April 22, 2015

Scott Walker Celebrates Earth Day by Proposing To Fire 57 Environmental Agency Employees

Zach Roberts/ZUMA; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth#/media/File:The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg">NASA</a>/Wikimedia Commons


Happy Earth Day! Today is a day we can all band together and share our love for this beautiful planet—or at least drown our sorrows about climate change with nerdy themed cocktails. Later today, President Barack Obama will mark the occasion with a climate-focused speech in the Florida Everglades. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, had a different idea: Fire a big chunk of the state’s environmental staff.

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Fifty-seven employees of the state Department of Natural Resources began receiving formal notices this week that they might face layoff as part of Gov. Scott Walker’s budget for the next two fiscal years…

The DNR’s scientific staff conducts research on matters ranging from estimating the size of the state’s deer herd to to studying the effects of aquatic invasive species. Work is paid for with state and federal funds…

All told, Walker’s budget would cut 66 positions from the DNR. Of this, more than 25% would come from the science group. Cosh said a smaller number of employees received notices than the 66 positions in the budget because some positions targeted for cuts are vacant.

It’s no secret that a signature tactic in Walker’s controversial environmental record has been to degrade the DNR, which in addition to carrying out research is tasked with regulating the state’s mining industries. Still, the timing of this particular announcement is striking. I guess no one marked Earth Day on Walker’s calendar.

Neither Walker’s office nor DNR immediately returned requests for comment.

As consolation for this depressing news, here’s is a webcam of pandas at the San Diego Zoo.

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

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