There is one common trait among avid hunters.  They are so passionate about the sport that occasionally they lose touch with reality.  Just ask Rebecca Humphries who for the last five years has been the governor's Department of Natural Resources director.

     Nobody knew she had this problem until the news guys at the MIRS newsletter interviewed her the other day.

     Ever since lawmakers decided to take two weeks off for hunting season and Thanksgiving, they've taken some well deserved heat for not showing up in town.  Think school funding crisis, economic mess, and college kids screaming for their $4,000 state scholarship…all of these placed on hold for this two week traditional break.

     The governor has been relatively mild in her public rebuke saying, "Lawmakers should come back" and work on these issues.  Dollars to donuts in private she is seething.

     Sen Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) has been more blunt.  "I am appalled and disgusted" by this time off.

     Enter one Ms. Humphries who proves, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she's from another planet.

     Asked in the interview about lawmakers taking time off to hunt, Humphries opined, "It is part of our heritage…I hope we never see a day when the legislature decides deer hunting isn't important enough and so they just stay in Lansing and continue their business."

     Ah.  Hello. Earth to Humphries.

     Deer hunting trumps doing the citizen's business?

     This is not a close call.  Lawmakers who hunt could do it on the weekend.  O.K. maybe let them go on opening day if it falls during the work week, but after that it's back in the saddle.

     The DNR director has on balance done a respectable job.  So maybe she (1) had an off-day; maybe (2) she was misquoted; or perish the thought, maybe (3) she really believes that stuff about hunting being more important than lawmakers working for the people first.

     Let's go with number three.