Taxpayers paid $44,117 for Whitmer’s trip to Davos

By Scott McClallen (The Center Square)

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spent at least $44,117 in taxpayer money on her European trip to Davos to speak at the World Economic Forum, according to documents obtained by Center Square in response to its Freedom of Information Act request.

That includes $26,222 for hotels, $13,779 for travel, $4,000 in miscellaneous expenses and $116.15 in meals, a Michigan Economic Development Corporation document says. A separate FOIA request for the governor’s security expenses is still pending.

Wittmer traveled to Norway and Switzerland to speak on a panel at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on the “return of manufacturing”.

“The World Economic Forum is a unique opportunity for Michigan to connect with leaders to bring jobs to Michigan and promote the state’s efforts to enhance our mobility and sustainability initiatives,” Whitmer said in a statement. “We’re showing the world what we have to offer, demonstrating our leadership in cars, chips and clean energy, and proving that the world’s best manufacturing happens right here in Michigan.”

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Whitmer defended the spending by saying he was looking for recruiting and future investments in Michigan.

However, recent electric vehicle battery investments in Michigan have cost taxpayers more than $3.3 billion, and there are only 25,181 registered electric vehicles statewide.

Whitmer is trying to bring an electric vehicle supply chain from China to Michigan.

John Mozena, president of the Center for Economic Accountability, a transparent economic development policy nonprofit, told The Center Square, “International boondoggles like this are perfect evidence that the real point of economic development programs is not creating jobs. “Mozena wrote in an email. “Instead, making voters believe that politicians are responsible for creating jobs.”

Michigan taxpayers have subsidized the auto industry with billions of dollars since the mid-1990s, Mozena said. Since then, Michigan has lost 183,000 manufacturing jobs statewide.

“Michigan’s economic future is not in Davos,” Mozena said. “It’s in the garages and basements and kitchens and barns of the next generation of entrepreneurs, people capable of making their names as familiar to future generations of Michiganders as Ford, Dodge, Kellogg, DuPont or Meijer.”

“That’s where economic growth comes in,” he added. “Governor Whitmer and his administration should focus on making Michigan a simpler, cheaper and easier place to start and grow a company, instead of jet-setting big companies from around the world willing to take billion-dollar bribes to come here.”

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Whitmer’s five-day trip is the first economic development visit to Europe under his administration. Whitmer was introduced by Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Quentin L. Messer Jr. and other MEDC officials joined in Norway.

Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.