{"id":2330190,"date":"2024-08-23T16:48:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T20:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whitmers-michigan-promises-unkept-as-she-leans-into-national-profile-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-23T16:55:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T20:55:20","slug":"whitmers-michigan-promises-unkept-as-she-leans-into-national-profile-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whitmers-michigan-promises-unkept-as-she-leans-into-national-profile-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitmer\u2019s Michigan promises unkept as she leans into national profile &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhitmers-michigan-promises-unkept-as-she-leans-into-national-profile-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2330190&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Governor \u2064Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ga-republicans-launch-stop-stacey-effort-ahead-of-possible-abrams-2022-announcement\/\" title=\"GA Republicans Launch \u2018Stop Stacey\u2019 Effort Ahead Of Possible Abrams 2022 Announcement\">gained national attention<\/a> during her 2018 gubernatorial campaign, has faced\u200c criticism for her inability to fulfill \u2064key promises made\u2064 to\u200c voters as her second term nears its end. Despite \u200cher\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-rallies-in-wisconsin-slams-pelosis-taiwan-trip\/\" title=\"Trump Rallies in Wisconsin, Slams Pelosi&#039;s Taiwan Trip\">election success<\/a>, \u200dmany of\u2062 her \u200dambitious\u2062 commitments remain unaddressed, sparking\u2063 frustration among \u2064Democratic \u200bleaders in the state. <\/p>\n<p>Key issues include \u2062the repeal of the Emergency Manager Act, which Whitmer \u2063campaigned against, the establishment \u2062of a \u2064$15 minimum wage\u2014currently at $10.33\u2014and increased transparency in government operations through\u2064 expanded access \u200bto \u2062the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Although she \u2064promised to address these\u2063 matters, they remain unresolved as she navigates heightened national\u200d visibility and pressing state priorities.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, her pledge to improve Michigan&#8217;s roads, famously captured in her slogan &#8220;Fix the damn roads,&#8221;\u200b has \u200balso seen limited progress, with infrastructure rated poorly compared to other states. Whitmer&#8217;s administration has focused on \u200bvarious legislative priorities, but \u2064critics point to a lack of decisive action on her initial promises, leading to concerns\u2062 about accountability and\u200c governance as\u200b her term draws to a \u2064close.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Whitmer&rsquo;s Michigan promises unkept as she leans into national profile<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1713799\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gretchen-whitmer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Gretchen Whitmer<\/a> (D-MI) captured the nation&rsquo;s attention when rumors swirled she could become Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a>&rsquo;s running mate. These days, time is running out for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-desantis-wins-against-charlie-crist-projection\/\" title=\"Ron DeSantis Wins Against Charlie Crist: Projection\">high-profile governor<\/a> to fulfill the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-did-biden-promise-to-do-as-president-in-2020\/\" title=\"What were Biden&#039;s 2020 presidential promises?\">ambitious promises<\/a> she made as a gubernatorial candidate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Thursday evening, Whitmer called Harris &ldquo;a total badass&rdquo; during a highly coveted prime-time speaking slot at the DNC. She first burst onto the scene after her 2018 gubernatorial success in one of the country&rsquo;s most populous states. <a href=\"https:\/\/wdet.org\/2018\/07\/19\/prepare-to-vote-candidate-gretchen-whitmer-video-transcript\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Touting<\/a> herself as a &ldquo;nimble&rdquo; person who moves forward &ldquo;quickly,&rdquo; the Michigan Democrat has yet to follow through on many of the commitments that won her the governor&rsquo;s office, even as the clock ticks swiftly down to the end of her second and final term.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She railed against the Emergency Manager Act in July of 2018, decrying the legislation for taking away &ldquo;self-governance&rdquo; and making &ldquo;decisions based solely on dollars and cents.&rdquo; It was one of her top policy issues on the campaign trail at the time. Over six years later, the law has yet to be repealed, and Democratic leaders in the state are still asking for her help to overturn the controversial measure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Obviously, I would welcome the governor&rsquo;s support,&rdquo;&nbsp;Democratic state House Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/michigan-gretchen-whitmer-governor-unfulfilled-populist-pledges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> <em>ProPublica<\/em> this month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A $15 minimum wage was another issue Whitmer often discussed on the campaign trail, including it as one of <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/10lsubkyuevyRxAVktCTaqOm7dkOQOW3l?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>eight issue papers<\/a> that detailed her broad policy vision for the state.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Today, the minimum wage sits at just $10.33 in Michigan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Her last two years have just been so consumed by the pent-up priorities of 40 years for Democrats that a lot of those like first-term promises took a back seat,&rdquo; Susan Demas, editor in chief of <em>Michigan Advance<\/em> and a longtime political columnist, told the outlet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In July, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled against a tactic Republicans in the state legislature have used to water down increases in the minimum wage.&nbsp;While state leaders are looking at additional legislative intervention this fall to stave off steep wage increases and sick leave expansions for the hospitality industry, Whitmer hasn&rsquo;t put her foot down on either side of the aisle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all examining the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/justice-alito-moves-up-deadline-for-supreme-court-briefing-in-pennsylvania-lawsuit-to-flip-the-election\/\" title=\"Justice Alito Moves Up Deadline For Supreme Court Briefing in Pennsylvania Lawsuit to Flip the Election\">court&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s decision,&rdquo; Whitmer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2024\/08\/14\/whitmer-might-seek-clarity-from-high-court-on-minimum-wage-ruling\/74801413007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> recently. &ldquo;We want to make sure we understand what the ramifications are. That work is being done right now. I think it&rsquo;s premature to say what kind of legislative fix would be necessary if there is one that&rsquo;s necessary.