Mining Walker Plan To Corporatize The DNR - - Unearthing Hypocrisy And Politics

Not so long ago, disgruntled home builder Cathy Stepp blasted the Department of Natural Resources and government.

Her money quote then:

"Just another example of the democrats game plan: Change the Rules to Fit the Players.

Shout it with me, now: HYPOCRISY, THY NAME IS DEMOCRAT."

That helped earn her the job of DNR Secretary from Republican Governor Scott Walker, and both are moving to change the rules to fit the players.

Stepp emailed Department of Natural Resource staffers two days ago and told them the power-grabby Charter status she and Scott Walker envision for the agency would help business interests Up North.

Her money quote now:

we could take steps to improve delivery of services to our customers and clients across all programs. A key in this effort is creation of the Office of Business Development and Economic Sustainability, headed by Al Shea. Our goal here would be to work early and closely with new business ventures to assure all necessary permitting steps are known and that we are consistent so that a new business in northern Wisconsin plays on the same field as a business in the southern Wisconsin and vice versa.

"Change the rules to fit the player?"

That has been Walker's design for the DNR since his election because conservatives like Stepp have constantly attacked the DNR for, as they see it, interfering with their right, as they see it, to do what they want with their land - - despite the need for regulation to preserve common resources that is the entire reason why Wisconsin has a DNR in the first place.

This politically-inspired, Tea Party/libertarian-driven attack on the DNR began with Walker's extraordinary effort to let a Green Bay developer fill a wetland and is continuing with the special, short-permit review envisioned for the Ashland-area iron mine,

I'd say the sky is the limit, but that reminds me Walker has already appointed a former Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce/.home builder/road-builder rep to run the DNR's air quality section.