From: Governor Christine Gregoire [mailto:Governor.ChristineGregoire@GOVERNOR.WA.GOV]
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:52 PM
To: ALL-STATE-EMPLOYEES@LISTSERV.WA.GOV
Subject: Consolidating State Agencies



Dear Colleague:



Today I will announce further efforts to streamline government and continue to make it more efficient and lean. It is clear, with the $4.6 billion shortfall we face, that business as usual is no longer a way we can operate. We must continue to innovate, transform, and build a 21st century government that meets the needs of this new economy. Making common sense changes that better align some of our agencies and commissions will free vital resources that must go to the essential services we need to preserve: education, health care, social services and public safety.



The ideas came from several of you as well as our Transforming Washington’s Budget Committee. Those of you on the front-line of service and delivery know where efficiencies can be achieved and missions can be maximized. I appreciate your candor and your suggestions.



We currently operate 11 agencies with a role in managing natural resources. This organizational structure is needlessly complex, not always efficient and confusing to the public. In this proposal, we will consolidate 11 agencies into five function-based organizations: fish/wildlife/parks, ecology, agriculture, natural resources and Puget Sound restoration. This effort saves $2.5 million and has a clear purpose of managing and conserving our natural resources in a period of high expectations and limited revenue. It creates a simpler, more accountable structure and not only saves money now, but also sets up these agencies for better long term financial stability.



I am also proposing that we consolidate the state’s five central service agencies into two agencies. Under this plan the Department of General Administration, Office of Financial Management, Department of Personnel, the State Printer, and portions of the Department of Information Services will be merged into two agencies.



The new Department of Enterprise Services will handle facilities and lease management, fleet management, purchasing and contracts, information systems, printing, accounting and human resources—all central services provided to all state agencies. The Office of Financial Management will continue to handle policy, budget, forecasting and labor relations. This measure will save $18.3 million.



In some areas we have had to cut so deeply that entire missions are jeopardized. That is the case for our commissions focused on diversity. Further cuts to those agencies will stop their ability to be effective. Through the new Office of Civil Rights we will consolidate five smaller agencies: the Human Rights Commission, Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise, Commission on African Affairs, Commission on Hispanic Affairs and Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs. By doing this we can eliminate administrative overhead and other duplicative expenses with a savings of $1.4 million.



I am aware that with these consolidations there will be a learning curve and uncertainty. I am also aware that in each of these consolidations we will reduce positions. All told, through these efforts, up to 125 positions will be eliminated in both management and line staff. However, as I’ve said before, if we don’t change government, the public will change it for us—and the results could be much different than the ones I’m proposing. The only way to move beyond this uncertainty is to create a model that we know is efficient and effective and can provide maximum benefit while preserving sacred dollars for the areas we’ve cut the hardest: education, health care, social services and public safety.



More information on the proposals can be found here.



Tomorrow we will release the proposed 2011-13 biennial budget to address our $4.6 billion shortfall. I will send more information on that in the morning. Together we will get through this fiscal crisis.



Thanks,

Chris



As always, I welcome your response, feedback, and suggestions.

In order for the consolidated agency to save significant money, programs and projects will have to be cut or eliminated. Maybe the Gov plans to save money by eliminating the anadromous fish program and handing it off to the tribes. That would save a few bucks.

Wildlife viewing is pretty much the rage these days in both states, won't be much to catch anyway..

Why on earth would PS restoration fall under its own department or agency? This is really going to piss off some E. Washingtonians.

Also, why is there an "African Affairs" department? I didn't know there were that many Africans in Washington State.

What a load of s hit. Politically correct people make me want to bash my head into a cement wall.

Brick do?

Combining Departments in Government has been around before. Everything makes full circle. Back in the 70s some local Goverments decided to consolidate Police and Fire. The theory was that when not responding to a fire, cross breed cop/firefighter could be patroling, but when a fire occurred all he/she would have to do is change into their bunker gear and go fight the fire.

People are and were under the mistaken impression that Police and Fire were closely alligned, they are not, and really two different missions.

I guess the same goes with WDFW. The way I read it, they will be combined with Parks and all I got to say is Good Luck.

McMahon, if you know anything about Washington, it is only about the Seattle/Tacoma/Everett Metro area. Olympia doesn't care about those Rebublican voting hicks on the East side of the state.

Might be right there, don't think the tribes have been to keen on the direction WDFW Commision is trying to take the fisheries.

I do know about politics in Washington. I've spent 8 years of my life in W. Washington. Unfortunately, every time something like this crops up I'm still surprised. I just hope that people in Spokane aren't paying for environmental damages caused by people building their waterfront mansions on the SJ islands.

Eastsiders don't pay for jackschit. Ever. All their bridges, roads, and highways, and infrastructure is paid for by Puget Sound Residents or The Federal Government.. The Seattle/Tacoma/Everett economic engine is what drives this entire state, and hearing dumbfvck hayseeds from Adams County complain about having to pay for this that or the other thing for some 'city slicker libruls' in Seattle is a complete crock of schit.

If it wasn't for tax dollars pouring in from the federal government and revenue from Puget Sound commerce, Eastern WA would still be using kerosene for light, horses to get around, and wooden planks for bridges, like they were before FDR's New deal formed the BPA and brought the 1880's to 1930's Eastern WA with all those evil, icky tax dollars Eastsiders complain about so much.

If Eastern WA wants to become it's own state so fuggin bad, I say let 'em, but first we take back all the stuff we bought for them. We dynamite the dams and bridges, tear up the highways, knock down the hospitals, schools, and universities, fill in the irrigation canals, and finally spool up the miles of powerlines and then we'll see how fast their tune on taxes changes while they sit in that arid scabland and try to figure out how to bang two rocks together.

Maybe we should blow the passes too, so they don't load up their pick ups a la Grapes of Wrath and come over here to the westside and fvck up our school levies with their teabaggery.

I always wanted to move to the East Side, never figured it would be such a free ride...

Keith

The anti-Big City sentiments coming out of E.Wa. are of the same stripe as those coming out of all the flyover states...we on the coasts, through our tax dollars, pay for all their schit...they NEVER pay as much into the very socialist system they despise as they take out of it.

They are the ultimate wealth distributing socialists...it's just that since it gets distributed to them, they don't seem to find a problem with it...especially those anti-Socialist farmers that suck the government teat so hard it leaves bruises.

Fish on...

Todd

Don't even get me started.

That fvcktard azzwipe teabagger Didier that lost to Rossi gets more welfare in the form of farm subsidies per year than 100 Ghetto Mommas with 10 kids apiece.

Welfare's apparently just fuggin' peachy-keen A-OK when it goes to rich white rednecks.

Now that I won't argue. It's always been one of the things that right-wing farmers do that makes me scratch my head.

It's kind of like this:

[img:left]http://markc1.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451bb2969e20120a5c02dda970c-800wi[/img]

Exactly.

The eastside should have their own state....they've wanted it for years.

Too bad the [censored] tard liberals won't let it happen. They HAVE to pay for those ghetto babies off the backs of someone...might as well be working folks.

Viaduct

520

Martin Loother King Cunty Snow removal

Entitlement programs for the lazy and stupid

Traffic light Cams

Faggot rights

Ban smokeless cigarettes

How the [censored] could such a useless group of city dwellers and balllickers survive if it wasn't for farmers?

Oh RVW that is not fair! You know you can not grow food in cement and asphalt! In fact the amount of food available in the average city is measured in days ( anybody know the number ) so if a major disaster occurs they suffer most. Urban populations can not get by without the rural ones and the same applies reversed. Urban areas are dependant on government to deliver basic services or they bite the dust, literally. Rural areas depend on the urban funded infrastructure for a elevated transportation network and some other basics that allows their standard of living and are much more self reliant for basics. They will take subsidies as no one with half a brain turns down a sack of cash.

Always marveled at the silly lack of understanding and how both sides of the population whack away at each other, yet both would be in the toilet with out the other.

I doubt farmers would be hollerin' for fags and ghetto babies to help them.

Next up....city dwellers telling us how great their window garden produces.