to give credit where credit is due, and the Atlantic City Democratic Committee deserves credit – and not just because their abbreviation is ACDC.

I’ve been critical of Democratic Party leaders in South Jersey for their deafening silence on the wrongdoings of members of their own party, specifically party members former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay, Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz, Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam and Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy and failed Democratic sheriff candidate Bob Gant who are all members of the South Jersey Fight Club.

I complained that “South Jersey’s Democratic leaders haven’t said one single word about their poor behavior. Not Senate President Steve Sweeney, not Congressman Donald Norcross, not Congressman-elect Jeff Van Drew, not Camden County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Beach, not Salem County Democratic Party Chairman Steven Caltabiano, not Atlantic County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Suleiman. Not even the party’s municipal leaders said a word about these South Jersey Fight Club members.”

Of course this was all in response to Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam and Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy allegedly getting into a fight at an Atlantic City nightclub.

The Atlantic City Democratic Committee (ACDC) has done what party leadership has not – Harry Hurley broke the news that ACDC voted 27-3 to ask Gilliam and Funtleroy to step down from their elected positions.

Unfortunately, while ACDC has done the right thing, Democratic party leaders still refuse. They continue to circle the wagons all the way to Trenton. Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver told CBS3, “The allegations are deeply troubling and must be appropriately investigated. That investigation is underway and should not be compromised by any forecast or speculation about what steps may follow its conclusion.”

“Appropriately investigated?” Is she serious? There is video of the incident. We know it happened. There is nothing to investigate.

While some things apparently aren’t going to change, ACDC deserves credit for working to get Atlantic City off the “Highway to Hell.”

South Jersey Fight Club Has Six Rules, Besides All Its Members Being Democrats

Former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay, Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz, Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam and Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy and failed Democratic sheriff candidate Bob Gant are all members of the South Jersey Fight Club. They’re all Democrats and they all follow the rules.

The first rule to South Jersey Fight Club is: you never reprimand a fellow Democrat. The second rule to South Jersey Fight Club is: you never reprimand a fellow Democrat.

The third rule to South Jersey Fight Club is: deny, deny, deny. At least that’s what Gant did when The Bob & Steve Show called him out for his role in the beating of a defenseless inmate at the old Salem County Jail, and that’s exactly what Gilliam and Fauntleroy did until confronted with video from a member of the media.

The fourth rule to South Jersey Fight Club is: say “It is what it is.” That’s the exact phrase used by Barclay and Fauntleroy.

The fifth rule to South Jersey Fight Club is: blame someone else for your own actions, even if it’s on video. That’s what Ravitz did and it appears Fauntleroy is doing the same. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"When we go out, we're actually targets," Fauntleroy added. "Sometimes things get provoked into situations where you have to, actually … things happen."

The sixth rule to South Jersey Fight Club is: hide! Several media outlets reported that Gilliam hid in his city hall office most of yesterday and Barclay was missing for nearly two weeks after his incident.

Other than following the rules and being Democrats these South Jersey Fight Club members have something else in common. South Jersey’s Democratic leaders haven’t said one single word about their poor behavior. Not Senate President Steve Sweeney, not Congressman Donald Norcross, not Congressman-elect Jeff Van Drew, not Camden County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Beach, not Salem County Democratic Party Chairman Steven Caltabiano, not Atlantic County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Suleiman. Not even the party’s municipal leaders said a word about these South Jersey Fight Club members.

Maybe South Jersey’s Democratic leaders need Tyler Durden from the Fight Club movie to yell his famous movie quote, “Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else,” at them.

If that doesn’t do the trick maybe, just maybe, South Jersey voters will get sick of the bad behavior of Democrats and start rejecting them at the polls.

Another South Jersey Democrat In A Fight, Another “It Is What It Is” Answer

Frank Gilliam and Jeffree Fauntleroy

The Press of Atlantic City did an excellent job following up on a story broken by Harry Hurley, specifically an “incident” involving Atlantic City Mayor Frank M. Gilliam and Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II.

Apparently, that incident was, according to The Press, “a fight with several other people outside a casino nightclub early Sunday morning.”

I’m guessing this story wouldn’t be as bad if Mayor Gilliam hadn’t spent the better part of the day denying it happened. As he told The Press:

Gilliam acknowledged Sunday night there was a physical confrontation. However, earlier Sunday, the mayor said there was “no incident” and “nothing happened.”

“I’m going to hold my comments until my attorney and the law enforcement people do this because I’m not even sure why you would have access to a videotape,” Gilliam said.

Then there was what Fauntleroy had to say:

When contacted Sunday morning, Fauntleroy said the incident was a “loud argument” and nothing more. Reached for comment Sunday evening, he said, “You saw the video. It is what it is.”

“It is what it is.” That’s exactly what former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay told the New Jersey Globe after it was discovered he was arrested on assault charges.

So that’s two South Jersey Democrats using the exact same phrase when contacted by the press after being in a fight. Is, “It is what it is” something South Jersey Democrats teach their members to say after getting in fights?

What about the silence from South Jersey Democrats? Barclay gets arrested, silence from his party. Former Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty crashes into the back of another car and leaves the scene. Silence from Democrats. The discovery of Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz getting into bar fights. Silence from Democrats.

Will South Jersey Democrats ever call out a member of their own party for doing something wrong? Probably not, they’ll probably just hide with each other and say, “It is what it is.”

Also, let’s not forget the 2018 New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference is happening this week in Atlantic City. Gilliam has to deliver the traditional “Host City Welcome” on Tuesday. He also delivers a welcome message to the League Delegates Luncheon. I can hear it now, “Welcome to Atlantic City where it is what it is.”

We’re getting used to this bad behavior by Democrats in South Jersey. To the rest of you, especially those headed to South Jersey and visiting Atlantic City for the League of Municipalities Conference. Enjoy your stay and remember, “It is what it is.”