Lame Duck Gretchen Whitmer Is Flying Overseas on Taxpayer Dime While Stuff Back in Michigan Is Lagging

Good ole Gretchen Whitmer only has until January 1st of 2027 at noon before her replacement as Michigan's governor is sworn in. She only has 649 days left until she has to move out of the governor's mansion in Lansing and be cut off from the slush fund of the Michigan taxpayers, so it's a good time to do some traveling.

To Europe.

For Michigan.

Lucky us.

It's not unusual of course for politicians who have grown accustomed to any number of taxpayer perks when being term-limited to try to jam as many trips and or events left with the time left on their calendar. We do have plenty of other stuff going on in the state, so I think it's worth pointing out that this is just a bit over the top.

I read about Gretch's new adventure right HERE.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is leading a delegation from the state on a week-long trade mission to the United Kingdom and Ireland, her office announced Sunday.
Whitmer will meet with business leaders, government officials and industry stakeholders to promote Michigan, the governor's office said in a written statement. She'll be joined on the trip by Quentin Messer, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, and Scott Bowen, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“Michigan has long enjoyed strong economic and cultural ties with the UK and Ireland, and this mission presents an opportunity to build on that foundation," Whitmer said in the statement. "By fostering trade relationships and attracting new investment, we are creating opportunities for Michigan businesses and workers while enhancing our state’s economic resilience in a rapidly evolving global market."

Let's not forget that she has not set up a special election yet for a vacated senate seat that could potentially change the makeup of the Michigan Senate, which is currently at 19 Democrats and 18 Republicans. If a Republican were to win the seat, that would make it a tie in the Senate, with the GOP holding the reins of power in the House of Representatives.

That would make her last 2 years as governor a sad fest.

Now, she is slow walking setting up a special election for the Michigan Senate that could make her last days in office a nightmare. After a Democrat resigned their seat, the Senate is now led by the party 19 to 18. If a Republican were to win the seat that would make it a 19 to 19 tie and with the GOP-led house, Whitmer would be the lamest of ducks.
More about this right HERE.
A battleground seat in the Michigan Senate has remained vacant for 11 weeks as state political leaders continue to wait for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to set dates for a special election to fill the opening.
Former state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House on Jan. 3, leaving the 35th District seat in the state Senate vacant. Wednesday marked 75 days since McDonald Rivet left the Senate, the longest Whitmer has delayed scheduling a special election for a seat in the state Legislature during her six years as governor, according to the conservative political group the Michigan Freedom Fund.
Whitmer's office didn't respond to multiple requests from The Detroit News this week asking about the governor's handling of the vacancy.

Maybe before she jetsets off to Ireland and the U.K., she could hammer through a bill to lower the Michigan income tax that the GOP passed on the House side.

More: Michigan GOP Votes to Lower Income Tax—but I Agree With a Democrat on Why It Is Not Enough

Who knows if the Democrat-controlled Michigan Senate will take up the bill and pass it? Whitmer has just under two more years as governor, and even if the Senate did pass it she would probably not sign it, seeing as she allowed it to expire back in 2023.
The legislation, if signed into law, would likely decrease state revenues by more than $700 million a year and lead to paltry savings for lower-income residents, said state Rep. Jasper Martus, D-Flushing.
Lower-income earners making about $27,000 a year would get about $11 a year in tax relief under the legislation, making the proposal a bit of a schtick for the majority of Michigan residents, Martus said.
So here is the really weird and interesting part of this: I agree with the Democrat here. Rep. Martus Is 100 percent right that the reduction is paltry not just for lower-income residents but across the board.
How about if we just eliminate the state income tax and become the ninth state in the Union to do such a thing?

I could go on and on about COVID-19 and how she became lockdown Gretch and instituted some of the most bizarre rules for the citizens of Michigan and has not yet fixed the roads. Some people could probably successfully argue that I should not be upset that she's leaving the state except that I know that she's coming back.

What will we do without her on January 1st, 2027?

Thankfully we have time to ponder that deep question and prepare for that inevitability.

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