Don't Cross Boss Holloway

The farce that is the Milwaukee County Board continues its dismal course.

Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway announced demotions Thursday of two colleagues who recently have turned up the heat on Holloway over the ethics charges he is contesting.

Supervisor Joseph Rice was bumped, effectively immediately, from the acting chairmanship of a committee that deals with ethics and law enforcement issues, while Supervisor John Weishan Jr. was removed from the same panel, the Judiciary Committee. Rice remains on the committee as vice chairman.

Holloway offered no explanation for those changes and several other moves.

He didn't have to.

Holloway is bullying those who dare to question his leadership, his qualifications and his ethics.

Weishan, who was reassigned to a lesser committee, Intergovernmental Relations, saw Holloway's move as retaliation. Weishan said he asked Holloway last week to turn over a copy of his 2005 office calendar. Weishan and other supervisors are trying to oust Holloway from leadership by asserting that he has neglected his official duties.

A majority of supervisors has tried unsuccessfully to get Holloway to step down temporarily as chairman until the ethics case is resolved.

Rice's predecessor as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Supervisor Gerry Broderick, resigned in protest last June after Holloway declined to step down. In September, Holloway stripped Supervisor Roger Quindel of a major committee chairmanship after Quindel blasted Holloway's work habits.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel archives are filled with accounts of Holloway's boorish behavior. Look at these, from just the past seven months:

1/3/06: Holloway to appeal order to turn over financial records
11/2/05: Editorial: Trampling on free speech
9/14/05: 8 supervisors seek options for ouster
10/13/05: Holloway ethics case advances
9/2/05: Holloway strikes back
8/31/05: Holloway sues ethics investigator over probe
8/16/05: Lawyer picked to handle ethics case
7/28/05: Board OKs money for Holloway case
7/21/05: County Board panel backs funds for Holloway case
7/5/05: Outside review urged for Holloway
6/29/05: Holloway says he won't resign post
6/27/05: 11 on board urge Holloway to step aside
6/21/05: Ethics inquiry to proceed
6/15/04: Board divided on Holloway
6/14/05: Ethics Board charges Holloway

There may be more to this than pure political retaliation, too.

Holloway promoted a crony, Supervisor Willie Johnson, as the new chair of the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over confirmation of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's new appointee to the county Ethics Board, Don Uebelacker.

Ubelacker was one of the founders of Citizens for Responsible Government, the group that has spearheaded the recalls of several county supervisors in the past few years. Ubelacker, as a member of the Ethics Board, would be a particular thorn in Holloway's side. The Ethics Board issued a 90-count civil ethics complaint against Holloway last year (That's right, 90 counts!) and it likely will have to vote on any action taken against Holloway if he is found in violation of county ethics laws.

So, kudos to Supervisors Rice, Quindel, Broderick and Weishan for not putting up with Holloway's crap. But shame on any supervisor who has remained silent, or worse yet, continues to serve as one of Holloway's chosen committee chairs. If you are benefiting from Holloway's patronage, you share the blame. You are empowering this guy.

In June, when the majority of the supervisors asked that Holloway step down as chairman as he fights his ethics charges, it seemed as if there was an appetite for real change. But without any follow up actions, that move was merely symbolic.

There are several steps the Board could take. Among them:

1. Cut Holloway's pay. (As board chair his salary is greater than that of a regular board member)
2. Conduct a vote of no confidence
3. Censure Holloway
4. Remove him as chair

The time for hollow gestures are over. As long as Holloway is still around, his stink is on the entire Milwaukee County Board.

And come to think of it...Walker himself should be more vocal here.