Yesterday acting Milwaukee County Executive Lee Holloway appointed former acting Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt to serve as interim Milwaukee County Executive until after the April 5 election.
Holloway said Pratt would carry out County Board policy, and Pratt suggested his role would be more a caretaker than someone who would launch major initiatives. Pratt said he wanted to help implement Holloway’s mental health overhaul during his brief tenure in the county’s top job and noted he isn’t planning any major staff changes or firings.
“I’ve already done that,” Holloway joked, at a press conference announcing his selection of the City Hall veteran.
To be honest, I’m more than a little surprised Holloway didn’t appoint himself as interim County Executive, given how highly Lee Holloway thinks of Lee Holloway, but I suppose Holloway didn’t want to name himself, be forced to resign his seat on the County Board, and risk being completely out of a job come April 5.
In response to Holloway’s choice of Marvin Pratt as interim County Executive, former Democratic State Senator Jim Sullivan (himself a County Executive candidate) issued a brief statement praising the choice of Pratt:
“I have confidence in Marvin Pratt as a capable leader to hold the office of County Executive until the voters of Milwaukee County elect a new leader,” Sullivan said. “I know Marvin will work to get Milwaukee County back on track, but I hope he plans to leave long-term decisions to the next elected Executive.”
“I suppose Holloway didn’t want to name himself, be forced to resign his seat on the County Board, and risk being completely out of a job come April 5.”
You got that right, Zach. Lee’s crooked, not stupid.
Reading Sullivan’s statement of confidence in Pratt convinces me the voter’s of his former State Rep. district made the right choice. Moreover, the bitter attitude he displayed in the recent County Exec Q&A forum shows him to be part of the problem in modern politics…entrenched politicians who do nothing but bounce from one political job to the next. A quality that detracts from Jeff Stone as well, but at least Stone offered a more positive perspective.
I don’t know if he’ll get my vote, he might, but Chris Abele seems to have a fresh perspective that is not immersed in partisan politics. His website finally has some substance to it, but it is long on goals and short on methods at this time.
By bitter, Ron means that Sullivan criticized the way Scott Walker has been irresponsibly wrecking Milwaukee County.
You’re right John. Incessantly ragging on his predecessor says nothing about what he will do better, just as bashing Bush hasn’t lowered unemployment, home foreclosures or the national debt. Playing the blame game is weak.
Since you brought up Walker, he certainly has plenty of reasons (3.3 billion of them approximately) to blame Doyle for all that’s wrong with Wisconsin. Instead, he’s focused on fixing the problem.
Perhaps you didn’t notice, but Holloway bragged that he and the rest of the County Board were able to “block about 70%” of what Walker wanted to do…including zero percent tax increases. If that’s true, it sounds like the Board is responsible for 70% of the damage to Milwaukee County.
I’m sick of bitter partisanship…and my point is that Abele appeared to be above it.