Published: November 03, 2008 08:36 am      

Murtha blasts Russell

Local business leaders rallied behind U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, on Sunday in response to recent statements made by his opponent about local workers’ skills and qualifications.

But a spokeswoman for Murtha’s opponent, Republican William Russell, said the 12th district candidate’s comments were taken out of context.

At a press conference held at Murtha’s office on Main Street, Murtha accused Russell of insulting hardworking western Pennsylvania workers.

In a story published Saturday in an Altoona newspaper, Russell accused Murtha of trying to make the region dependent on the veteran congressman for industry. Russell said jobs should be based on local, natural resources, not on earmarks from Washington.

Russell used Johnstown’s National Drug Intelligence Center as an example.

“Most of those jobs aren’t for people in the area,” Russell was quoted in the article. “When you look at the skill sets, they aren’t necessarily developed for the manufacturing base here.”

Murtha said Sunday that Russell’s statement bashed the quality of the local work force.

“The people standing behind me work at these facilities,” Murtha said of the many representatives from local companies that he said have benefited from the Congressman’s help through the years. “We’re diversified in this area.”

Murtha said he has created nearly 20,000 jobs in the district throughout his tenure.

And some of those jobs are located in downtown Johnstown at NDIC.

“I’m appalled that my opponent knows so little about the district to say they’re not qualified to work at NDIC,” Murtha continued. “It shows he doesn’t know the people of this district.”

Peg Luksik, Russell’s campaign spokeswoman, said his statement was an answer to a specific question regarding jobs at NDIC, which require certain security clearances.

“Most people don’t usually have those kinds of clearances,” Luksik said. “How many people in Johnstown have a top security clearance?”

Regarding the number of representatives from local companies who were angered at Russell’s remark, Luksik said the area has become too dependent upon government earmarks.

“When the grant is over, the industry leaves and the workers leave,” Luksik said, referring to workers in specialized fields.

“There aren’t going to be earmarks anymore. The government is broke.”

But workers at Windber Research Institute disagreed, and objected to Russell’s statements.

Darrell Ellsworth said many of the employees there have advanced biology degrees.

“We couldn’t find jobs here,” Ellsworth said. “But because of what John Murtha has done, we have been able to move back here to live with our family and friends.”

John Skelley, of Johnstown Welding Fabrication Industries human resources department, said his company hired more than 100 skilled machinists and welders from this area in the past year.

“These are people from this area who want to stay in the area,” Skelley said. “We want to continue to do the good work we have done ... in the defense industry.”

Marcine Glover, who is an artist and teacher, also was on hand to lend her support to Murtha. Glover’s husband went to Murtha’s office in an effort to find work within the federal bureau of prisons system.

“(Murtha) brought in jobs for more than 200 families to live here,” Glover said of area prison jobs. “Why would you vote to have jobs taken away. We call earmarks jobs.”

Murtha said local folks have benefited from jobs and from people moving to the area for work.

“These are highly skilled jobs,” Murtha said of some of the positions. “People are moving here from down South, instead of the other way around.”