A couple of years back it was found out that Nikki Haley, then Trump's Ambassador to the United Nations had taken rides between New York and home on a private jet. I believe she resigned after she was exposed. Nikki Haley didn't have to worry about a pandemic at that time nor was she the target of radical right extremists that wanted her kidnapped and killed.
That is where this particular story of Governor Whitmer takes a sad turn. She is a Democratic Governor that was the focus of right-wing extremists to kidnap and kill her. Not only that but, to make her reality a bit more troubling these same extremists were part of an insurrection at the USA Capitol on January 6, 2021, where people actually did die.
So, the idea of her riding in a private jet to see her father is understandable. The fact she paid for her seat as if a commercial airline is a correct thing to do. Why didn't she just take a commercial airline? For one, were they in the air and flying at that time and what if news got out she was flying would that mean trouble for the passengers and airline if violence broke out at 30,000 feet?
Everyone during the pandemic was worried about their older parents. I did. I went to stay with her for what seems like an entire year until she was fully vaccinated. A daughter has a right to have some peace of mind about her father. Just because she is the Michigan governor doesn't change her feelings about her father.
What is really so very wrong about this story is the fact it is exploited for political purposes when there is so much right about this story. A staff that actually cared about her. A daughter that cared about her father and a father that obviously cared about his daughter. Additionally, a private jet was paid for by a non-profit that is a supporter of the Governor. At least they could do it for her. There were no government monies involved in her transportation and that is where it ends as far as I am concerned. If supporters of the non-profit want to penalize them for renting a private jet for a governor under siege that is up to them.
Governor Whitmer has done many things to instill the need for precautions, including wearing a mask, yet the Republicans in the Michigan legislature have worked harder at dismantling the precautions mandated by the Governor. See, this is where it gets really weird.
On one hand, there is a governor fighting for every life within the State of Michigan and she is under siege by the very people she is trying to save. On the other hand are people in the legislature that don't give a damn if people are wearing masks or not and spreading the virus, getting sick and dying while they want to ridicule a governor because she is the "other party." That is what this story is all about after all. It isn't as though there is a real reason why Whitmer was on a private plane to see her father, she was just out for a good time, right?
It is extremely unfortunate that every breath a Democrat takes has to be measured for exploitation of political dogma so the Republicans can "take the office by storm." This is a non-story about a Governor that cared about her father and a staff that was scared witless for the Governor's safety. This is not a story for the newspapers. There is nothing here to report. Now, if there was quid pro quo there might be a story, but, from what I suspect of the staff there was none of that just a humanitarian act to protect the life a dearly loved Governor.
I think there was some comment in the news stating if the staff hadn't dragged out the transparency for so long, there would be no story. That is exactly correct. The staff needs to have confidence in their ability to not only report the facts that the plane trip happened but, the REASONS why the plane trip happened. The people elected to office need to TRUST THE PEOPLE WITH THE TRUTH.
No one needs details about the state of health of Governor Whitmer's father, that is all confidential. All the people need to know is that full disclosure of the facts and the reasons was important and the Governor's staff didn't trust the public. That is not the Governor's fault.
I hope everyone is getting vaccinated and while the CDC states those fully vaccinated don't have to wear masks at certain times; I will continue to wear one on the chance the virus could be in my nose and it could infect people around me with a breath, the spoken word or a sneeze. They can't infect me, but, I can still infect them.
Good night.
By Craig Mauger
Lansing -A nonprofit organization (click here) tied to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration paid to charter the flight that carried her to Florida in March to visit her father, but Whitmer funded her seat on the flight with her own personal money.
The revelations came in a memo signed by Whitmer's chief of staff, JoAnne Huls, on Friday afternoon, weeks into a controversy centered on the out-of-state trip during a pandemic.
"Due to ongoing security and public health concerns, we made a decision to use a chartered flight for this trip," Huls wrote in the memo. "The governor's flight was not a gift, not paid for at taxpayer expense and was done in compliance with the law."
The social welfare nonprofit organization, Michigan Transition 2019, chartered the private plane, which took Whitmer to Florida on Friday, March 12, and returned her to Lansing, on Monday, March 15. The group spent $27,521 on travel over the first 14 days of May, according to a voluntary disclosure, which apparently covers the flights....
