First salvo in “attack Marvin Pratt” campaign has been fired!
03-10-04

Well, it’s started!

What’s started you ask? The expected dredging up of any and everything trivial as it relates to Mayor Marvin Pratt by the Journal Sentinel as he attempts to make political history on April 6 by becoming Milwaukee’s first African American mayor.

Frankly, we’re somewhat surprised that it’s taken this long for the daily newspaper to come up with something (anything) negative on Pratt and his campaign.

The first salvo by the Journal Sentinel was giving front page coverage to a story revealing that Pratt, as council president before assuming the mayor’s position, spent $600 on a party for alderman and city hall staff after the Common Council approved a city budget in 2001.

Former Congressman Tom Barrett, seizing upon the moment, said the parties were part of a "culture we have to change at city hall."

Pratt explained the parties were a 20-year custom, a reward for the staff’s hard work on the budget. The mayor vowed to end the practice when he’s elected to a full four-year term.

Why all of a sudden is Pratt’s spending $600 on a party celebrating adoption of the annual city budget a big scandal? Such expenditures were never questioned in past years when his predecessors most likely did the same thing! Why make a big deal of it now?

As for Pratt being at Townsend School pressing the flesh while voting was going on inside, we admit the mayor should have exercised better judgement and not have been anywhere near the school or any other polling place during the February 17 primary.

But does it really warrant front page, above the fold coverage? We’re aware of the Journal Sentinel’s endorsement of Pratt’s opponent, former Congressman Tom Barrett, but to openly campaign for him by running such a minor story so prominately—on its front page—indicates the verocity of their supporters.

It seems the newspaper, like many individuals outside Milwaukee’s Black community, are determined to derail Pratt’s campaign any way they can, even if it means reporting on something for which there isn’t even a penalty.

Pratt must explain the alleged irregularities with his campaign’s finances. It’s been reported that a $116,000 discrepancy exists between what is actually in his campaign’s bank account and what was reported to the city election commission.

Our advice for Pratt is to hold a news conference before the end of this week and rebut the challenges to his competence and integrity.

He must address the polling place incident, questions about his campaign’s finances, and the "party expenditure" in a straight forward manner, taking full responsibility and assuring citizens that steps have been taken so none of the incidences happen again.

Pratt must reassure supporters and undecided voters that despite the allegations, he has the experience and integrity to be their mayor—and a good one.

Doing this will allow the mayor to focus on running the city and a mayoral election campaign that, thus far, has been above reproach.

We hope the Journal Sentinel will be as diligent in their "reporting" on Barrett as they have apparently been with Pratt.

Credibility is a mandate; but justice goes both ways. Make certain that it’s not “just us.”