Rick Perry Used Taxpayer Money To Subsidize Family Vacations, Presidential Campaign Events

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During his tenure, Perry has doubled Texas’ debt and used budget gimmicks to close the state’s enormous $27 billion deficit. Perry and GOP lawmakers refused to raise taxes on the wealthy while they cut billions from public education, women’s health centers, and shortchanged Medicaid by nearly $14 billion — all while spending taxpayer dollars for trips to Europe.

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/668888/rick_perry_used_taxpayer_money_to_subsidize_family_vacations%2C_presidential_campaign_events/#paragraph3

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1. Perry's security costs on Texas taxpayers' tab

Houston Chronicle 9/17/11

Perry's security costs on Texas taxpayers' tab

AUSTIN - At a time when state budget reductions were used to help offset a multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall, taxpayers were billed in excess of $294,000 in security detail expenses for out-of-state trips by Gov. Rick Perry or his wife, according to records released by the Department of Public Safety.

Destinations included the Bahamas in January for a family vacation and trips to Amsterdam, Madrid and New York by Anita Perry alone - visits that Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said were for economic development.

Perry traveled to locales including New York, Washington, California and Las Vegas for events such as promotion of his anti-Washington book, Fed Up!, speeches, duties related to his then-chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association and meetings with business leaders or potential supporters for his presidential bid.

His campaign - not the state - pays for many of the governor's direct travel expenses, but the cost of the security detail is paid by the state. Castle said the policy on the security detail is from the DPS, not the governor's office.

So much for cutting taxpayer spending to the bone in Texas. Not his personal travel budget of course. :mad:

Why doesn't he just fly on corporate jets owned by the companies that own him? They should pay for his security as well. Why should the taxpayers foot the bill?
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