| The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is 25 years old this month. ADEM spokesman Scott Hughes went on a media tour last week to let everyone know about the birthday and what a good job ADEM has done of keeping our air and water clean. The mission wasn't a total success, judging by the Huntsville Times article. Hughes got a couple of positive spin paragraphs, then Steve Doyle got back down to reality and started quoting "agency critics" like Rev. Mark Johnston of the ADEM Reform Coalition. Johnston said ADEM seemingly has not changed much under the leadership of Trey Glenn, who became director in February 2005. "We're just waiting to see if it's the same old, same old, or if he's really going to do something," Johnston said. ... Budget cuts have left ADEM with just two inspectors to watch over the state's 178 municipal and construction debris landfills, down from seven inspectors a few years ago. Landfills are now checked annually, rather than three or four times a year. "Those efforts have been significantly curtailed by the resources we have to support the staff," Hughes said. "If you've got more resources, you could obviously do more."
"If you've got more resources, you could obviously do more." Or, if you allocated the resources you have in a different way, you could do more. For instance, the purchase of a Cessna Caravan -- the ultimate birthday present for a young man like ADEM Director Trey Glenn. Was that a wise allocation of resources? A few days ago I got off on the fixed costs associated with that plane. These are the costs that the department has to bear whether the plane never flies or flies every day. I think I underestimated them, so let's revisit the issue: - Annual lease/purchase payment $243,000
- Salary for the pilot $68,000
- Benefits/overhead cost for pilot $15,000 at least.
- Insurance for the plane $25,000 at least
- Hangar space (25 hours to DOT at $600/hour) $15,000
That's a minimum of $366,000 that could have been used for other things, like staff to inspect landfills. I figure ADEM could have hired at least 3 or 4 more inspectors with that pot of money. We all know big boys love big toys, but taxpayers shouldn't be expected to pay for them. ADEM needs to get the work done first, and if there happens to be any money left in the budget for toys -- it should go back into the general fund! |
