The yawning chasm of professionalism in Alaska state government Ag, is best exemplified by two state agency publications.
First, let's look at the latest newsletter from the DOA:
Second, take a peek at what the Office of the State Veterinarian published:
Some would say this is comparing apples to oranges. That's laughable when a person remembers how much effort the DOA has put into snaring the OSV and its complex, wide ranging, and important programs and works.
Just how well do you think a part time dirt farmer would do, managing the OSV?
About as good a job as they do producing that newsletter linked above. Please note carefully what they are actually doing, not what they are waving pom poms over.
*cough cough*
5 comments:
Hoo Boy. I almost feel bad commenting on this article. It's like making an easy mark of the "special needs kid" at school, or shooting fish in a barrel, if you will.
So yeah, the differences between the two newsletters is beyond striking, but it's even more crazy when you realize that there's what? - two or three DOZEN staff at the Division of Agriculture? and Agriculture is an entire State DIVISION - which wants to be a Department, by the way (HA!!!), while the FIVE employees at the State Vet office make up only one small program out of many programs under the DEC's Division of Environmental Health. Am I reading that right?! Wow.
It would be interesting to see what the budgets of those two programs are (the Ag DIVISION vs. the Vet Program) so we can really see how much bang we are getting for our buck from each. Anybody know?
It's also pretty telling to see that most of the "accomplishments" in the Agriculture newsletter are grant projects that other people - farmers or other agencies - are doing, while Ag is patting themselves on their backs for it. I'm sure that Division of Agriculture is happy to take the credit for their work though, and of course, probably skim a "grant management fee" off the top of each of their grants to keep Ag staff on the payroll. Does that make them anything more more than money changers?
In fairness though, it must be hard to have to report on your work activities during June, when you're spending most of your "office hours" trying to run your strawberry farm across the street.
And I can't hardly wait to see which Ag staff friend/relative will be nominated for the Farm Family of the Year this year. (by a letter written by Division of Ag staff again, no doubt) Bets, anybody?
My guess Johanna will choose Amy's submission of the Alaska Berries family. It definitely won't be from the Interior again.
The budget for DOA was 2.4 million, for last year, according to www.missioncritical.com
What is most curious is this:
They (Dear Director? Someone else?) have let quite a few long time staff go. Such as the ever productive Ms. Haralson, no longer employed by DOA as of July 1st. Now, for those that do not know....PCNs seldom go away. That is, the positions are still fully funded, but vacant. If they fire a person who has, say, 20 years in state employment, the position will remain funded at that elevated rate. However, they will replace the employee with a new hire-at much less cost. The difference remains in their little department piggy bank (basically, it's actually much more complicated than that).
Just what are the plans for that little slush fund they're feeding over there, one wonders.
Lora was bumped by an employee with higher seniority then her. She wasn't fired.
"She wasn't fired". Yeah, that's right. She was "bumped". By one of the OTHER Admin staff they were also retaliating against. After 20, 25, 30+ years. "Bumped" so that the current management could make room in the budget for the brand new, "wet behind the ears" staff who were recently hired to be trained (and trained, and trained, and trained some more, but who cares about money anyway?) to take a completely unnecessary and redundant job doing tasks that are already being done (much more efficiently, by experienced staff)at another agency. What could possibly be wrong with that - at least when you've got The Governor in your pocket, and the public isn't any the wiser? Time to talk, Lora. The Division has stripped you not only of your job, but also of only any reason you had to keep quiet. What've you got to lose?
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