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5/16/2005 Joint Finance Committee Proves the Perils of Full-Time Legislators By Patrick Durkin Much like Michael Jackson and runaway brides prove the waste of round-the-clock news broadcasts, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee proves the perils of full-time legislators and no-fail re-elections. By now you’ve heard how the committee wants to divert about $1.4 million from the sale of the state’s turkey, waterfowl and Great Lakes fishing stamps and move it to the general fish and wildlife account. These disrespectful lawmakers propose the diversion, even though their predecessors created those stamp programs decades ago to assure those funds went only to their designated programs. The JFC rationalized this “one-time” diversion, saying it would help recruit and train new conservation wardens, and buy new radios and communications gear for the warden force. Who can be against that, right? Well, it’s still a bad precedent and improper use of segregated funds. And a one-time event? Come on. How many lawmakers can eat just one? Or take just one nip? Please realize the JFC wouldn’t have to divert those funds if they met the governor and Department of Natural Resources even half-way, and raised the cost of a deer license to $25 or $26. Even though the DNR had wide support from hunting and conservation groups to raise that fee from $20 to $32, the JFC decided $24 was good enough. Also realize while the JFC is trying to divert funds, it’s also trying to slash high-ranking warden positions, and arrogantly dismissing those jobs as the domain of lazy “bureaucrats.” The five jobs they propose eliminating are the “regional natural resource warden managers,” posts held by career wardens who have risen through the ranks to oversee one of the DNR’s five districts. Who are these regional wardens? I’m guessing most hunters, trappers and anglers who know wardens Byron Goetsch of Green Bay, Kevin Mikelberg of Milwaukee, Mike Bartz of Spooner, Mark Burmesch of Eau Claire and Barb Wolf of Madison think “Gray Shirt,” not “Bureaucrat” when hearing their names. The same goes for their predecessors, such as Larry Kriese of Green Bay, Tom Harrelson of Madison, Jim Blankenheim of Rhinelander, Rolland Lee of Green Bay, John Plenke of Spooner, Doug Hoskins of Milwaukee and Dave Zeug of Spooner, to name a few. Lawmakers, predictably, say the state needs more wardens patrolling the fields, not pushing paper in the office. Such stereotypes might play in Potosi and Poplar, but they’re insults that minimize the efforts of these veteran wardens. No one accused Bartz of being a bureaucrat when he organized wardens, sheriff’s deputies and other law-enforcement officers in Sawyer County last November to snare Chai Soua Vang as he left the woods after killing six deer hunters. Blankenheim didn’t hide behind his file cabinets when angry mobs crowded North Woods boat landings during demonstrations against Chippewa spearing rights 20 years ago. And Kriese looked more comfortable toting a Thermos than pouring office coffee while coordinating containment and evacuation efforts in 1996 when a train derailed in Weyauwega. Just last fall while filling in for a warden called to active military duty, Goetsch didn’t need to brush up on the regulations book when helping Warden Mike Young nab nine violators near Shiocton for multiple waterfowl violations. Goetsch also needs no reminders of how to run all-night stake-outs to protect spawning sturgeon on the Wolf River. When lawmakers say they’re putting more wardens into the field, ask for specifics. Wisconsin’s DNR is authorized to employ 203 wardens, yet only 172 are on the job. In addition to 28 vacancies, three have been called to active military duty. If you think returning five regional supervisors to the field will help, consider who will handle their administrative duties, which won’t disappear. Lower-ranking wardens will get stuck with them, and where do you think they’ll spend that time, the office or afield? If we want to cut costs, we should consider returning all legislators to part-time service. Either that or make them participate in “take your legislator to work” days so they know something about the jobs they’re trying to eliminate. -- Durkin of Waupaca is a free-lance writer who covers outdoors recreation in Wisconsin. Write to him at 721 Wesley St., Waupaca, WI 54981; or by e-mail at patrickdurkin@charter.net |
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