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Transparency in state government was another policy Whitmer harped on in 2018. She held special favor for expanding the Freedom of Information Act to ensure citizens could hold Michigan authorities accountable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The fact that we just found out the press person during the Flint water crisis that everyone thought had been fired is still on the state dime doing trainings for public relations &mdash; I mean, that&rsquo;s ludicrous. And the fact that we&rsquo;re just finding out tells you I think how difficult it is to really understand and ask questions and scrutinize what&rsquo;s happening,&rdquo; Whitmer <a href=\"https:\/\/wdet.org\/2018\/07\/19\/prepare-to-vote-candidate-gretchen-whitmer-video-transcript\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> <em>Detroit Public Radio<\/em> on the campaign trail in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>She offered up a solution, saying as governor, she could unilaterally expand FOIA to &ldquo;ensure that there is real notice and real searchable capabilities online.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The public and the press need tools so that they can get information,&rdquo; Whitmer declared. &ldquo;We deserve to know.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While the governor claimed she could voluntarily open up the FOIA, she has yet to do so. &ldquo;To me, that is just an unforced error, the height of hypocrisy,&rdquo; said Abby Mitch, executive director of Michigan Rising Action, a right-leaning watchdog organization.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, photo, Gretchen Whitmer, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, meets members of the audience before a rally in Detroit. (AP Photo\/Paul Sancya)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And then, there are those troublesome Michigan roads, rated 40th nationally and 10th in an 11-state peer group, according to the Citizens Research Council.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Fix the damn roads,&rdquo; was one pledge Whitmer made to Michigan voters. Six years later the promise is only partially fulfilled.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer initially supported instituting a gas tax to fund infrastructure improvements. Once Republicans killed that proposal, she pivoted to using $3.5 billion in state bonds to help rebuild roads.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While spending has nearly doubled on roads during the Whitmer administration, state leaders say improvements are lacking.&nbsp;At the onset of Whitmer&rsquo;s debut in the governor&rsquo;s office,&nbsp;the Michigan section of the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the state&rsquo;s roads a D-. By 2023, it had improved only to a D.<\/p>\n<p>There are other pledges Whitmer has proudly championed into law. Fighting to expand abortion rights and creating tuition-free community college programs are among them. Despite facing heavy criticism from Republicans over her strict governance during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan governor was reelected by a wider margin in 2022 than in her initial win.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Whitmer has overcome obstacles to keep many of her campaign promises. But there are more promises to keep,&rdquo; Mark Brewer, former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, summed up Whitmer&rsquo;s political battles to <em>ProPublica<\/em> in an email.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>With Whitmer spending more time than ever on the national stage and campaigning across her battleground state to secure Election Day victories for her party, she&rsquo;ll likely have even less time to focus on her personal policy agenda. <\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>reached out to Whitmer&rsquo;s office for comment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1713799\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1713799\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) gained national attention amid speculation that she might be chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s running mate. However, as her second and final term nears its end, she has yet to deliver on many of the bold commitments she made during her campaign for governor. During a prime-time speaking engagement at the DNC on Thursday, Whitmer praised Harris as &#8220;a total badass.&#8221; She first rose to prominence after winning the governorship in 2018 in one of the most populous states in the U.S. Although she has branded herself as a &#8220;nimble&#8221; leader who acts swiftly, many of her campaign promises remain unfulfilled.<\/p>\n<p>In July 2018, Whitmer criticized the Emergency Manager Act for undermining &#8220;self-governance&#8221; and prioritizing financial decisions over community needs\u2014one of her key issues at that time. Six years later, this law still stands, and state Democratic leaders are urging her assistance in repealing it. \u201cI would obviously welcome the governor\u2019s support,\u201d said Abraham Aiyash, Democratic state House Majority Floor Leader.<\/p>\n<p>Another significant issue for Whitmer was raising Michigan&#8217;s minimum wage to $15 an hour; however, it currently sits at only $10.33. Susan Demas from Michigan Advance noted that Whitmer&#8217;s last two years have been dominated by long-standing Democratic priorities rather than first-term promises.<\/p>\n<p>The Michigan Supreme Court recently ruled against Republican efforts to limit minimum wage increases; however, while discussions about legislative action continue regarding wage hikes and sick leave expansions for hospitality workers this fall, Whitmer has not taken a definitive stance.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer also campaigned on increasing transparency within state government by expanding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). She expressed concern over revelations related to public relations training during the Flint water crisis but has yet to implement any changes regarding FOIA access since taking office\u2014a point criticized by watchdog groups.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, despite promising voters she&#8217;d &#8220;fix the damn roads,&#8221; infrastructure improvements have only seen partial fulfillment under her administration. While road funding nearly doubled during her tenure through state bonds after an initial gas tax proposal was rejected by Republicans, assessments show little progress: Michigan roads received a D- grade from civil engineers when she took office and improved only slightly to a D by 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Whitmer has successfully enacted some initiatives like expanding abortion rights and establishing tuition-free community college programs. Despite facing backlash over strict COVID-19 measures during her governance\u2014yet being reelected with an even larger margin than before\u2014she now finds herself increasingly focused on national campaigning rather than fulfilling remaining personal policy goals amidst dwindling time left in office.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Examiner reached out for comments from Whitmer\u2019s office regarding these issues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2330191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Whitmer-DNC.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4601,39126,12025],"class_list":["post-2330190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-michigan","tag-unkept-promises","tag-whitmer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Whitmer-DNC.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2330190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2330190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2330190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2330191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2330190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2330190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2330190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}