South Michigan News

Sen. Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) is calling for transparency from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a video message he posted on his Facebook page in late August.

He started with a quote from a former U.S. president: “Remember when Ronald Reagan identified the nine most terrifying words in the English language? I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

He went on to say that residents have the task of making sure government officials are being held accountable, and officials are responsible for trusting their citizens. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | stock photo

“Today we’re experiencing the reverse. Citizens are told to put their faith in government’s actions without being shown the data behind those decisions. And the government is holding citizens accountable to comply with its mandates,” he said in the video. 

He pointed out that more than 20 weeks have passed since Whitmer declared that Michigan was in a state of emergency, subsequently granting herself all governing authority. He added that despite the COVID-19 curve being flatted, Whitmer still enforces her control. 

“She continues to claim unilateral control over all aspects of government. She continues to issue mandates without providing data, metrics or even benchmarks. She expects Michiganders to place their trust in government to make decisions about their health and livelihoods without providing clear information about how those decisions are actually being made,” he added in the video. 

He said that Whitmer has instead taken further measures, calling on citizens to publicly enforce her guidelines with those who don’t comply. He continued, saying the key to overcoming COVID-19 is for Michigan residents to urge Whitmer to be more transparent in her decision-making. 

“We need her to share clear benchmarks that, when met, restore our rights. And we need her to demonstrate more trust in Michiganders to do the right thing,” he said as he concluded his video.