Some Michigan residents feel that the COVID-19 restrictions have been put into place to keep them safe; others feel they are abitrary and the fines for violations are too severe. | Photo by Julian Wan on Unsplash
Some Michigan residents feel that the COVID-19 restrictions have been put into place to keep them safe; others feel they are abitrary and the fines for violations are too severe. | Photo by Julian Wan on Unsplash
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer continues to institute rules that severely limit well-meaning, law-abiding citizens in an unfair and arbitrary way, according to commentary from Michigan Capitol Confidential.
While Whitmer attempted to put to bed the idea that the state has, in fact, been closed for the past eight months, her track record on the restrictions that negatively effect the economy is another story.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has restricted the number of individuals who may congregate indoors, beginning with prohibiting the practice entirely. Groups of ten or more are prohibited, and the individuals involved in such gatherings should come from no more than two separate households.
The same rules are applied to outdoor gatherings, with the headcount not being allowed to exceed 25 people from three or more homes. Confusingly, however, the term "outdoor" was applied equally, regardless of whether it was a homeowner's backyard or a national park. Golfing is prohibited for groups of more than three, unless two of that group live in the same household.
Businesses and churches are allowed to continue operating because the governor put specific exemptions in place to allow them to stay open, but schools, restaurants, child care facilities, gyms, salons and more were also limited in their operations, according to Whitmer’s orders.
While it may seems as though it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals who are in violation of these limitations are at risk of imprisonment and fines. The default fine for a violation was increased from $200 to $1,000 for every violation of the restriction.
Whitmer often speaks about every Michigan resident doing their part, but her heavy-handed approach is far from voluntary and fails to trust the good intentions of citizens, according to an op-ed from Michigan Capitol Confidential. Rather, it puts ordinary individuals at risk of breaking the law and being punished by the state for relatively innocuous activities, such as inviting a group of friends over for dinner.
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