Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Cathy Stepp, Walker's DNR Secretary, Has Short Memory

DNR Cathy Stepp, spinning away from her agency's diminished number of inspections and enforcement actions, writes an op-ed defense in the Journal Sentinel that begins with this line:

"When I first walked through the Department of Natural Resources' front doors, I had no idea what I would find."

Well, she sure had said she knew exactly what was going at the DNR in 2009 when she ripped and mocked the agency - - and got the attention of Scott Walker, who said she was just the person he wanted to run it.

Stepp said, in part, though I recommend you read to her full-throated ALL CAPS ending:

"Those of you that haven't had the pleasure of peeking behind the scenes of our state agencies like DNR, Health and Family Services, etc...need to know how some of the most far-reaching policies come down on our heads...

For example, people who go to work for the DNR's land, waste, and water bureaus tend to be anti-development, anti-transportation, and pro-garter snakes, karner blue butterflies, etc...This is in their nature; their make-up and DNA. So, since they're unelected bureaucrats who have only their cubicle walls to bounce ideas off of, they tend to come up with some pretty outrageous stuff that those of us in the real world have to contend with...

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4 comments:

  1. enoughalreadyMay 23, 2012 at 10:46 PM

    I think Walker is very vulnerable on the environment. His DNR has been reckless and irresponsible.

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  2. stevetaylor199May 23, 2012 at 11:00 PM

    Cathy Stepp yesterday: "many of these great ideas (sarcasm) come from deep inside the agencies and tend to be reflections of that agency's culture.

    "...since [DNR staff are] unelected bureaucrats who have only their cubicle walls to bounce ideas off of, they tend to come up with some pretty outrageous stuff that those of us in the real world have to contend with."

    Cathy Stepp today: "I found an incredibly talented and passionate workforce that had fantastic ideas on how to "fix" the DNR."

    ReplyDelete
  3. hankdogMay 24, 2012 at 11:39 AM

    Great post ! Keep the fires burning.

    I was one of those "snake and butterfly" guys for 32 years, and damn proud of it. After a year of listening to Stepp's babble and witnessing her incomprehensible incompetence I pulled the plug. I sleep much better now. Stepp is a disgrace to all the past, present and future DNR employees. Folks like Leopold and Besadny must be spinning in their graves .

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  4. UnknownMay 27, 2012 at 10:02 AM

    Um, isn't it the DNR's *job* to look after and protect Wisconsin's natural resources. Businesses have plenty of agencies (governmental and non-) looking out for their interests; they really don't need yet another.

    ReplyDelete