See story at this link:
WDFW merger link

OMFG! Say it ain't so!

Does her administration do this unilaterally, or will this be an act of the legislature?

Has to be an act of the legislature, however she is using it as a cost savings in her 1st budget proposal, commonly called her book 1 budget. Essentially if the legislature decides to not merge, then they will be forced to cut elswhere in her proposed budget to make up for the intended savings generated from the merger.

If you didn't have a reason to hate that ol' buzzard already, now you do!

If they merge, where will my license money go?

Who knows what is lurking under the dome in Olympia. With Ref. 45, the people told the legislature and Governor how they wanted the fish and wildlife resources managed. I don't want to lose that.

We need more information (by yesterday) to see what is being considered.

Who selects the new Dept head?
Who selects the Commission?
Will the old Depts be re-structured as Divisions under the new section
and will job descriptions (LE, for example) be consolidated?
How will the RCWs be changed?
Will the Commission still have selection authority for the Director?

It's going to be interesting and we'll have to stay on top of things.

Go????????????????

GDMIT!

Just when it seems we have taken a step forward we get stuff like this thrown at us!


Fishy

Interesting? Dumber'n'hell if y'ask me.....

I hope that no one complaining about it on this thread voted for the "end the unfair tax on candy and soda!"...

Fish on...

Todd

...or for anything that Tim Eyeman ever had anything to do with.

Fish on...

Todd

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire on Tuesday announced a plan that would consolidate several state agencies and eliminate three dozen boards and commissions, a move she says will save the state nearly $30 million over the next two years.

Gregoire said her proposal would reduce the number of state agencies from 21 to nine, saving the state $22 million.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Recreation and Conservation Office and the law enforcement unit of the Department of Natural Resources would be consolidated into a new Department of Conservation and Recreation....

So Washington is facing a $8 billion dollar budget short fall, what's your suggestion on how the state can deal with this issue?
Increase taxes? Increase user fees? Scale back services?
Why is consolidating these agencies a bad thing?

Great another great Idea by our gov agian, Isn't she doing a great job, we were in the black when she came into office, and now were deep in the red, Whats next OMFG

The way I see it, it can't get much worse. Give it a fair and objective review before condemning it outright. And like Todd said, don't complain if you voted to repeal the candy and beer taxes.

Todd, the candy tax accounted for how much of the total effing hole shes put us in? Why is Eyeman asking the state legislature to honor the referendums we voted for bad?

Ken Jacobsons vision will finally come to fruition and the Governer will replace the wildlife commision with a computer terminal that isnt plugged in.

Whod a thunk? Oh, I guess a lot of people saw it coming in 2005 but we chose to ignore her lies. This was a long time coming.

http://www.effwa.org/highlighters/v15_n9.php

Tax on,

Dave

Oh yes it can get worse but that is a given. The interesting thing about this thread or the issue as a whole is, Why? Why is the awnser always raise taxes rather than reform the manner the state agencies do business. This state spends a lot of money and yet falls short on education, well many things really.

I have been around two ( well three really ) agencies most of my life, WDF&W / DSHS / old game. Of this only the old Game Dept was managed well as it was dependant on fees and licenses, so it was well aware of who its customers were..............sportsman. The other two are shambles as to any efficiency.

A former Director once told me he did not know how his staff could piss off everyone ( including the Leg ) they came in contact with but they seemed to succeed even beyond his wildest dreams. ( or fears ) This is a self inflicted wound in the case of WDF&W.

Freespool,

A major reason for concern about consolidating agencies is that the track record shows that the suggested or intended savings don't come about, or at least don't occur as a result of the consolidation.

You merge 3 agencies, and the former 3 directors or their replacements become the 3 deputy directors of the new agency, which then has 1 new "super-director" appointed to oversee the whole shebang. Along with other add-ons, total costs go up, not down. In order to reduce costs, programs and projects, and their associated personnel, have to be cut or eliminated. Greater efficiency is a talked about but almost never realized outcome in gov't. service.

Sg

"Gregoire also wants to create an Office of Civil Rights, which would encompass the consolidation of the state's Human Rights Commission, Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprise, Commission on African Affairs, Commission on Hispanic Affairs and Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs."