Gov. Perry on Government Reform

Texans for Rick Perry releases new radio ad, “Endorsement”

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today received the endorsement of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) PAC for re-election in 2010. Texans for Rick Perry also released a new radio ad, “Endorsement,” featuring Tom Schaz, chairman of the CCAGW PAC, which is now airing across Texas and is available at www.YouTube.com.

"Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison talks like a fiscal conservative back home, but acts like a big spender in Washington," said Schatz. "She asked for $1.6 billion in earmarks last year, and called earmarking ‘a legitimate role of Congress.’ That is one reason why Senator Hutchison came in second in the voting for 2009 Porker of the Year to liberal Democrat Barney Frank. She also has one of the worst CCAGW vote ratings on wasteful spending and taxes among Senate Republicans. Her record stands in complete contrast to Governor Rick Perry, who has held the line on taxes, demanded greater transparency in the state budget, and vetoed $35.8 million in earmarks in 2007. Governor Perry is the real fiscal conservative in the race for governor. That is why the CCAGW PAC has endorsed Governor Perry and why Texans should vote for him in the March 2nd primary.”

The mission of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) is to advocate the elimination of waste and inefficiency in government through nonpartisan public education programs. Each year, CCAGW tabulates its Congressional Ratings, evaluating how each member of Congress measures up on key tax and spending votes.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste PAC,” said Gov. Perry. “Their mission to eliminate waste, mismanagement and inefficiency in the federal government is to be commended. In Texas, I have worked with the legislature to cut taxes, reduce spending, and eliminate waste while calling for increased transparency. Because of these efforts, our state is best positioned to weather the current challenging economic climate.”

Below is the script and sourcing materials for “Endorsement.”

“Endorsement” Script
This is Tom Schaz, chairman of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste PAC.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison talks like a fiscal conservative back home, but acts like a big spender in Washington.
She asked for $1.6 billion in earmarks last year, and called earmarking “a legitimate role of Congress.”
That is one reason why Senator Hutchison came in second in the voting for 2009 Porker of the Year to liberal Democrat Barney Frank.
She also has one of the worst CCAGW vote ratings on wasteful spending and taxes among Senate Republicans.
Her record stands in complete contrast to Governor Rick Perry, who has held the line on taxes, demanded greater transparency in the state budget, and vetoed $35.8 million in earmarks in 2007.
Governor Perry is the real fiscal conservative in the race for governor.
That is why the CCAGW PAC has endorsed Governor Perry and why Texans should vote for him in the March 2nd primary.

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today received the endorsement of Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and national chairman of the Reagan Legacy Project, for re-election in 2010.

“Gov. Perry is the strongest pro-taxpayer governor in the country and a national leader in promoting greater spending transparency in government,” said Norquist. “He has consistently held the line on spending and worked hard to create a low-tax climate that has allowed people in the state of Texas to succeed and thrive. Other states and our nation’s federal government would do well to follow the example Gov. Perry has set which has offered a promising and proven alternative to the one-size-fits-all spending mentality embraced by too many leaders in this country.”

Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a coalition of taxpayer groups, individuals and businesses opposed to higher taxes at the federal, state and local levels. ATR organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to oppose all tax increases. To date, 172 House members and 34 senators have taken the pledge. On the state level, more than 1100 state legislators and 7 governors, including Gov. Perry, have taken the pledge. Norquist is also a board member of the National Rifle Association of America and the American Conservative Union, and president of the American Society of Competitiveness. He is contributing editor to the American Spectator Magazine and author of Leave Us Alone – Getting the Government’s Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives.

“I’m proud of what we have done in Texas to uphold an environment that has created the freedom for entrepreneurs to risk their capital and reap a reward, by reigning in spending, maintaining low taxes, and upholding a reasonable legal and regulatory climate,” said Gov. Perry. “I look forward to continue working with leaders and officials across our state to uphold these principles and find even more ways to strengthen our economy and attract the jobs, businesses and investment that are crucial to fostering opportunity and prosperity for Texans.”

Senator uses more than $12,000 in taxpayer money to reimburse lobbyists, corporations and donors for use of their jets; has spent more than $518,000 for 154 private flights.

