South Michigan News

There's not much Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her Republican counterparts agree on, including what story the state's COVID-19 data tells. 

Matt Friedman, a public relations consultant in the metro Detroit area, said it's all a part of the current political climate, where Democrats and Republicans disagree on pretty much everything, including the facts.  "Information in the pandemic is viewed through everyone's personal prism," Friedman told Bridge Michigan. 

For example, Whitmer said the Michigan is among the top performers when it comes to distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, but Republicans said the state's rollout of the vaccine has pretty much been a disaster.

Sen. Mike Shirkey | #MiSenateGOP

If there's one thing the coronavirus pandemic has made clear, it's how Whitmer's administration and the GOP have different interpretations of the facts. 

State officials have said Michigan sits at 11th for the most vaccines distributed in the country. That sounds good at face value, but Michigan is ranked 10th in the nation for population, and vaccines are distributed from the federal government based on population.

During Whitmer's State of the State address on Jan. 27, she said the state has improved and mentioned that Michigan is now in sixth place for the total number of inoculations given. Bridge Michigan reported she failed to reveal that 19 other states are vaccinating at a higher rate. 

There's no battle more bitter than the fight over the state of Michigan's economy. Republicans harp on what they believe are Whitmer's economy-crushing restrictions, while she believes the pain isn't widespread.

Whitmer and her administration had shut down schools, restaurants and other businesses for a second time back in November as a second wave of positive coronavirus cases seemed to crash upon the Wolverine State. Those measures were extended two times and only recently lifted this week (Feb. 1) when bars and restaurants were allowed to resume indoor service at 25% seating capacity.

Whitmer claimed that Michigan's COVID-19 restrictions have saved thousands of lives, but Republicans argue that they targeted an entire industry without producing supporting science showing hospitality's role in contributing to the spread of the virus. 

"Overreach by the governor has crippled an entire industry and peripheral supply chain business," Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) wrote in a tweet earlier this month.