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On Tuesday, a memo from the Department of Environmental Conservation's Commisioner, Pete Grannis, to the Governor was leaked to the press. In the memo, Commissioner Grannis tried to make the case that DEC was already at its lowest point in staffing, that the requested layoff of 209 personnel would seriously impact the ability of the Department to fulfill its mission.
Yesterday, Commissioner Grannis was fired.
was fired Thursday by Gov. David Paterson for what a state source ascribed to "poor performance and insubordination."
The immediate cause was the leak of a memo, sent by DEC to the Budget Division, that laid out in stark terms the possible consequences of the planned layoffs of more than 200 agency employees. |
The reaction to this has been swift, and adds more trouble for the Paterson administration.
The sudden sacking of DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis by Gov. David Paterson has the environmental community and elected officials up in arms _ and the governor finding no political allies willing to stand up publicly to support him
State lawmakers also came out in favor of Grannis, including state Assemblyman Bob Sweeney, chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee; Assembly member Kevin Cahill, head of the Energy Committee, and other Assembly members Sandy Galef, Harvey Weisenberg, George Latimer, Barbara Lifton, Michelle Schimel, Jim Brennan, Richard Brodsky, Steve Englebright, and Marc Molinaro.
Environmental groups also weighed in:
"The firing of Pete Grannis is a sad punctuation on the dismal environmental record of the Paterson Administration," said Adirondack Council Executive Director Brian L. Houseal. "We have seen cuts to staff, slashing of the Environmental Protection Fund, and a proposal to end land protection. The Adirondack Council applauds the efforts of Commissioner Grannis to protect the environment during his tenure and his truthfulness about what additional cuts would do to DEC's critical functions. We wish Pete the best in the future and hope this administration, which is openly hostile to the environment, does not do any further damage in its final days."
"The dismissal of Peter Grannis, a multi-decadal environmental statesman, is an act of political timidity and gutlessness reflecting an unwillingness to address the systematic fiscal challenges engulfing the State as well as a disregard for long-term environmental protection and health," said Jim Tripp, General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund.
"Commissioner Grannis worked for the people of New York. He served them well by telling the truth about how devastating budget cuts are putting air and water quality at risk. Governor Paterson's act of firing Pete Grannis betrayed New Yorkers' strong support for environmental protection and a transparent and accountable government," said Curtis Fisher, Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation.
Earlier this year, I talked about some of the missions that DEC has, and their impact. Up until this point, Commissioner Grannis has been a "good soldier," accepting the need to make cuts, and making them - even in the face of public outcry over some of them. Programs have been cut back, maintenance has been deferred, valuable expertise and experience has gone into retirement and not been replaced. Further blanket cuts would cripple an already weak Department, one with a range of responsibilities and missions.
It's politically popular to rail against "big government," and to demand cuts in the "bloated" state workforce. But sometimes, there is no more bloat to be cut. Trying to make that case to the Governor cost Commissioner Grannis his job. |
