Michigan's Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer got upset when the Republican House and Senate here refuses to pass her massive tax increase. After first threatening to shut down the government, she backed away from that, and decided instead to only line item veto certain items in the Republican created budget.
And what interesting veto choices they are.
Whitmer campaigned and was elected on her promise of "Fix The Damn Roads".
So what did she just veto? Funding for roads.
Yes, really:
Whitmer vetoed $375 million in general fund spending targeted at road and bridge repairs, including repairs on four bridges that Whitmer recently visited and highlighted as in urgent need of repairs. She said the use of general fund money for roads hurts other priorities and is no substitute for a comprehensive road funding plan.
So instead of "Fix the damn roads" Its "Veto the damn road spending". You can't make this up.
Whitmer then went out of her way to try to make the most painful veto choices, harming many of her key constituents in areas such as Education and Mental Health spending.
She also took another swipe at education and free enterprise, ending tuition grants to any Michigan resident going to private colleges, but maintained it for public colleges - Michigan private college students scramble to replace scholarships cut by Whitmer
She also cut some public safety grants that keep sheriff deputies on the road, and tried to attack rural areas that are pro-Republican, because politics.
About the only useful veto she did was to veto the Pure Michigan ad campaign. This is a good thing, as the parodies are much better anyways.
So, we now know that not only is she ineffective at budget negotiations, she's petty and vindictive when she doesn't get her way, and she's petty and vindictive in a way that hurts Republicans but also her own core constituents and supporters.
That should work out really well for her come election season.
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