Day: September 23, 2014

Today I received a communication from a current DMR Employee. Following is an edited version of what Slabbed New Media was sent.

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The was submitted to the DMR hotline as well in response to Miller cleaning house at Department of Marine Resources by the Sun Herald.

I’m going to point out some of the discrepancies and inaccurate statements Jamie Miller has made to the media:

1. There are in fact a few people still working in the finance office that were here during the Walker era. Jamie Miller has these remaining employees set up to be outcasts and potentially making them feel unwelcomed, driving them to the point of quitting. Since the new hires in the office, Bill Feidt included, have no clue as to what is going on, this is a terrible idea as the agency is going to crumble without these people. As a non finance department employee, I do no feel welcomed here at all and the overwhelming majority of those I speak to have the same feelings. This agency is seemingly more corrupt and crooked than it was before. Jamie Miller has brought in a culture that resembles a Middle Eastern dictatorship and the only ones reaping the benefits are himself and the select few he has hired in and/or contracted services.
2. There is no tighter control over spending. We have overpaid for numerous services and for items that the administrations wants but the DMR has no need for. Some examples include the new sod in the boat yard/compound. There was no need to landscape this area and the sod that was put in place is dying due to lack of care and maintenance. Others include multiple new vehicles for the administration to use as their own. Also, DMR has too many unmarked cars that are being used as personal/work vehicles. That needs to be corrected.
3. Grants and spending for most employees is being monitored. Purchases that are for the administration seemingly aren’t. I’m sure they are being reviewed but no one is questioning them. Equipment for the agency takes way to long to get through because Bill Feidt doesn’t look at them for months. Aside from the administrators parading around in their renovated offices and new vehicles, it is becoming increasingly harder for the agency to do it’s mission due to the lack of proper equipment being purchased in a timely fashion. Money is still being misspent and moved around.
4. Some of our new administration hires are a joke. Four people now do Joe Ziegler’s old job, about three too many as Ziegler didn’t really do anything to begin with. Dr. Kelly’s hire is seemingly the only one that was really needed and she has been a welcomed asset to the agency.
5. Commissioner Richard Gollott has been made aware of the ongoing problems within the agency for a while now. He does nothing but cheerlead the others commissioners into overruling the scientific staff.
6. Turnover has not just been in executive staff and management. There has also been way more turnover than what was implied in the article.
7. The complaints hotline is for show. I understand the administration has been seen laughing over some of the hotline reports. Also, when reports come in about our director and other administrators, they are rumored to discuss who turned these reports in for possible retaliation against those employees. Complaints also don’t go to the CMR unless they are about Jamie Miller and then they sometimes go into executive session regarding these issues. Nothing seemingly happens but it’s nice to think that they at least take things into consideration.

Continue reading “A DMR employee speaks, says Jamie Miller sourced article all wet”