Another day, another piece of propaganda from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
And it's a perfect example of bread-and-circuses DNR management and communications - - which we've see before with morale-building? staff parties - - when, in fact, budget cuts, layoffs, attacks on science, negation of mission and agency-wide disruption are more the consistent norm.
Along with fantasizing of a world where agency staffers could be manipulated by Stepp like McDonald's employees she once supervised without those pesky DNR unions, worker experience and maturity.
All implemented by Scott Walker through his intentional 'chamber of commerce mentality' and anti-environmental agency oversight with damaging impacts by Cathy Stepp, current DNR Secretary and long-time agency and public employee critic whom Walker put atop the department to dismantle it.
Here's the story:
The DNR this week issued a news release touting recycling awards it made to several communities.
Yea!! for the environment, and for Walker and the DNR for their leadership.
But the true facts are that Walker has continually attacked state recycling - - calling for its total elimination and defunding in his first budget - - and then settling for repetitive cuts - - a history I've noted on this blog - - that have reduced recycling statewide, as shown in this news story earlier this year:
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Same with their voter obstruction: They erect barriers to balloting, then come up at the last minute with some insincere and ineffective voter ID 'solutions' to the problems they created.
Same with their recent 'plan' to recycle manure from the huge feedlots they are enabling with fewer regulations - - a non-plan introduced only because the federal government had come to the State Capitol for a hands-on inspection of DNR records which have shown a five-year contempt for state enforcement of the US Clean Water Act.
We're on to this Walker-style governance by news release.
And it's a perfect example of bread-and-circuses DNR management and communications - - which we've see before with morale-building? staff parties - - when, in fact, budget cuts, layoffs, attacks on science, negation of mission and agency-wide disruption are more the consistent norm.
Along with fantasizing of a world where agency staffers could be manipulated by Stepp like McDonald's employees she once supervised without those pesky DNR unions, worker experience and maturity.
All implemented by Scott Walker through his intentional 'chamber of commerce mentality' and anti-environmental agency oversight with damaging impacts by Cathy Stepp, current DNR Secretary and long-time agency and public employee critic whom Walker put atop the department to dismantle it.
Here's the story:
The DNR this week issued a news release touting recycling awards it made to several communities.
Recipients of the DNR's annual Recycling Excellence Awards are selected based on their achievements in one of four categories: projects and initiatives; overall program; special events; and innovation. This is the award program's fourth year.The inference: recycling is a big, ongoing Walker/Stepp administration priority.
Yea!! for the environment, and for Walker and the DNR for their leadership.
But the true facts are that Walker has continually attacked state recycling - - calling for its total elimination and defunding in his first budget - - and then settling for repetitive cuts - - a history I've noted on this blog - - that have reduced recycling statewide, as shown in this news story earlier this year:
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker April 27 signed legislation to increase recycling grant funding in the state, but the money is still short of where it was when Walker took office...
The legislation increases by $3 million the recycling grant funding provided to the state Department of Natural Resources for fiscal 2015-16. The DNR issues the grant money to local governments for efforts that “positively impact the day-to-day operations of local government recycling programs.”
The measure, passed with bipartisan support in the Assembly and the Senate, is intended to reduce the harm caused by a $4 million cut to the state recycling program in the 2015 budget bill...
In its campaign to restore funding, the nonprofit Clean Wisconsin informed its membership that the $4 million cut to grants for municipalities resulted in cuts to curbside pickup, reduced hours at recycling drop-offs and higher service fees for residents.
“Combined with other cuts over the last five years, recycling funding has been reduced a whopping 53 percent,” CW informed members, urging them to urge Walker to sign AB 515.
The DNR’s overall numbers show residential recycling at:
- 423,661 tons in 2008.
- 420,047 tons in 2010.
- 396,653 tons in 2011.
- 390,770 tons in 2012.
- 412,874 tons in 2013.
From 2010 to 2011, money for the recycling grant funding program went from $32.1 million to $20 million under the Walker administration.
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Classic Walker. He slams K-12 education with cuts, then he and the Legislature restore some money and take credit for being friendly to education.
Same with their recent 'plan' to recycle manure from the huge feedlots they are enabling with fewer regulations - - a non-plan introduced only because the federal government had come to the State Capitol for a hands-on inspection of DNR records which have shown a five-year contempt for state enforcement of the US Clean Water Act.
We're on to this Walker-style governance by news release.
Like Kathy Stepp repeatedly telling staff she has to "make the business case" to the legislature for funding environmental protection when in fact she part of the Walker cabinet behind the budget and staff cuts.
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