There haven’t been high visiblity examples in the last couple of months where political or medical leaders exercise their divine right to ignore the rules they impose on everyone else. Or perhaps I just haven’t been paying enough attention.
Well, the governor of Michigan and two of her aides have broken the dry spell of flagrant hypocrites getting caught in their hypocrisy.
Make a completely wild guess what the governor did while urging her subjects citizens to avoid travel to Florida for spring break and warn that snowbirds could easily bring infection back with them when returning from Florida?
Yup. She took a trip to Florida.
To visit her father.
Since the purpose wasn’t to frolic on the beach the trip is okey-dokey.
Multiple news reports indicate her father has been fully vaccinated, however she is not. Her staff will not identify the exact timing of her trip but indicated it was something in the range of “last month.”
Best information available to reporters is the governor has received her first vaccination shot and is waiting for her second. Subject to change at any moment, the medical community tells us full immunity is achieved about two weeks after the second shot. That means the Michigan governor will be fully immunized probably at the end of April or early May.
In other words, when the governor traveled to the horrible state of Florida, she either had only received her first shot or had not even received that.
Reports indicate the governor has made two other trips out of state, both for official business. The first was to attend the inauguration, which is perfectly understandable. The second was to visit National Guard troops on duty at the US Capitol who had been fed tainted food by city officials. That is also an understandable trip – checking on health of state troops is quite appropriate.
A vacation trip to Florida is not.
The governor’s office was quick to point out her father was fully vaccinated and she did not take the trip during spring break. It was before spring break, which presumably makes it okay. Presumably since the trip was not to get a tan on the beach or revel with partiers, she was immune and could not possibly have become an asymptomatic spreader.
The governor doing exactly what she tells the subjects people not to do isn’t the only example of official hypocrisy in the state. (Sorry for the mistake again – have to force myself to remember people in Michigan are not subjects to be ruled.)
There are two more officials who are also exempt from the rules.
The director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services took a family trip to Alabama in April. That trip was after the official encouraged anyone traveling for spring break to get tested. But it’s okay, because she told media her entire family wore masks, and kept 6 feet away from other people on the beach. Cool. When in the open air (which means the sun cooked off any virus in the air) and a enjoying the gentle sea breeze (which diluted any virus by moving the bugs around quickly) everything is okay and it is fine to travel.
So that was the first staffer. There was another staffer flouting the rules.
The governor’s Chief Operating Officer took a family trip.
At spring break.
To the horrible state the governor is urging everyone to avoid.
The senior official obviously did not care at all about the risks or consider there was any risk of negative publicity because she posted photos of the family Florida vacation on social media. When said photos drew publicity and reports of the flagrant hypocrisy appeared, said photos disappeared.
The governor’s representative pointed out the governor’s trip took place before the infection rate in Michigan skyrocketed. From what I can tell on timing, it looks like the two senior officials in the administration also traveled before the infection rate went through the roof.
Hmm. I wonder if one of those three, or one of the multiple members of their families who traveled with them, brought an infection back and contributed to the skyrocketing infection rate. Hmm. That is certainly what the governor was warning against – don’t travel to Florida because you might bring the virus back with you.
A few of many articles to help you do your own research:
- 4/19/21 – MIRS – Whitmer Traveled Out Of State To Visit Father
- 4/19/21 – The Detroit News – Whitmer traveled out of state to visit her father
- 4/20/21 – WXYZ – Gov. Whitmer facing travel backlash after going to Florida to visit her father
- 4/10/21 – Fox News – Michigan governor’s top aide vacations in Florida, despite Whitmer’s travel warning
Here are a few of the multiple discussions I have posted on officials flagrantly ignoring the rules they demand you and I follow:
- Ongoing hypocrisy from our ruling overlords. Oh, guess who finally wants to reopen the economy?
- At least one flaming hypocrite in public leadership has enough shame to retire from public life. But just so you know, it is our fault, not hers.
- The hit parade of Covid-restricting political hypocrites marches on.
- Flagrant examples of hypocrisy just keep on rolling… This time $500 per person dinner with five other couples. Subsequent reporting show the dinner attended by the California governor was more than $1,000 per person.
- Two websites track incidents of rule makers ignoring the rules they demand we follow.
- The parade of alleged leaders who ignore their own Covid recommendations keeps growing.
- Rising danger from leaders revealing their hypocrisy during the pandemic lockdown.