As politicians debate the need to get government workers back into the office, we should act on a major lesson from this pandemic: if the state government can function with its state employees working from home, it can certainly function with state agencies headquartered outside of Madison.
That’s why Wisconsin’s government should focus on moving agencies out of Madison to where they fit best. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture can be closer to real Wisconsin dairy farmers than Mickies Dairy Bar in Madison. That goes for other state agencies too, starting with the Department of Natural Resources.
Situating our agencies in and around the communities they serve will help our public servants hear directly from Wisconsin citizens who otherwise feel voiceless. It also saves taxpayers from the sky-high office costs in the City of Madison, and allows parts of the state other than Madison to benefit from the positive economic impact generated by state government.
Owen
Everything but tech support.
Launching the campaign, eh?
When she suggests that Wisconsin cut its FTE number by about 15%, and has a plan to do so, we’ll pay more attention.
What, you expect bureaucratd to leave the bright lights of Madison, the parties, the lobbyists, the restaurants, the bars to move to places like Rhinelander, Ladysmith, Beloit or Oconto?
Hmmmm, there already are state offices scattered all over the state. Kleefisch et al need to stay up to date. Including Rhinelander and Oconto Falls.
>there already are state offices scattered all over the state.
That’s not was Kleefisch is advocating for… dummy. Please try harder to understand what you’re posting about, you look like an idiot right now.
Would it not make more sense if say, the head of the DOC was located near Waupun as opposed to Madison, the head of the DOT in Milwaukee, the head of Agriculture in say Monroe and the head of the DNR in Wausau?
I’m pretty sure that is what Kleefisch was saying. Be near where the customers are.
DNR already has the bureau of Forestry in Tomahawk. And regional offices with a full complement of staff in numerous locations. Ditto DOT, DATCP.
A big reason that department HQ’s are in Madison is so the politicians can call on staff, budgeting, UW
And the lobbyists, parties, young coeds, money, restaurants, night life….
>DNR already has the bureau of Forestry in Tomahawk. And regional offices with a full complement of staff in numerous locations. Ditto DOT, DATCP.
All in the article already and so not relevant to Kleefisch’s statements, or your stupid responses. Did you have a stroke over the weekend?
>A big reason that department HQ’s are in Madison is so the politicians can call on staff, budgeting, UW
And that’s the point, dummy, with today’s connected world, they don’t need to physically be next to each other to do their work. Boy, for acting so smart, you really are stupid. Go visit your doctor, you have a problem and probably need a FAST test.
“As politicians debate the need to get government workers back into the office”
This puzzles me. In Wisconsin, they are not?
If this is the case, why not?
And if they are not, then the employees really don’t ever need to be in an office and then the State can stop renting buildings and close down some other state owned buildings. If the 2 GEF buildings are only half filled or less, consolidate them and close 1 down.
j:
Did YOU read what she wrote?
“That’s why Wisconsin’s government should focus on moving agencies out of Madison to where they fit best. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture can be closer to real Wisconsin dairy farmers than Mickies Dairy Bar in Madison. That goes for other state agencies too, starting with the Department of Natural Resources.
Situating our agencies in and around the communities they serve will help our public servants hear directly from Wisconsin citizens who otherwise feel voiceless. It also saves taxpayers from the sky-high office costs in the City of Madison, and allows parts of the state other than Madison to benefit from the positive economic impact generated by state government.”
What part of “Situating our agencies in and around the communities they serve” don’t you understand? DOT, DNR, DATCP have offices all over the state, and have for years. And she sure was aware of that when she was Lt. Gov, as she visited a number of them. For her to make that statement, and you to fall for it, only points out how out of touch she is. Or is she just pandering to the gullible and clueless like you?
BTW: The Bureau of Forestry has had a significant presence in Tomahawk long before Tiffany came along.
Le Roi, shouldn’t the higher ups in the bureaucracy also live in those outside of Madison?
Perhaps, if they had the higher ups in the DOC(?), perhaps they would not have had the problems in Lincoln Hills and the girls prison?
