The contents of any given day are mostly lost from our memories. Instead, we have bookmarks for special occasions, particularly good meals, a favorite song, a good film –and unfortunately life’s tragedies. June 30, 2009 is permanently bookmarked for many people who worked for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources as this was their last day with the agency. The data to support the necessity of layoffs is missing, yet “necessary” quickly spews from the mouths of those in the highest echelons of the DNR.
I don’t believe Peter Goldmark or Lenny Young are necessarily bad people. I think they’re nothing more than political hacks, saying and doing whatever makes them look best on the surface. They’re icebergs, the real details hidden in the colder depths of the water below and only accessible through public disclosure requests.
Doug Sutherland was doing a fine job as Commissioner of Public Lands and lost an election by the narrowest of margins. This was most likely due to his affiliation with the Republican Party at a time when it is extremely unpopular to be with the GOP. The Commissioner of Public Lands has almost nothing to do with party politics except campaigning, something Goldmark seems to have an abundance of energy for.
However, Peter has not lived up to the hype of his campaign. In the picture above he stands in front of a Change We Need sign from the Obama campaign. What changes has Goldmark made? He took credit for positions eliminated by Commissioner Sutherland, immediately set out to remodel his office when discretionary spending was put on hold, laid off a significant number of employees, wrote a letter to the Governor exaggerating the fire fighting usage of the agency’s King Air, and just recently gave an interview with TVW in which he claimed no programs were cut at the DNR and 85 full time positions were sent “out the door” –both claims I question the accuracy of.
This is indeed a change from Sutherland but it is not the Change We Need. Worst than all the feats themselves is how quickly they came about –in less than a year’s time.
The Change We Need?
I’m officially announcing my intentions to run for Commissioner of Public Lands in 2012 if Doug Sutherland does not return to the race. My motto, “One Less Politician To Vote For.” My campaign promise is I will not make any campaign promises I can’t keep. What I have stewing in my mind:
1. Starting with executive management, reduce the number of managers to the bare minimum necessary to function efficiently and eliminate all personal assistants. Their talent can be used in other areas of the agency.
2. Eliminate as many WACs and agency policies as possible, especially those discouraging employees from contacting elected officials. One voice does not reflect a citizen government. Increases in the number of WACs does not reflect a reduction in bureaucracy.
3. Reward employees who come up with money-saving ideas, work in the interest of the public, and speak their mind even when their opinions contrast with those above them. Conflict is an opportunity to learn and will be encouraged.
4. Utilize the agency’s executive liaison to lobby for the elimination of Commissioner of Public Lands as an elected position and instead make it governor-appointed.
These are the 4 principles which would guide my administration and, unlike Goldmark, I’ll stand by them. I will maintain my own blog, keep an open door to all employees, respond to email and phone calls from the public and employees alike –even when it may not be what I want to hear, and do my best to work selflessly for the good of our state. I won’t take any campaign contributions whatsoever and will use social networking as the backbone of my campaign.
I may not have Goldmark’s “scientific” background but I’m certain I could only improve upon the first 7 months of his tenure. I hope Doug will be motivated to run in 2012! If not, maybe he’d like the position of Division Manager.
