Dear Chairman Holloway,

Lee, what’s going on man? So I’m checkin’ out what’s been going on with this new proposal for this train thing from the Racine-Kenosha area up to us and I’m not connecting the dots because you’re now the guy who is opposed to mass transit?

Now you made me a promise. You remember that promise? I know you’re under pressure, but as Chairman you said you were going to stand up. You were going to take it to him. You weren’t going to carry water for him. Now I see this press release that looks like you’re an ally of the same dude who’s cutting bus services and raising your constituents fares. Every single budget he’s putting in these phantom revenues for social services which means more gets cut every year. And now he’s your buddy?

It looks like he’s just stickin’ it to you and you’re cool with that.

There’s something here I’m just not gettin’. Why are you opposing mass transit? The ball was in your court. You couldn’t do anything with it and Walker opposes spending any money, the county’s or otherwise on transportation, so Barrett stepped up and said he would work on it. Now you know it’s his baby. Remember where the money came from? That’s right. That was Barrett who got that money earmarked for the Milwaukee area. That was back when he was in congress. Democratic Tom Barrett. You remember who tried to strip it away? That was Jim Sensenbrenner. Republican Jim Sensenbrenner. And what is Walker? Since when has he supported mass transit? Is there something, some favor, some promise, some… something, that he’s done since the last budget that has made you think he’s an alright guy?

This is wrong. You know it. I know it.

Now if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck; and baby it’s quackin’, well I’ve got to tell you my friend — it’s a duck.

So tell me Lee, why are you whacking away at Barrett? The word is hitting the net that you’re thinking about another run for Mayor of Milwaukee. What’s up with that?

Now you have more raw talent than most politicians I’ve know. I’ve seen you work your magic behind doors that can make a persons head spin. But where has that magic been these last couple of years? You had divisions on the board and you shut that down but what has been accomplished in the last few years? It seems that you haven’t really led the board and now you want to run a city? Hey, I’m sorry but you’ve got to get it right in the job you’re doing before it’s your time to take a shot at the big job.

Now you can whack away at Barrett but it’s not going to win you the seat. Just look at the numbers.

So tell me Lee, what was it? What did you get for whacking Barrett? I know you don’t do anything without a purpose. You know it, I know it and our parents didn’t raise fools. If all you got for siding with Walker was a promise that he’ll sit this Mayoral thing out, you pulled the short stick. Walker doesn’t keep his promises — you should know that. The rest of the board knows it. The business community knows it.

You know what? It’s still tough for me to be hard on you. I know about so many of the good things you’ve done behind the scenes. But Lee, what you’re doing just isn’t right.

Jim