DNR staffing vacancies rose again last year

State job vacancies that have been linked to weak regulation of pollution began climbing again last year after falling from a 14-year high after Gov. Scott Walker took office.

One in five state Department of Natural Resources positions was unfilled in July 2011, the highest vacancy rate in the 2002-2015 period covered by staffing data the DNR provided to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Vacancies fell from 2012 through 2014, but by last summer the DNR had held off on filling enough positions for the rate to rise to 14.2 percent, surpassing the average for the 14-year period.

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Ken Notes: This is a common budget trick, create or do not fill a position, and the money is just siting there. The problem is that this is not the most efficient way to run the DNR and many of the empty positions address thing that need to get done while jobs that could be reduced remain filled because cutting those would reduce the budget for next year. We never bother to address the real performance or value of a department or individual so we just play with the numbers and get very little done. If every state employee and department had to cost justify their output we would be far more productive and may spend even less. I know I am a dreamer...