Proposed Budget Cuts

[Little Dave]

Link to the proposed cuts for the WDFW:
http://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget09/highlights/#naturalresources

Some highlights.
Natural Resources budget is cut 12.2%
WDFW budget is cut 7.2%

Spending Cuts:
-$8,100,000  Reduce Fish Production
-$7,655,000  Balance To Available Revenue
  "Hatcheries to be closed are the Colville, Omak, Arlington,
      Mossyrock, and McKernan hatcheries.
-$2,200,000  Reduce Wildlife Management
   "There will be a reduction of data collected to determine
      whether elk and deer population levels meet recreational needs."
-$2,100,000  Reduce Habitat Protection
-$1,600,000  Reduce Enforcement Officers
   "approximately seven positions will be eliminated"
-$1,200,000  Reduce Information Technology and Agency Management   
  -$784,000  Reduce Outreach and Education
   "The subsidy of state general funds to help support hunter and
      other educational programs is reduced by 40 percent."   
  -$300,000  Eliminate Aviation Facility
  -$223,000  Oil Spill Account Shortfall   

Spending increases:
$2,874,000  Employee Health Insurance
  $880,000  Enhance Recreational Shellfish Opportunities   
  $294,000  Implement Hatchery Reform Actions   

Other adjustments:
-$4,730,000  Governor-Directed Freeze
-$1,080,000  Governor-Directed 1% Cut   
-$3,995,000  Actuarial Method Changes #   

Subtotal  -$29,919,000

[yelp]

If governors budget is approved by legislature...

After reading some of the reports like above it looks like WDFW could be reduced by 180 -220 FTE's

If I remember what I read state pay increases were put on hold by governor even after union contracts were approved..many teachers, WDFW biologists, and others..will not be getting pay increases for two + years then I guess will be funded at a later date.  A job however is better than no job...right!

I think they should ask each employee if to show thier fishing or hunting license.  If they don't have one let them go! The number would probably shock us all.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 Has Gregoire's pay been cut also?? Wouldn't she be considered the State "CEO". What was it Obama and Congress said, that CEO's who lose money and make poor decisions should not be rewarded, they should find the door..... Should also apply to elected officials, our tax dollar's are not free to be wasted. How big would that casino tax revenue be now ?? The cut's below are reflective of the fact Gregoire has no comprehension of what the "Evergreen State" really means. The combined nearly 10 million in "moved funds" to the general fund and the cut to wildlife habitat protection directly cut land purchases and management of new lands that would be purchased.

[boneaddict]

She makes me ILLLLLLLLLLL!

[yelp]

 

[rougheye]

How come every time i shoot my bow all i see is her big fat    head in my peep sight   

[PolarBear]

Stupid bitch!   That broad just Cant Understand Normal Thinking!!!!   Can you tell that there are few people on this planet that I despise more than her/it?

[Wacenturion]

Has Gregoire's pay been cut also?? Wouldn't she be considered the State "CEO". What was it Obama and Congress said, that CEO's who lose money and make poor decisions should not be rewarded, they should find the door..... Should also apply to elected officials, our tax dollar's are not free to be wasted. How big would that casino tax revenue be now ?? The cut's below are reflective of the fact Gregoire has no comprehension of what the "Evergreen State" really means. The combined nearly 10 million in "moved funds" to the general fund and the cut to wildlife habitat protection directly cut land purchases and management of new lands that would be purchased.

The proposed cut in "wildlife habitat protection" is likely not what you allude to.  In WDFW that generally means things like permits, Sepa. Nepa and all the Pepa's, water rights, prospecting etc......not state lands, lands for acquisition, you know...things that actually benefit fish and wildlife and the recreational public.  All of those environmental things probably would be better located in the Department of Ecology.

[Dmanmastertracker]

Has Gregoire's pay been cut also?? Wouldn't she be considered the State "CEO". What was it Obama and Congress said, that CEO's who lose money and make poor decisions should not be rewarded, they should find the door..... Should also apply to elected officials, our tax dollar's are not free to be wasted. How big would that casino tax revenue be now ?? The cut's below are reflective of the fact Gregoire has no comprehension of what the "Evergreen State" really means. The combined nearly 10 million in "moved funds" to the general fund and the cut to wildlife habitat protection directly cut land purchases and management of new lands that would be purchased.

The proposed cut in "wildlife habitat protection" is likely not what you allude to.  In WDFW that generally means things like permits, Sepa. Nepa and all the Pepa's, water rights, prospecting etc......not state lands, lands for acquisition, you know...things that actually benefit fish and wildlife and the recreational public.  All of those environmental things probably would be better located in the Department of Ecology.

 I've worked on a few SEPA/ NEPA permitted projects, I've always worked with DOE people on those, though I imagine the DFW might have some administrative oversight of certain SEPA/ NEPA issues affecting State land's, but I can't see where that would create a need for a 2+ million budget cut in that area (they don't pay their people that much! . At any rate the general fund cut of nearly 8 million is a huge hit, that alone could buy ten's of thousand's of acre's in habitat. I agree the DOE should take the hit as far as permitting, if that is indeed what the cut is for, rather than DFW.

[EastWaViking]

how about deporting all illegal aliens, cutting off all welfare, and cut all goveronment spending on Mrs. grinches makeup.  that should put us back in the black.   

[robb92]

Or making the Gov and every member of the state legislator take a big pay cut or give them a dollar a year for pay. To be honest are they doing anything that is really helping the state or just moving on their own programs?

[Diehard0123]

how about deporting all illegal aliens, cutting off all welfare, and cut all goveronment spending on Mrs. grinches makeup.  that should put us back in the black.   

I work for the state and its getting pretty bad. 

[shorthair-on-point]

She has also added completely eliminating the pheasant release program.

[NWTFhunter]

I just sent her a nasty gram with those pay scales included.... Stating that she should be one to take a 12% pay cut.
Lets see if she responds to that.

[yelp]

short-hair on  point where did you find that info about the pheasant release programs...?