Forget state budget woes, DNR pays $50 per person for study
Ely Echo Editorial
The state government is facing a budget crunch. Cuts are being made in state agencies, yet one has extra cash laying around. In Ely Wednesday, participants in a DNR meeting were paid $50. And for those who weren't allowed to attend the meeting, they received a survey and $20. Cash. You can't make this stuff up. No
On June 1, letters were received by a number of Ely residents from the University of Minnesota associate professor David Fulton. How the names were picked is a mystery, although we do know one elderly woman currently in a memory care facility was one of the recipients.
The invitation to the meeting was based on "what natural resource and environmental issues they might be concerned with and what role they think the Minnesota DNR should have in dealing with those issues."
Sounds innocuous enough, but there is also a reference to the DNR wanting to understand how to improve its management in a changing environment. That's not a changing funding environment, this study is about climate change (formerly known as global warming).
Calls to Fulton have gone unanswered. Scott Pengelly, assistant communications director for the DNR, confirmed the study was being done by the University of Minnesota and was funded by the DNR.
"We're learning what northeastern Minnesota thinks about climate change issues," said Pengelly. "Research is valuable and worth funding and sometimes what you have to do to get people to participate you use stipends."
According to our sources, even if a invitee received a confirmation to attend, only 10 people were allowed in for the $50 payout along with a meal. For the rest? A woman with a stack of at least 20 envelopes that contained a survey and $20 in cash greeted those turned away.
We'd like to tell you what happened at the meeting but that was not allowed either. Pengelly said the DNR doesn't like to allow "onlookers" when doing focus groups.
Okay, we can live with wanting people to give their opinion without worrying that what they say could be influenced by who was listening.
But we do have a problem with the DNR spending its oh-so-limited funding on paying people to give their opinion. We've seen people turnout by the roomful in the past when the DNR has asked for input. Is there suddenly deathly silence when the DNR asks for the public's viewpoint? Not in this neck of the woods, that's for sure.
The $20 questionnaire is interesting as well. Here's a question that really isn't worded as a question: "For some people, the topic of climate change is upsetting?" Hmmm. This is followed by: "Tell us how you feel about the topic and what, if anything upsets you about the topic of climate change?"
If there are people who are upset about the topic of climate change, they aren't likely to be serene about seeing the DNR pay $50 a head to attend a two hour dinner meeting.
With the financial challenges facing our state, this study will do nothing to help the DNR in the eyes of the public. However, it will likely take a study with a $50 payout to find that out as well.
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