NEW VIDEO “WANNA GET AWAY?" AVAILABLE AT WWW.WASHINGTONKAY.COM

During her 17 years as a United States Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison has used more than $12,000 in taxpayer money to reimburse lobbyists, corporations with business interests before her committees in the Senate, and campaign donors for use of their private planes, including Zachry Construction, Clear Channel, Oshkosh Trucking, TXU, Moncrief Oil, and Lockheed Martin. She has billed taxpayers more than $518,000 to travel 154 times by private airplane, according to Senate records.

“Bailouts, earmarks and now private plane rides continue to demonstrate that Senator Hutchison has no regard for taxpayer dollars,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Senator Hutchison should apologize to the people of Texas for her consistent use of taxpayer dollars for political activity.”

Sen. Hutchison often uses private planes for single-destination trips to major metropolitan areas when commercial flights would cost a mere fraction of what she passes on to taxpayers. Examples include spending $5,732.68 to fly round-trip Dallas to Houston and $5,523.92 to fly round-trip Dallas to Austin. (Additional examples below.)

According to semi-annual Reports of the Secretary of the Senate, Sen. Hutchison has billed taxpayers $12,461.95 to reimburse lobbyists, corporations and donors for use of their jets, and used private planes at least 154 times costing taxpayers $518,892.39. (SOURCE: Report of the Secretary of the Senate documents available at www.WashingtonKay.com)

The video “Wanna Get Away?” is also available at www.WashingtonKay.com:

Reimbursements to Lobbyists, Corporations and Donors: $12,461.95

Sen. Hutchison Itinerary Date Cost Reimbursement To
Washington, DC to Dallas, One-way 12/8/01 $2,416.00 Tom Loeffler
Dallas to Washington, DC, Round-trip 12/3-12/4/01 $2,330.00 TXU
Washington, DC to Dallas, One-way 10/25/01 $1,205.25 Lockheed Martin
Washington, DC to Dallas, One-way 11/14/03 $1,203.00 Moncrief Oil
Dallas to Washington, DC, One-way 3/5/01 $1,168.50 Tom Luce
Dallas to Louisville, KY, to Washington DC 2/28/05 $1,116.90 Oshkosh Trucking
Weslaco to Corpus Christi To Dallas 2/20/02 $1,115.00 SSP Partners
Washington, DC to San Antonio, One-way 4/15/09 $569.00 Clear Channel
Dallas to Austin to Corpus Christi to Dallas 10/3/03 $314.00 Mike A Myers
Dallas to Beaumont, One-way 8/28/06 $261.70 Trinity Industries Inc
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 1/25/06 $222.00 Mike A Myers
Dallas to Laredo, Round-trip 9/22/00 $214.00 TXU
San Antonio to Dallas, One-way 4/23/07 $115.90 Zachry Construction
Dallas to Austin, One-way 10/14/00 $106.00 Mike A Myers
San Antonio to Dallas, One-way 7/11/05 $104.70 Mansefeldt Investment

Wasteful Private Flights to Single Destination

Sen. Hutchison Itinerary Date Cost To Taxpayers Commercial Option
Dallas to Houston, Round-trip 9/14/08 $5,732.68 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Laredo, Round-trip 2/21/09 $5,702.83 $224 (American)
Dallas to Austin Round-trip 10/3/08 $5,523.92 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 11/27/08 $5,441.77 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to McAllen, Round-trip 3/1/03 $5,077.38 $304 (American)
Sugar Land to Dallas, One-way 2/15/08 $4,719.52 $151 (Southwest)
Dallas to Houston, Round-trip 2/28/09 $4,421.84 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Houston, Round-trip 4/16/05 $3,702.57 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Waco, Round-trip 11/25/05 $3,416.00 $120 (American)
Dallas to Lubbock, Round-trip 3/23/03 $3,394.38 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to Tyler, Round-trip 11/2/01 $3,181.43 $124 (American)
Dallas to Waco, Round-trip 12/3/04 $3,095.75 $120 (American)
Corpus Christi to Dallas, One-way 10/6/06 $2,573.51 $87 (American)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 2/23/03 $2,451.63 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to San Antonio, Round-trip 1/26/05 $2,343.36 $314 (Southwest)
Dallas to Waco, Round-trip 10/7/00 $2,235.63 $120 (American)
Dallas to San Antonio, Round-trip 8/29/05 $2,235.04 $314 (Southwest)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 11/22/99 $2,193.36 $306 (Southwest)
Houston to Laredo, One-way 10/20/06 $1,942.14 $533 (Continental)
Houston to Austin, Round-trip 10/4/99 $1,844.36 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 9/30/08 $1,191.55 $306 (Southwest)

On the eve of the second Texas Republican gubernatorial debate, Gov. Rick Perry told East Texans that under his administration, Texas has set a blueprint to recover from the economic crisis that he believes Washington should follow.

