How Long Will Milwaukee County Remain An Ethics-Free Zone?What's Next in Holloway Saga?

Taxpayers, and embattled Milwaukee County Board chairman Lee Holloway as a matter of fact, will be denied justice and due process if his case is cut short because of lack of funds. Despite the setback in the Finance Committee last week, and the subsequent resignation of two members of the Ethics Board, all hope is not lost regarding achieving a final, justifiable outcome in the Holloway saga.

In fact, I believe continued public funding of the Holloway ethics probe and prosecution of can still happen.

But several other things need to happen in order for the case to fully run its course.

• The mainstream media, most notably the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel needs to do more. The Journal Sentinel needs to devote greater attention within its news pages and express greater indignation on its editorial page. Their coverage has been hit or miss throughout. They have the resources and the reporters to examine the players and the potential direction this saga will take. Why, for example, do Marina Dimitrijevic and Peggy West support Holloway? Has he aided their campaigns? Their careers? What have they heard from their constituents on this matter?
  
  
• County Executive Scott Walker needs to be more vocal in expressing his feelings on all of this. I’ve made no secret of my belief that Scott, who has established a well-earned reputation as a reformer, needs to expend some political capital on the Holloway situation. For the last several years, Scott was the face of the efforts to reform Milwaukee County government. He had no problems ripping what he saw as the previous ethical lapses of board members. His heretofore passive approach toward Holloway has been odd, and it has been noticeable. Frankly, I believe he could almost single-handedly provide enough momentum to see this through if he was so motivated. His office number is 414-278-4211.
  
  
• Liberals and conservatives need to work together to effectively reinvigorate the Milwaukee County Board, this year, to engage on the Holloway matter. It will take the continued efforts of liberals like Roger Quindel, moderates like Luigi Schmitt, and conservatives like Joe Rice to put ideological differences aside so that the board can move forward.
  
  
• People need to let their Supervisors know their feelings on this matter.

Now, Citizens for Responsible Government is trying to organize a rally to raise funds to privately pay for the prosecution of the ethics case. I am not in favor of this approach for a few reasons.

One, it’s convoluted. This is a matter of public integrity and to go this route lets the County Board off the hook. Two, it will not be a well-organized or well-attended event and it won’t accurately reflect the breadth of taxpayer and voter dissatisfaction with Holloway’s handling of both his chairmanship and his ethics probe. Three, CRG’s involvement will be divisive and will threaten the needed coalition referred to previously. I am not discouraging people from attending the rally, however calling their board member and getting others to do so is a more immediate and effective way to bring about the results they desire.

I expect that as more members of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors hear from their constituents, they will find a way to bypass the Holloway crony-stacked Finance committee and bring the matter to the full board.

Any Milwaukee County resident can call the main switchboard at 414-278-4222 and after giving the receptionist your address and you will be directed to your supervisor's office. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.Feel free to pass the link to this post to any Milwaukee County taxpayer you know.