2021: Gretchen Whitmer Oversees a Failed Government Plagued By Ineptitude

December 21, 2021

Gretchen Whitmer’s third year in office will be defined by the constant failures of Michigan’s government. Setting aside the politics of campaign finance scandals and Covid hypocrisy, Governor Whitmer and her administration have done a poor job of delivering government for Michigan residents. In numerous areas of critical importance, the people of Michigan have had a front-row seat for Whitmer’s master class on governmental failure. 

Whitmer’s State Departments Wasted Money, Cost People Their Lives

As 2021 draws to a close, Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency continues to be a national embarrassment. In late June, UIA sent out nearly 700,000 letters threatening claimants that they may have to pay back portions of the benefits they had received. In November, Michigan’s non-partisan Auditor General released an initial audit of UIA’s implementation of federal unemployment programs. The report revealed that the department paid out at least $3.9 billion in ineligible claims in just one program. Whitmer’s appointees made these errors despite numerous warnings from the U.S. Department of Labor. This nearly $4 billion taxpayer-funded mistake came when Michiganders were most in need of competence from its state government. Instead of being a good steward of the money coming into Michigan for COVID relief, Whitmer stood idly by as multiple UIA directors failed in their unique way. This failure created a massive inconvenience for Michigan families, and the failures of another state department, the MDHHS, proved to have fatal consequences. 

During the height of the pandemic, Gov. Whitmer drew inspiration for her nursing home policies directly from then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, earning her the moniker “Cuomo of the Midwest”. These policies pushed the co-mingling of Covid-positive patients with unexposed residents in senior facilities throughout the state. When journalists attempted to track the number of deaths related to these policies, Whitmer and MDHHS officials refused to release the information, making it impossible to know the extent to which these policies impacted Michigan’s most vulnerable. While Michigan’s Attorney General has refused to investigate, Michigan’s Auditor General is preparing a report on the policies. As Michigan families search for the truth behind the deadly nursing home policies, another public health failure has been unfolding under the Whitmer administration for years.

Inaction Over Another Public Health Crisis

Earlier this year, it was revealed that the Whitmer administration was aware of the elevated lead levels in Benton Harbor’s water going back to the beginning of her term in 2019. Testing showed that the amount of lead in Benton Harbor’s water is at 22 Parts Per Billion (PPB), exceeding that of Flint’s during the peak of their crisis (20 PPB). Worse, the Governor failed to notify residents that anti-corrosion measures were failing and that the water was unsafe to drink until a few months ago. The Benton Harbor water crisis shows Whitmer is willing to sacrifice transparency to save face politically, though this was not the only example in 2021 where Whitmer would use her position to hide the truth from Michigan families.

Using Taxpayer Dollars to Silence Failed Bureaucrats

Many Michiganders who were locked out of their jobs for months due to MDHHS orders were forced to turn to the UIA, a department that was plagued by fraud and months-long delays. After all of the hardships created by UIA and MDHHS incompetence, it was appalling for the people of Michigan to hear that Gordon and Gray were getting massive taxpayer-funded payouts to not only leave their jobs but also to keep quiet about not only their failures but those of Gretchen Whitmer. Robert Gordon received a severance package of $155,506, and Steve Gray received $86,000, both on the condition that they remain silent on their time in Michigan government. 

Michigan’s government under Gretchen Whitmer has failed the people of our state through its countless examples of negligence and ineptitude. The Governor’s administration has wholly violated the trust of Michiganders, who are fed-up with her scandals, deceit, and endless hypocrisy. Heading into 2022, Michigan Rising Action remains committed to holding this administration accountable for their constant demonstrations of bad government.

“Gov. Whitmer is simply incapable of running an effective government,” said Eric Ventimiglia, Executive Director for Michigan Rising Action. Ventimiglia continued, “Whitmer checks every box for why people do not trust politicians: She pays out hush money, the effectiveness of her departments is laughable, and she has been at the very least dangerously negligent in the cases of Benton Harbor and nursing homes. Our team looks forward to continuing to show Gretchen Whitmer that there are consequences for a Governor that drives our state into the ground.”