The Buck Stops Where? (Never on Perry's desk)

[sonias]

Texas Tribune 2/24/10
The Buck Stops Where?

The attack ad could write itself: On Gov. Rick Perry's watch, Texas weathered a sexual abuse scandal at the Texas Youth Commission, fight clubs at state institutions for the disabled and deaths of kids monitored by Child Protective Services.

But three of the biggest messes of Perry's 10-year tenure - two of which spurred U.S. Justice Department investigations - have been noticeably absent on the campaign trail. While U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Perry's chief Republican primary opponent, has hit the airwaves on toll roads, immigration and education, she has largely steered clear of these high-profile social services debacles.

Perry spokesman Mark Miner says the agency crises haven't been campaign issues because the governor did such an effective job managing them. "With CPS, the state schools, the TYC, those are issues the governor has provided leadership on," Miner says. "When there were problems, he took immediate action."

Critics say that's untrue: Concerns about abuse, neglect and poor living conditions had been raised for years before the scandals erupted. Political consultants say Hutchison's decision not to target those issues has more to do with what she thinks resonates with typical primary voters - and what doesn't. "The fight clubs, the problems at the TYC — those are horrific things," says Hutchison campaign manager Terry Sullivan. "But what we’re really trying to focus on are the issues that affect everyday Texans: eminent domain, land grabs, cronyism."

Hutchison has been such a weak candidate against Perry. I hope White's campaign will make these issues. They are important to this everyday Texan. :grr:

[sonias]

1. Health plan crisis for state workers?

Related story in a way. One more area where Perry's failed leadership is not helping address this problem. He could be campaigning to get health care reform nationally (public option) in order to help state workers. But instead he's making sure they don't get any help and end up losing lots of their retirement money on escalating health care costs.

AAS 1/24/10
Health plan crisis for state workers?
As Texas leaders call for more discipline in state spending, one area of the budget has been stubbornly resistant to their demands.

Health insurance costs for state employees and retirees are expected to continue rising 8 to 10 percent a year, according to estimates from the state's two largest health insurance plans.

Those growing costs must be covered by additional state contributions — now more than $4 billion for all the state plans — or by changes to the health insurance plans. Neither option is generating much enthusiasm.

(snip)
Members will have to shoulder the cost of covering that deficit through higher co-payments, new deductibles or other out-of-pocket expenses. No specific changes to the insurance plan have been discussed publicly by the board, which will decide on the changes in May . Changes would go into effect in September.

(snip)
The lowest-paid state employees and retirees with fixed incomes are getting hit the most as salaries and pension payments have stagnated, Cunningham said.

She pleaded with the ERS board Tuesday to ask the Legislature for more money so that members don't bear all the cost. But Ann Fuelberg , ERS executive director, said she was doubtful that such a request would be embraced given the state's current budget situation.

Nope it's very doubtful that the Lege or Perry will show any leadership. They will simply pass the costs along to the employees and retirees. And too bad if they can't afford it. "Let em eat their bootstraps" - the Texas Republican solution to any crisis they don't want to deal with.

Sonia

[sonias]

2. PoltiFact Check on Perry's latest ad

PolitiFact Check
Gov. Perry says he made tough decisions including $3 billion in vetoes to boost economy
(snip)
As for Perry’s veto claim, his campaign told us it was based on adding up all spending that Perry vetoed after each of five regular legislative sessions.

That sounds straightforward. But it’s been debunked by the Dallas Morning News, which found that much of the vetoed spending never would have happened regardless. That’s because separate legislation authorizing the expenditures failed to pass into law. The newspaper said that nearly $2.5 billion of the more than $3 billion touted by Perry already was doomed because the required authorizing measures failed to pass.

The News said the funds at issue reflected "agencies that were discontinued, federal money that had to be repaid anyway and spending that was shortly thereafter restored, with Perry’s general approval." The newspaper's analysis continued: "The governor has even acknowledged that the vetoes were merely procedural. In supporting materials for the ad, his campaign points to the veto proclamations Perry issued at the time, and in those, he explains that the underlying bills failed to pass the Legislature."
(snip)

Not so good: Perry misrepresents the significance of balancing the state budget, a must-do for every legislature and governor. He distorts the size and substance of his budget vetoes. As previously reported, his claim that Texas has a surplus in the billions is Barely True since the state is expected to confront a revenue shortfall in 2012-13. Finally, Perry's claim to cutting state spending could lead viewers to think spending has decreased on his watch, which isn't so.

Perry’s ad drifts from evidence-strong facts to full-bore misrepresentations. We rate his statement altogether as Half True.

Trailblazers blog DMN 2/9/10
Heat index: A fact check of Perry's claim on taxes, state budget
(snip)
THE CLAIM: "I vetoed more than $3 billion in spending."
THE FACTS: He's counting about $2.5 billion that he ceremonially vetoed -- it was contingency money linked to bills that the Legislature did not approve. Most of the "cuts" were appropriations for nixed bills, discontinued agencies and federal money that eventually had to be repaid.

In many of the statements he issued upon vetoing the money, Perry stated that his veto was merely procedural. So in most cases, he is counting as cuts money that never would have been spent. (For more on this claim, take a look at this Heat Index item from January.)

Perry's doing the Enron again - distorting the facts. Or as Trailblazers puts it - serious misrepresentation of the facts.

:kick:

[sonias]

3. Newest Nick Anderson toon

True!

[tammywammy]

4. The most important thing I've been doing is reminding people how bad Perry is

Especially all those that think they like him for his "conservative" ways. Remind people what's happened while he's been governor, especially the Trans-Texas Corridor. I do like how KBH's ad has hit on his very expensive rental in Austin, saying a $10000/month rental isn't very fiscally conservative.

[sonias]

5. "$10000/month rental isn't very fiscally conservative"

No kidding! So much for the buck stopping anywhere on Perry's desk - unless they're greenbacks and those go directly into his back pocket from lobbyists.

Really - how much of a house do Goodhair and Anita need? Their kids are in college.

Conservatives should be mad as hell at Perry for his excesses, but they just give him a pass. It's just like the national Rs gave bushie a pass too. He's the guy that spent the whole country into a ditch and they never questioned anything he did. :grr:

[tammywammy]

6. That's why I just keep reminding people about that

The excessively expensive rental. The Trans Texas monstrosity. The passing on the stimulus money for unemployment and then having to turn around and ask the federal govt for a loan.

There's a lot of stuff I think people that don't keep up with politics just forget about. Now, these aren't rabid tea baggers, but regular people that call themselves "republicans." I just think this stuff is just honestly forgotten and when you bring it up along with everything else, they can see he's not doing a good job. I really like to bring up the decline in high school graduation rates along with the upswing of teen pregnancy.

I actually had someone say that White will try and implement a state income tax. When I stopped laughing I just said "you do realize that would take a state vote and wouldn't pass and secondly, if he was so tax happy like that why would he have lowered taxes while mayor of Houston?" That shut him up. I forgave him since he's a friend that lives in SC and doesn't know Texas politics very well (and has his own messed up governor to deal with).

When you point these things out it's hard for anyone to argue Perry's doing a bang up job. :)

[sonias]

7. SC?

Did you send him this toon. All in fun of course. :P





:rofl:



Sonia

[tammywammy]

8. I'll show that to him

:rofl: He'll laugh too.