Why do we need the secretaries of an administration be in Madison? There is no real reason, especially in the age of Zoom.
Leroy Cuomo, just stop, you’re embarrassing yourself enough that even I feel bad for you. Be an adult for once.
Le Roi, you do know there was this little thing called the pandemic,it was in almost all the newspapers.
Times have changed and technology has changed.
The higher ups should be out in the field more and rarely on Madison.
Umnnnhhhh.,.,.,
Keep the Cabinet-level officers and a couple high-end admins in Madistan. Everyone else should get out of there.
Don’t want to move? Then you’ll be an important part of our 15% reduction in FTE’s!!
“Situating our agencies in and around the communities they serve” per Kleefisch.
And many agencies already have many of their staff out of Madison. Do you want Cole in Spooner? Thompson in Eau Claire? Romanski in Fond du Lac? How de-centralized to you want them? One in every township?
Cole, yes. Romanski should be in Milwaukee and Thompson in Wausau.
Along with their minions.
I bet we would get more quality workers if they moved out of Madison and moved to where they are most needed.
Another example, why is the State Patrol headquarters located in Madison. They cover just 2 interstates in the County.
They would better serve more people and highway miles up north.
And the Department of Corrections
They have just 1 medium prison in Dane County but you got Waupun and Fox Lake and Taychechda fairly close to each other.
mar:
Why put DATCP in Milwaukee? Not may dairy cows there. And why the switch from Monroe? Same for your other changes?
State patrol works on more than the I system, but you knew the , right? And you knew that they already have a large office in Wausau, right?
How did you determine “where they are most needed”? It seems your plan to move Ag to Milwaukee fails in that regard.
My mistake, Agriculture should be in Wausau, or Green County. But not in Madison.
And exactly about the State Patrol. besides the different city police in Dane County, they have Dane County sheriff, Capitol police,and UW police. Highway Patrol just patrols the interstates there. In other areas of the state, exception being Milwaukee and Waukesha County, they regularly patrol all roads.
But my main point is this: the pandemic has shown that we don’t need a centralized government anymore. We need to put to t he e government leaders in the field, closer to their customers.
Again, why Green County for DATCP ? There are almost twice as many dairy cows in Fond du Lac or Dane County. And UW, one of the top dairy research institutes in the world, is in Madison, as is the UW vet school, and the Dairy Cattle Research Center is in Arlington, 20 miles from campus. What about the other functions of that Department, Trade, and Consumer Protection? What makes Green County or Wausau better suited?
And you do recall that walker actively re-centralized state government, and kleefisch was involved in that endeavor?
Actually, I think it should be in Marshfield or Wisconsin Rapids, my old stomping grounds. The geographical center of Wisconsin. They have plenty of farms there and cows.
Yes, UW has some experimental cows and animals and I even took a basic Animal Science class there, put my hand into 1 of the cow’s stomachs.
But I digress. Cows are cute but so is the grain and grasses farmers grow.
As far as Walker and Kleefish, again, the pandemic showed that we don’t need to be centralized. Go where the customers are.
And Le Roi, I appreciate these kind of conversations. Cordial, without all the crap.
So, moving the goal posts?
And yes, it is nice not to have you making false accusations about me. Where you told to behave or be banned?
Many state agencies have been decentralized for decades. And kleefisch knows that.
“And yes, it is nice not to have you making false accusations about me. Where you told to behave or be banned?”
Nope and if you start acting like an ass again, I’ll go right back. It’s up to you how we proceed.
And moving goal posts, yep as technology gets better,
Well good, I’m glad you turned over a new leaf. Keep it up.
By “moving the goal posts”, I meant you keep changing your mind as to where DATCP should be located. Which is it now?
Final answer: Pittsville, geographical center of Wisconsin, though Wisconsin Rapids or Marshfield would be acceptable.
Perfect area. It has colleges in the area, lots of farms, airports, major roads and few distractions.
And hopefully, you have also turned over a new leaf.