"Tonight’s debate gave Texans the chance to hear competing visions for our state’s future while reflecting on the remarkable success story our state has written over the last several years.

"As our nation’s economy continues to struggle, our best prospects lie with maintaining our job-friendly climate, continuing to strengthen our education system, keeping our border secure and pushing back against the flood of misguided policies pouring out of Washington.

"I hope that our success has earned the confidence of Texas voters and that they will continue supporting me in leading our state with hard work, innovation and careful fiscal stewardship."

What's the worst state to do business in? According to readers of Chief Executive magazine, it's California. In the same poll, Texas won first place as the best state in which to put your headquarters.

As reported in The Economist, the two largest states in the nation have very different philosophies and very different success rates.

In the 1950s and '60s, California was the embodiment of the American Dream, offering great schools, roads, jobs, and communities with all the latest amenities, not to mention good weather, beaches, and quick access to the mountains and wilderness for recreation. As home to Disneyland and the movie industry, the state represented all that was glamorous and new.

Cut to the present day. California is $26 billion in the hole and has recently been paying its bills with IOUs. Its once-proud schools are suffering and the prison system is releasing criminals early because the state can't afford to keep them. Social services are being cut right and left. Infrastructure is aging and falling apart. Unemployment is nearing 12 percent. State employees are forced to take unpaid furlough days and many California cities are worse off than Detroit. Its state income tax is the second highest in the U.S., and government regulations seem perversely aligned to discourage people from doing business there.

In fact, people are fleeing the so-called Golden State at a rate of more than 100,000 a year. From the Great Depression on, California was a dream destination for Americans. Now it looks more like a nightmare, taking on new debt at a rate of $25 million a day.

Texas, on the other hand, was considered something of a backwater in the 1950s and '60s, and certainly not a glamorous destination for the upwardly mobile masses. How things change. Unemployment in that state is two percentage points below the national average. It has one of the lowest rates of repossession for housing. There is no state income tax, nor is there a tax on capital gains in Texas.

Also, the Lone Star State has more Fortune 500 headquarters than any other place in the union: California has 51, New York has 56, and Texas has 64. AT&T, Dell, Texas Instruments, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Southwest Airlines, J.C. Penny, and Halliburton are all located in Texas.

Texas also has a geographic advantage over California. California has mountains that limit growth. Texas is largely flat. California is big. Texas is bigger. If you drive from Houston to El Paso, you're halfway to Los Angeles – without leaving Texas.

Texas created 70 percent of all the new jobs in the United States in 2008, and it has a budget surplus. No wonder it's the fastest-growing state in America, with 150,000 new residents arriving each year. Houston promises to become the nation's third-largest city in the near future, edging out Chicago for that spot. And 3 of the 10 largest cities in the United States are already in Texas – Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Both the Brookings Institution and Forbes Magazine studied America’s cities and rated them for how well they create new jobs. All of America’s top five job-creating cities were in Texas. It's more than purely economics and regulation can explain, though. Texas – and Houston in particular – has a broad mix of Hispanics, whites, Asians, and blacks with virtually no racial problems. Texas welcomes new people and exemplifies genuine tolerance. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Houston took in 100,000 people. Not surprisingly, Houston has more foreign consulates than any American city other than New York and Los Angeles.

And while Texas is creating jobs and new business, the Financial Times recently observed that the failure of a state as large and important as California is serving as a drag on the entire U.S. economy. Much of what we perceive as a national housing crisis, for example, is really concentrated in a few of the hardest-hit regions – California and Florida chief among them. Meanwhile, areas such as Texas have experienced a much milder downturn. In short, the catastrophes in Florida, Nevada, and especially California make the national market look really bad.