In declaring his presidential candidacy in Charleston, SC, on Saturday, Texas Governor Rick Perry made clear that he is running on his record of 10 years in office.
But an objective look at the state of the State of Texas suggests he would be better off running away from his record.
In his announcement in Charleston, Perry said,
Since June of 2009, Texas is responsible for more than 40 percent of all of the new jobs created in America. Now think about that. We're home to less than 10 percent of the population in America, but forty percent of all the new jobs were created in that state.
Yet in its ongoing report, Texas on the Brink: A Report from the Texas Legislative Study Group On the State of Our State, members of the Texas House of Representatives provided these employment-related statistics from their state (where 50th is the lowest and 1st is the highest):
- Average Hourly Earnings of Production Workers on Manufacturing Payrolls - 38th
- Government Employee Wages and Salaries - 24th
- Percent of Workforce that are Members of a Union - 41st
- Workers' Compensation Coverage - 50th
He's cutting services in order to maintain really low tax rates, and so many of the jobs he's created are these minimum-wage jobs, not these living-wage jobs. I think he has, as they would say here in Texas, plenty of 'splaining to do about his positions.
No matter. In the magical world envisioned by Gov. Perry, "we'll create jobs and we'll build wealth, we'll truly educate and innovate in science, and in technology, engineering and math."
His record on education, however, belies his rhetoric:
- Average Salary of Public School Teachers (2009-2010) - 31st
- Current Expenditures per Student - 38th
- State & Local Expenditures per Pupil in Public Schools - 44th
- State Aid Per Pupil in Average Daily Attendance - 47th
- Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Scores - 45th
- Percent of Population 25 and Older with a High School Diploma - 50th
- High School Graduation Rate - 43rd
On health care, Gov. Perry said he would,
send a message to Washington that we're taking our future back from the grips of central planners who would control our healthcare, who would spend our treasure, who downgrade our future and micro-manage our lives....And we will repeal this president's misguided, one-size-fits-all government healthcare plan immediately.
What would he put in its place? The numbers from Texas under his leadership read like an Rx for anemia:
Health Professionals per Capita:
- Percent of Population Uninsured - 1st
- Percent of Non-Elderly Uninsured - 1st
- Percent of Low Income Population Covered by Medicaid - 49th
- Percent of Population with Employer-Based Health Insurance - 48th
- Per Capita State Spending on Mental Health - 50th
- Per Capita State Spending on Medicaid - 49th
- Physicians - 42nd
- Dentists - 39th
- Registered Nurses - 44th
Much of his declaration in Charleston focused on the dreaded T word. "I've cut taxes," he said. "I have delivered historic property tax reductions. I was the first governor since World War II to cut general revenue spending in our state budget."
Yet, the Texas Legislative Study Group found that taxes in Texas are far from fair and balanced:
- A 2009 study named Texas' tax system as one of the ten most regressive states in the nation.
- A 2009 study found that Texas requires families in the bottom 20 percent of the income scale to pay more than three-and-a-half times as great a share of their earnings in taxes as the top one percent.
- The poor in Texas pay 12.2 percent of their income in taxes, the fifth highest percentage in the country.
Just before declaring his candidacy, Gov. Perry said, "I full well believe I'm going to win."
Judging from his record in Texas, that sounds less like a promise and more like a threat.
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I'd say Perry is more than a bit "out there". He's way off.
Yes I said illegals are the big problem
Fix the problem...AND ITâ€S SO SIMPLE!!!!
Those who have not paid shall not stay!! Illegals for one have drained our system were there is nothing left for those of us who have put into the system. Many illegals come here with their water ready to break!!! or they say they had there children here already and file a different birth date.
The Illegals get it all for free(because they broke the law and the kids get born here or so some claim!)...Oh and lets not forget Section 8 Housing..and help with Electricity and Phone..No I'm sorry I don't agree!!!
Rick Perry trashes the federal government on one had, but that does not Texas from accepting government handouts.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/13/1006606/-Secessionists-for-PerryVideo?via=history
Most of the people in Charleston Saturday, just across from the Hotel where his big announcement was taking place, didn't know who he was.
Besides the above, I don't think we've quite forgotten the last governor from TX whom we elected president. Those waters have been poisoned, and I don't think Perry is the one who can convince us it's all right to dive into those swimming holes.
If my beloved Texas was not being forced to bear the burden of the upkeep of illegals we could and would be able to make life better for our own citizens.
Texas is a right to work state BECAUSE we like it that way -
Doctors are coming to Texas in record numbers due to our much needed passage of tort reform.
These attacks on Texas are directly related to the threat on obamas reelection presented by Gov Perrys entry in the race - WE TEXANS consider this a compliment as we know we have the left shaking in their patent leather shoes as they eat their tofu.
Meanwhile we are eating red meat and driving our SUVs and placing our ELECT PERRY cards in our yards . Laughing at you liberals as you line up for your chance at the pity pot.
His record will not stand up to examination.
Fan #10
Matthew 25:31-46
New International Version (NIV)
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/fact-sheet-gov-rick-perry%E2%80%99s-extremist-allies
Philip Sheridan once said: "If I owned Texas and hell, I would rent out Texas and live in hell."
Perry: Economic Crisis Will Bring Us Back To Biblical Principles & Free Us From Slavery
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/perry-economic-crisis-will-bring-us-back-biblical-principles-free-us-slavery