Posted on 09/12/2006 7:06:23 AM PDT by laotzu
AUSTIN - Cigar-chomping cowboy Kinky Friedman seems to be offering a home for conservatives disgruntled by Gov. Rick Perry's administration.
Friedman, the independent gubernatorial candidate, has said he'll reduce state spending, eliminate the new business tax and use the state surplus to curtail illegal immigration and crime in Houston if he's elected in November.
It's a platform that resonates with Republicans who say they feel betrayed by Perry's policies, especially the new business tax they call a state income tax in disguise.
His platform so closely matches the agendas of groups like Texans for No New Taxes and Citizens for Lowering Our Unfair Taxes that conservative radio host and state Senate candidate Dan Patrick wonders whether Friedman stole their ideas.
''What his campaign platform is now is what I've been talking about for years,'' said Patrick, who is heavily favored to win his northwest Houston district in November. ''I think it's fascinating that he has figured out in his campaign where the majority of conservatives stand on the issues when others have not.''
Friedman also stands with Republicans who want to see prayer and the Ten Commandments back in schools, and he frequently quotes or praises conservative icon Ronald Reagan and other GOP leaders.
And he's taking a harsh stance on illegal immigration, saying he'll add 8,500 National Guard troops to the border, fine companies tens of thousands of dollars for hiring illegal immigrants and force migrants who want jobs in Texas to pass a criminal background check and buy a foreign taxpayer ID card.
Experts say Friedman has almost no chance of pulling enough voters away from Perry to win the race. And Perry spokesman Robert Black said he believes conservative voters will stick with what they know.
''This is far and away not only the most conservative candidate on the ticket, it's the most conservative governor the state's ever had,'' Black said of Perry.
Friedman campaign manager Dean Barkley says Friedman is just speaking his mind, with no strategy to jockey for the anti-Perry favorite among the three other gubernatorial candidates.
''Why would you impose a brand new large tax burden on any Texan when you're sitting on a pile of money?'' Barkley said, referring to the state's multibillion-dollar surplus. ''It just makes no logical sense of why you'd do that.''
The Legislature approved the new tax format this spring, bringing in new business tax money to replace local school property taxes they cut to answer a Texas Supreme Court ruling that declared the state's dependence on property taxes illegal. The tax takes effect next year, and the first due date for businesses is May 2008.
Supporters of the new tax say it's more fair because only about one in every 16 Texas businesses paid the tax it replaces. Most Texas businesses, including Dell Inc., use well-known accounting tricks to avoid paying it.
But critics say businesses that lose money could still owe money because the tax is based on a percentage of net receipts instead of net income.
Friedman and other opponents of the tax say that amounts to a state income tax. And he says he worries the tax will hurt small businesses the most because they don't own as much property as bigger companies and won't get as much relief from the property tax reductions.
''That is simply taxing the people who have been a bit successful and been playing by the rules,'' Friedman said recently. ''It shifts the tax burden. It doesn't create new revenue as something like legalizing casino gambling would do.''
Harris County Republican chairman Jared Woodfill says true conservatives will be turned off by Friedman's support of gambling, gay marriage and abortion.
But Friedman has won the support of Bill Weldon, a 39-year-old project manager for Continental Airlines and lifelong Republican who's mad about the business tax and skyrocketing property appraisals.
Weldon says he likes Friedman's ideas about education, the border and taxes. And he's willing to live with Friedman's qualms about the death penalty and his support of abortion rights because the governor has little power over those laws.
''He can throw out all the crazy ideas he wants, you know, but if he doesn't have the senators' and the House members' support, it doesn't matter,'' said Weldon, of Katy.
While Patrick says 90 percent of his callers tell him they plan to vote for Friedman, as a Republican, he says, he wants ''the home team to win.''
But it's not that cut and dry for Weldon.
''I'm a conservative first. I'm a Republican second,'' he said. ''I believe in a common sense approach to things. The way things are sitting right now, there is no common sense in what Gov. Perry has been doing.''
Amen.
Nobody would hear of this, if if weren't for the media desire to oust Perry.
they're still running against Bush
Either way, I have a feeling Im going to be holding my nose very tightly this election....
I am new to Texas. I know Kinky from music and Imus but not from the state.
Who is the best of the bunch to run this state?
I have talked to alot of folks who are voting for Kinky. ALOT. These are Repub voters.
Quite a few are pretty big Repub donors that are giving to Kinky's campaign via a 2nd person (oil guys).
Personally I can't stand Perry.
heehe - you know...I dont know...and Im a Texas native (Houston). But Im not politically astute like a lot of people here on FR. Im really just mouthing off. I just feel Perot already burned us with the populist "ramblin' cowboy" schtick...is why I am more mixed in my feelings concerning Bush. Hes been a great foreign policy President, but his domestic policies drag us down. Guess Im just a little leery that Friedman will only tell us what we want to hear, and then when in office, do whatever the hell he wants anyway. Hell, it's what Perry did...
Kink ain't no conservatgive, but some stupid "conservatives", still think putting their hand on the stove will not get them burned.
ask mr. friedman's view on abortion.
Perry has not done a great deal for us Texans, but to put in Kinky would be absolute disaster! I'll stick with Perry.
Friedman is NOT a conservative.
Perry may be an empty suit whose most noted saving grace is his awesome hair, but at least he's the closest we get to a Republican in the whole sorry bunch.
Along with legalized drugs, free condoms, gambling lessons so they'll be educated when they go to the casinos that he wants to bring to Texas.
I might vote for Kinky simply because he won't be able to get anything done since the Republicans and Democrats won't work with him. This might actually be a good thing.
And Liberaltarians.
This state is doing great, and those who want another Jesse Ventura, or Ross Perot running the state want to just spread misery to everyone.
I didn't say these folks are all conservative on all issues. They just typically vote for Repubs here in TX.
To many Texans the boarder issue is ALL that matters. All other issues are on a back burner.
I'm just telling you what I have been hearing. I talk to a lot of people. And a lot of big Repub donors.
Just fyi.
Kinky wants to eliminate Perry's back-door income tax? Kinky's star is rising!
Like I said before, those who voted for Clinton a second term deserved what they got. Same goes for the joker "Kinky".
Kinky has my vote.
Only the ignorant and gullible believe that, dig deeper and you'll find that this claim doesn't hold up.
Here's a lengthy interview he did earlier in the year:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1688350/posts
Claims he isn't liberal, but all the persons he named were Dems or John McCain.
Wants to appoint Willie Nelson (funder of many leftists, including Cindy Sheehan) to be his 'Energy Czar'.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1686204/posts
Is anti-hunting:
http://www.texashuntfish.com/flexiforums/thread.cfm?pid=8980&sid=17&fid=25
Reminds me of 1992, when the gullible knee-jerk crowd was moaning about how much George Bush was a RINO and how this Clinton guy may be a Democrat but some of what he says kinda appeals to conservatives, hey its only 4 years, how much damage can he really do, I want to send a message, etc.
Kinky is just the latest Lucy with a football for the Charlie Brown wing of conservatism, and the result never change.
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