Sunday, February 2, 2014

Another High-Level Retirement at WI DNR

All still in their 50's.

[57-year-old Mike] Staggs is the third DNR bureau director or divison administrator to retire in recent months. Tim Lawhern, 58, retired as adminstrator of the Law Enforcement and Science Division and Randy Stark, 53, retired as chief warden. 
Maybe "a chamber-of-commerce mentality" is not the ideal management environment for career resource specialists, let alone the best choice for pollution prevention.

Sunday note: I appreciate the comments from current and former DNR staffers, but some I can't print because they name names of people no longer there. 

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

It has to be hell for people who care about science and care about nature to work under Cathy Stepp.

Anonymous said...

Cathy Stepp is the equivalent of the fox in the hen house. As another long time DNR employee, and recent retiree, it saddens me to see the disrespect of DNR employees by Stepp and her cronies. The morale of DNR employees is worst it's been in my entire career.

Anonymous said...

Cathy Stepp running DNR is the equivalent of the fox in the hen house. As another long time DNR employee, and recent retiree, it saddens me to see the disrespect by Stepp and herm cronies. The moral at DNR is the worst it's ever been due to Stepp.

James Rowen said...

I'd like to post some comments coming in from past and present DNR staffers but some are too personal about people there or recently retired. Anecdotes are good but take a second look at what you are sending, pls.

Laurette said...

These people are professionals. They have spent their lives studying their particular areas of expertise. To lose them is a loss to all of us.

Ron from IL said...

The fact that should be alarming is that these individuals can retire with full benefits in their mid 50s.

Only in government....

James Rowen said...

Whatever benefits these people receive were negotiated principally by the Thompson and Doyle administrations and approved by several Legislatures.

Anonymous said...

Ron form IL:

Staggs doesn't get full benefits, nor Starks. Lawhern may if he had enough years in protective service.

Bill Kurtz said...

The comment by Ron from IL is a textbook example of the classic definition of a cynic, someone who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.

Anonymous said...

@Bill Kurtz -

The "value of nothing" is early retirement.

Early retirement is in almost all cases an unfunded liability on the pay as you go system. That means working employees are screwed out of raises, or get fired, or co-pay for their health insurance and pension plan.

The money comes from somewhere other than just additional tax increases.

It doesn't matter which politician kissed the ring of government employees; there is a financial fallout.

The Milwaukee County Board leads the way by example of insane fiscal policy.

Anonymous said...

anon @ 5:51:

Better read up on WRS. You have it all wrong.