May 9, 2022
Whitmer’s COVID Salary Pledge Hits a Pothole
Lansing, Mich., May 9, 2022 – In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke of shared sacrifice, and pledged to give up 10% of her salary during the pandemic. However, Whitmer’s commitment lasted a mere five months. MIRS News reports:
“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vowed two years ago to return 10% of her $159,300-a-year salary to the state Treasury as an act of solidarity with those workers who were out of work due to the Stay Safe, Stay Home order issued during the beginning of COVID-19.
As it turned out, Whitmer cut three checks in 2020 totaling $4,917 back to the Department of Treasury before discontinuing the sacrifice at the end of FY 2020.”
At the time, Whitmer proclaimed that she was “going to lead by example” with the salary reduction. After five months passed, Whitmer continued to remind Michiganders that we were “all in this together”, but quietly halted her salary reduction.
A spokesperson for Whitmer only recently admitted that she planned to take the pay cut through the end of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Michigan continued to suffer through the remainder of 2020 as the economy remained closed, and Michiganders could not afford a pay cut as expenses for groceries, school supplies, and gasoline increased. On top of all of this, and despite pleas from Michiganders to fix the roads, a recent report shows the average Michigan household pays an average of $4,845 per year in costs related to poor road conditions.
From keeping businesses and schools shuttered, to vetoing a suspension of Michigan’s gas tax, Michiganders continue to be crushed by Gov. Whitmer’s actions.
“Michigan’s crumbling roads cost the average Michigan household $4,845 a year, but Gretchen Whitmer bought a news cycle of positive coverage for $4,917.” said Eric Ventimiglia, Executive Director for Michigan Rising Action. Ventimiglia continued, “Governor Whitmer shut down the state far longer than the 3 months she sacrificed, upending the economy and lives of Michiganders. Despite pledging to ‘lead by example’, Whitmer’s sacrifices included not getting her boat in the water, fallout from her trip to Florida, and continuing to enjoy a generous taxpayer funded salary.