It’s been almost six months since Gov. Whitmer first enacted the state of emergency in Michigan, suspending the rule of law, and radically transforming daily life in our state. 

Since then, she’s repeatedly moved the goal posts, refused to acknowledge what magical metric we must hit to fully reopen our state, and bitterly refused to give up her emergency powers or work with the Legislature.

Instead of citing science, she’s relied heavily on anecdotal evidence to justify her extreme actions: claiming you can catch COVID-19 from a gas pump based on a single, uncorroborated story; alleging that vendors were told not to send medical supplies to Michigan while refusing to name those vendors; even citing a “house party” as justification for tightening lockdown measures across the state.

When rational people inevitably ignore her increasingly arbitrary and erratic orders, she threatens them with fines and threatens their livelihoods.

It’s almost as if she wants you to live in fear. (Because she does!)

Our own Greg McNeilly writes in the Detroit News:

“Meaningful elected representation in Lansing no longer exists. The governor has seized near-total control of the levers of government and refused the constitutional voice provided by local elected representatives.

“Fear will keep local communities in line, Governor Gretchen Whitmer believes. Fear of fines. Fear of closures. Fear of poll numbers. Fear of headlines.

“There’s a better way forward, and it works for government leaders and news consumers alike.

“Reason.

“Instead of merely reading the headlines, one might be best served by asking the ‘next question’ and, truly, genuinely relying on the science.”

Why Whitmer chooses to close bars while opening casinos, or continues her disastrous policy placing COVID-19 positive patients in nursing homes with vulnerable seniors, is anyone’s guess. It’s certainly not based on science or data.

It’s almost as if her unilateral power depends on prolonging Michigan’s state of emergency – and keeping you, the people of Michigan afraid.


Sincerely,

Tony Daunt

Executive Director

Michigan Freedom Fund