“Chris Abele seeks to divide the black community”
Chris Abele’s new campaign strategy is to drive a wedge in the black community in order to score a win on April 5th.
If you have been paying attention to local media over the last three weeks you’ve heard a consistent theme play out: Chris Abele’s new campaign strategy is to drive a wedge in the black community in order to score a win on April 5th.
There have been some incendiary comments made in reference to black elected officials who have chosen to support Senator Chris Larson for Milwaukee County Executive. Election season is known to bring out a cast of characters who pull a range of political stunts to advance their agendas but there are certain lines that shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to politics in the Black community. These lines are very hard to come back from after the polls close, and at the end of the day we have too much work to do to allow our community to be irreparably divided.
Chris Abele has shown himself to be unwilling to be accountable by failing to engage the public in hearings accessible to our community and has rarely appeared on community talk radio until election season. Larson has been an accessible leader who works to build coalitions that are accountable to the people. Those who endorse Abele have yet to point out which of his policies they support. Is it his treks back and forth to Madison to lobby his Republican friends to give him more power over the elected county board that serves our community? Is it his veto of the living wage ordinance seeking to deny many in our community a pathway out of poverty? Or maybe they appreciated his “boldness” when he conspired with Republicans to take over and close our MPS schools? No, instead the focus has been placed on a heated exchange his opponent had with a Senate colleague, words he as since reached out and apologized for, while failing to hold Abele accountable for actions taken against Black county workers.
We call on the black voters to use their own discernment and not be caught up in the low level antics of the political season. Do we want an executive who publicly disrespects our community and an entire legislative branch of government by excluding them from the process? Or do we change course and elect an executive that is willing to partner with local elected officials, work with the legislative branch and actually adheres to the process of governing? We must change course NOW. We cannot afford another 4 years of Abele.
By State Representative David Bowen (D-10) and Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde (District 10).
Team Supreme 4 County
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Sup. Supreme Moore Omokunde
I disagree in part with Supreme Moore Omokunde press release. First, “Chris Abele’s new campaign strategy is to drive a wedge in the black community in order to score a win on April 5th.”
My opinion is Chris Abele and Larson both are hammering on a wedge that divides Black Milwaukeeans and was present long before Abele became County Executive of Milwaukee County – that wedge is the lack of Black unity between Blacks in the City of Milwaukee.
Black Milwaukeeans “disunity” during local and State elections are always presented with the “lesser of two evils.” The fact that Milwaukee holds the crown of the most hyper-segregated city in the nation exposes the fact that previous White-male elected leadership (State and Local) gave two cents to the ill social conditions too many Black Milwaukeeans experience.
Due to the constant shortage of jobs in the city, due to the lack of public transportation to available job openings in surrounding towns and villages, and most importantly, due to White-male business employer’s, construction / trades, manufacturing, sales and service leaders unwilling to hire and train Black-male applicants to fully participate in the city and county area workforce.
Mayor Barrett even eliminated Milwaukee “minority hiring quoted” years ago and not one Black elected politicians opposed him but rather many stood beside him while he made that move public by declaring to White male employers and businessmen “Milwaukee is open for Business.”
Black Congresswoman Gwen Moore supports Mayor Barrett during all his re-election campaigns and his failed Governor run for the State, I remember Congresswoman Moore stating “Mayor Barrett has a plan for Milwaukee.” She never stated what his plan was, nor did Tom Tom ever claim he had a plan or how it would benefit the Black community.
Today we have her son attempting to play Wisconsin politics. Yet not knowing Milwaukee and State politics stone was cast and set by the founding fathers of the City and County of Milwaukee, to rest on the backs of Black citizens residing in this hyper-segragated city.
The proof is in the pudding as my dear mother would say. Please tell me Sup. Moore Omokunde and David Bowen – What does Larson have in plan for Black Milwaukeeans that previous White male politicians ‘overlooked’? Since White males have been running and controlling the business of government and commerce with the ill intent to limit Black men and women advancement in all WI society institutions since 1846 here in Wisconsin?