As the United States contemplates a clean-energy future, leadership is coming from a surprising place— Texas.
This state is well-known for producing oil and natural gas. But Texas also has erected far more turbines than any other state and now has nearly three times as much wind capacity as Iowa, which is ranked second. Forests of turbines have sprouted atop remote, scrubby mesas. If Texas were its own country, it would generate more wind power than all but five nations—the United States, China, Germany, Spain and India.
‘‘Texas still has a long way to go to meet its future energy demand with an increased amount of clean energy, but there’s a lot of success to build on,’’ said Michael Brune, the executive director of the Sierra Club, a major environmental group based in San Francisco, who visited the state last week. Texas, he said, ranks second nationally in the creation of clean-energy jobs, after California.
Our campaign launched a new television spot today called “Open for Business.”
The spot highlights the economic success Texas is experiencing because of the leadership and pro-growth policies put into place by Governor Rick Perry.
The keys to success? Don't spend all the money. Keep taxes low. Keep regulations fair and predictable. Tort reform to prevent frivolous and junk lawsuits. Fund an accountable education system. Then get out of the way and let entrepreneurs and the private sector do what the private sector does best-- create jobs. Since 2005, Texas has created far more private-sector jobs than all over states combined.
As the Governor continues traveling the state, bringing his positive message directly to Texans, the momentum and excitement of our campaign continues to get stronger every day.
AUSTIN -- Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding bullets from a gun battle in Juarez that struck a building on the campus of the University of Texas-El Paso over the weekend:
"For the second time in two months, bullets from a gun battle in the escalating drug war in Juarez have struck a building in El Paso, and I'd like to commend the swift action taken by local and state law enforcement in the area. By the grace of God, the stray bullets from these incidents have yet to injure or kill a Texan. It is unconscionable that the Obama Administration is gambling with American lives, betting that escalating violence from these cartels won't eventually shed the blood of innocent people on U.S. soil.
"We must ensure El Paso and other border communities remain a safe place for people to live, work and raise a family. It's time for Washington to stop the rhetoric and immediately deploy a significance force of personnel and resources to the border to protect our homeland."
"Blueprint for Recovery: Deep in the Heart of Texas," a web video based on economic figures from nearly a year ago, highlights some of the ways in which Texas is leading the nation, even in these tough economic times. Indeed, it may be even more relevant today:
Nearly a year later, Texas remains the blueprint for America's recovery.
Facts you probably won't hear President Obama mention while he is in the Lone Star State today raising money for Liberal Trial Lawyer Bill White...
* CNBC has ranked Texas America’s Top State for Business, based on their study that scored each state based on 40 different measures of competitiveness. Texas received more points than any other state based on categories including: cost of doing business, workforce, economy, education, quality of life, technology and innovation, transportation, cost of living, business friendliness, and access to capital. (CNBC, July 2010)
* Texas’ major metro areas – Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston and San Antonio – were named as America’s Recovery Capitals on a list compiled by Forbes. “Looking for a place to take advantage of the recovery?” Forbes asks. “Try Texas.” (Forbes, June 2010)
* Texas created more private sector jobs than any other state in the nation over the last 10 years. Texas also has the lowest unemployment rate among the 10 largest states in the nation. Additionally, since the beginning of 2010, Texas has created more total new jobs (and more private sector jobs) than any other state in the nation. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2010)
* Texas has four of top 10 cities for new graduates looking for jobs. (Businessweek, July 2010)
* Texas has five of the top counties for job growth over the last nine years: #2 (Williamson), #3 (Hays), #5 (Fort Bend), #6 (Webb), #7 (Collin). (CNN/Money, July 2010)
On the 80-mile drive from San Antonio to the Texas capitol in Austin, it’s difficult to miss the signs of growth. At every highway exit, it seems, huge new shopping malls greet motorists. Valleys where cattle grazed five years ago now sport shiny new Target stores, tract homes, and tennis courts. Between 2000 and 2009, Texas added about 4 million residents, more than half of them migrants from elsewhere in the nation. And Texas will almost certainly emerge from the recession with the nation’s strongest and most important economy.
In May alone, Texas, America’s second most populous state, added over 75,000 jobs—more than California (the biggest), New York (third biggest), and Florida (fourth biggest) combined. Texas has shown consistent gains in 10 of the 11 categories of private employment that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures. The state is far more than cowboys and oil: It has several of the nation’s leading medical research centers (Baylor and UT hospitals among them), one of the biggest computer makers (Dell), and a financial industry that never took a turn for the worse. And, even though unemployment remains a tick over 8 percent (about a point and a half lower than the national average), the rapid growth is bringing this down quickly. During the last week in June, the job-hunt website Monster.com offered more new job openings in Texas than in California even though the Golden State has over 10 million more people. In a nation looking for economic good news, Texas stands out as a bright spot.
Yesterday morning, Governor Perry went on air with Laura Ingraham, who is touring with her radio program in Texas this week, to discuss border security and immigration, Second Amendment rights, jobs and economic growth, and more.
On NBC's Today Show this morning, Newt Gingrich explained how Governor Perry's fiscally responsible approach in Texas has created an economic climate that is the envy of the nation. Texas is the state where, even in these tough times, more jobs, prosperity, and opportunity have been created than in any other state in America:
Indeed, just this morning, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released data showing that from June 2009 to June 2010, Texas yet again created more jobs than all other large states combined:
Last week, Gov. Perry issued a statement in support of an amicus brief filed by state attorneys general, including Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, in the U.S. v. State of Arizona case, which states that Arizona has the right to provide for the public safety and security of their citizens. Here's an excerpt of Gov. Perry's statement:
"Regardless of anyone's feelings on the Arizona law, we must protect the 10th Amendment and right of states to legislate public safety to keep families and communities secure. I join Texas Attorney General Abbott in opposing the Obama Administration’s effort to undermine the right of states to protect their citizens and govern themselves."
Texas powers past the tough times on the strength of its economy—top-ranked in our Economy category four years in a row. The Texas economy is the 15th largest in the world, according to government figures; larger, for example, than all the Scandinavian nations combined.
The Lone Star State is home to 64 Fortune 500 companies, more than any other state, in a wide variety of industries. So while the state’s last win in 2008 came with oil at a record $145 a barrel—a natural tailwind for the largest industry in Texas—the state managed to do even better this year despite the fact that oil is trading at roughly half that price.
CNBC also noted that Texas this year earned the "best overall score in the history of our study."
Political advertisement paid for by Texans for Rick Perry
Governor Rick Perry | 
Governor Rick Perry | 
Governor Rick Perry | 
Governor Rick Perry