"There are two ways to deal with their hole: one, find $8 million somehow, in revenue or fees; or cut their budget.  I argue that the DNR should not be telling me where they're going to cut their budget. Last I checked, I was the legislator."

Ouch.  When I first read that, I thought to myself "Self - that is a bit high handed of her".  But, then, I stepped back and thought about it, and actually, I totally agree with her.

You see, as a Representative, it is their job to, well, represent the citizens first and foremost, but also to deal with funding, legislation, etc.  It doesn't make any sense whatsoever for the DNR, or any other department for that matter, to tell anyone what their budget will or will not be.  They are given an amount of money each year, as determined by the Representatives, that they are to use (not abuse) to ensure that their department is run as efficiently and effectively as possible.  That's good stewardship.

I must clarify, though, that I still think the DNR needs to figure out how to fix that budget shortfall.  Only through a combination of cuts & increases will they achieve what they need to.  But, there is a happy medium - its called re-appropriation of funds.  I will go into this in a little more detail at another time.

Now, amazingly, a Democrat said something that made sense as well.  In the same article, Representative Joel Sheltrown said:

"Often down here we look at cutting people in the field instead of cutting in Lansing.  Hopefully we can avoid that."

Think about what he said.  Do you realize that he just exhibited the thought that a real leader should have?  Making cuts at the top level first, then working your way down.  Too many times you see "them" trying to fix things by starting at the bottom.  You cannot, in any industry, make adjustments to budgets, production, marketing, etc. by starting at the bottom - the weight of the top is always too heavy to support it.  By making your cuts and adjustments from the top and working your way down, you better distribute and implement your plans more evenly.

So, maybe we could even go so far as to say that Sheltrown is saying that Director Rebecca Humphries needs to cut, then on to the other Division heads?  I'm sure that's not what he is referring to, but I am sure that it would go a very long way in the morale of all DNR employees to see their Director, and Division heads take the first step in transforming what was once an effective, prosperous part of the State of Michigan by being the leaders they should be.

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Prospective DNR cuts (as reported by the Cadillac News)

Seventy-nine jobs in DNR programs would be eliminated Nov. 1, 2007. Program cutbacks that would take effect as early as next month include:

Two state forest campgrounds would be closed, in addition to 20 scheduled for closure last summer.

Some state pathways and cross-country ski trails would close.

University research programs and monitoring for animal-borne diseases such as bovine tuberculosis, chronic wasting disease and avian influenza would be reduced.

Two fish hatcheries and a research station would be closed.

Fewer conservation officers would be available for tasks such as poaching investigations and responding to hunting and snowmobiling accidents.

Conservation officers no longer would be dispatched to back up other law enforcement agencies for incidents such as car crashes.
Nuisance bear and geese no longer would be removed.

Some field offices would be closed and staff in others would be reduced.