Rick Perry's Donors Reaped Benefits From Texas System

www.nytimes.com:

Over three terms in office, Mr. Perry’s administration has doled out grants, tax breaks, contracts and appointments to hundreds of his most generous supporters and their businesses.

Read the whole story: www.nytimes.com

Comments

[JohnBryansFontaine]

12:40 PM on 08/23/2011

Big donors to Gov. Perry

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-perry-donors.eps-20110816,0,3603467.graphic

[JohnBryansFontaine]

12:37 PM on 08/23/2011

Governor Rick Perry’s $100,000-plus Mega-Donors

As Texas' longest-serving governor, Rick Perry raised $102.8 million from 2001 through December 31, 2010. Perry raised almost $51 million from 204 mega-donors who gave him $100,000 or more. The Republican Governor's Association (RGA) ranks as the governor's No. 1 overall donor, contributing $4 million. However, Houston homebuilder Bob Perry (no relation) supplied the RGA with $11.2 million since 2005 and has given the governor more than $2.5 million directly to technically claim the No. 2 spot. Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons, who is converting Andrews County into the nation's default nuclear waste dump with Governor Perry’s support, ranks No. 3. Governor Perry's top donors are dominated by corporate PACs, executives and corporate trade associations.

204 Mega-Donors Gave Governor Perry $100,000 or More

http://info.tpj.org/reports/PerryJuly2011Update/Perry100kContributorsJuly2011.html

[grayplace]

01:45 PM on 08/22/2011

Gov. Perry. The biggest cow f@rt there ever was.

[StopMakingSense2]

01:42 PM on 08/22/2011

The United States of America. The best government money can buy! Welcome to the plutocracy where auctions every 4 years determine the new CEO! And you were foolish enough to think your vote mattered! Only checkbooks matter!

[NYC619]

12:14 PM on 08/22/2011

Gov. Rhinestone Cowboy...all fancy shinin' and nothin' else.

[SocialistBoy]

08:47 AM on 08/22/2011

Oh, not old Ricky??

http://atmenow.com/2011/07/28/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/

[holyghostie]

07:09 AM on 08/22/2011

Rick Perry should be selling the shamwow or the slap chop.

[Sirlarek]

01:19 AM on 08/22/2011

I call this system....kickbacks. From a public point of view, corruption is a better term. Illegal comes to mind, unethical at minimum.

[annyp]

12:48 AM on 08/22/2011

This isn't news, politicans have done this for years. Just look at Congress.

[SocialistBoy]

08:52 AM on 08/22/2011

Yes, but some go beyond the pale!!

http://atmenow.com/2011/07/28/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/

[annyp]

09:28 AM on 08/22/2011

And they talk about staying out of people's personal lives.

[SDindependent]

12:03 AM on 08/22/2011

Well how about that, he would fit right in with the congress we have.

[Jim1657]

11:34 PM on 08/21/2011

It's not new that politicians do favors and appoint big donors to important positions. It doesn't make it right though. The attitude of "this is how business is done" ultimately hurts the tax payer, and destroys the concept and intent of the free market by inserting government influence into the mix, favoring one company over all others (in effect destroying someone's business for the profit of another with government endorsement). In the instance where corporations and money influence government to the point that government limits the right of the individual to sue for damages against faulty construction, it leads not to government for the people, by the people but government for the corporation, by the corporation; a situation that should be discouraged by American, because it ultimately strikes at our rights as individuals.

[bison1]

09:46 PM on 08/21/2011

The possible leadership of a Governor Rick Perry, who is being exposed every day as having the history and the behavior more like that of a powerful gangster leader than a responsible elected public servant is perhaps the worst indication for the future of the Country and the Planet in the history of its last hundred years – bar none. Ten years ago the possibility that George W Bush might be the President of the United States seemed remote because of similar characteristics. We all mourn the damage wrecked on the world for which his catastrophic regime was responsible. Mr. Perry seems very much more dangerous.

[LameDuckHunting]

09:28 PM on 08/21/2011

You pay to play in Perry's Texas......................

[CaWa]

09:22 PM on 08/21/2011

"Mark Miner, a spokesman for Mr. Perry, said there was no connection between Mr. McHale’s contributions and the grant to G-Con. He said that the purpose of the state money was to create jobs..."

What! What! The purpose of state money was to create jobs! Where are all of the TPers, and why aren't they going nuts over a Republican saying it is the government's job to create jobs? Why aren't they screaming about how the government can't create jobs it can only take everyone's money?

Oh yeah, because they're all hypocrites.

[Jill1975]

09:03 PM on 08/21/2011

The only high paying jobs that Perry has helped create are the do little (or nothing) government jobs he has given to his cronies as rewards for their financial support.

[PWM]

08:56 AM on 08/22/2011

1 out of 6 jobs in Texas are government jobs. During Perry's governorship, private sector jobs have fallen while government jobs have increased.