Posted on 07/15/2011 3:35:26 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise that God called Rick Perry to serve in his present capacity, but I always thought the governor answered more directly to Houston home builder Bob Perry.
As my colleague, Patricia Kilday Hart, reported Thursday, Perry — the governor, not the home builder — told a group involved in planning an Aug. 6 prayer rally in Houston that God "put me in this place at this time to do his will." Turns out some of that work involved too much government regulation and "a legal system that's run amok."
Before we dismiss what the governor said out of hand, let's remind ourselves that making our best effort to sort out what God has in mind for us isn't bad all by itself. And there's a long history in this country, from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr., of leaders invoking the moral authority of the Judeo-Christian message to lead us toward what's right.
That happened again this week, in fact, when Chief U.S. District Judge Fred Biery called on parties to the lawsuit over the legal limits of prayer at graduation in Medina Valley to lean on the tenets of faith in working their way toward a resolution. Biery, vilified by some over his previous ruling in the case, invoked Scripture when he asked adults on both sides to "reason together."
That seems rational enough to me, as does Gov. Perry's attempt to discern God's purpose for him — at least at first. The problem arises when you wade too deeply into the specifics of what God wants.
[snip]
I don't take issue with politicians invoking religious authority in arguing for what's right. I would like to have seen a little more of that as Gov. Perry and the Legislature were shortchanging the state's public schoolchildren by nearly $5 billion.
But it's important to remember that God's power has been invoked over the years on behalf of everything from segregation to war to the annual Texas-Texas A&M football game.
Sometimes we garble the message.
And when a politician considering a run for the presidency casts himself as a vessel of God's work, and does so in the name of tort reform, tax cuts and deregulation — all more tenets of political philosophy than articles of faith — he comes off more as a cheap carnival hustler than someone who deserves to be taken seriously.
It's not that I know he's wrong. In fact, the only conclusion I draw for sure is that the Lord works in mysterious ways.
So I'm going to respond to those charges by adding some information and some THOUGHT.
Business ie employers -- the big boogie men/women that UNIONS have to fight against, that "illegals" are exploited by, that politicians use as re-election cash machines -- the names the msm keep throwing against the wall in their fight against Governor Rick Perry: Charles Butts HEB - grocer (largest employer in Texas); Bob Perry (largest (?) homebuilder in Texas); Merck Pharmaceutical (Gardasil HPV vaccine, etc).
In the grand scheme of things you should research donations made to political action committees (PACs) and direct contributions that business make to ALL politicians. That's what lobbyists do. They prowl the halls of government buildings across the country. (Where do you think Barack Obama's $1Billion is coming from, the poor?)
Lobbyists start out in government--where they build up their rolodex. Then they move on to represent businesses who know it is required that they come hat in hand to pay tribute to the legislators who will be passing or not passing legislation that will be levying taxes and regulations upon them.
It is the nature of the beast -- why we need to have elected officials spend less time on the job and go home to work a real job. The Texas legislature meets every 2 years for 140 days (additional days if special sessions are called).
Rick Perry's platform in brief:
1. Don't spend all the money.
2. Have fair and predictable tax and regulatory policy.
3. A legal system that doesn't allow for over suing (lawsuit abuse) and make loser pay (no more jackpot justice).
With that as Rick Perry's platform and political ideology, I conclude that businesses contribute to Rick Perry to have less government entanglement in their business, which would do wonders for their bottom line -- their profits, their ability to expand and employ more people.
UNIONS and TRIAL LAWYERS are the bane of business but they are the top two fair haired children of BIG GOVERNMENT. However we don’t read editorials about their influence, do we?
And on to the campaign money “flowing” into Rick Perry’s pockets. Here’s what I found:
HEB: 2010 With the notable exception of Lamar Smith (R), mostly Democrat giving, including a PAC contribution for Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY), also gave to Bill White (D) who lost in his 2010 gubenatorial challenge to Rick Perry – DIDN'T FIND Rick Perry: Charles Butt [HEB CEO] Political Campaign Contributions 2010 Election Cycle [HEB is the largest private company (grocer) in Texas]
Perry Homes: 2010 With the exception of $1K to Shelia Jackson-Lee and Gene Green -- both democrats, ALL GOP giving but DIDN'T FIND Rick Perry: Bob Perry Political Campaign Contributions 2010 Election Cycle -- Bobby Jack Perry (Bob J. Perry); Houston, Texas homebuilder, owner of Perry Homes, and major contributor to a number of 527 groups: Swift Vets and POWs for Truth and the Economic Freedom Fund. ---- In 2010, Perry donated $7 million to the 527 group American Crossroads -- largest single donation that the organization has received to date -- they primarily work to elect Republican legislators; is a member of the Heritage Club. Donated to Tom DeLay’s Texans for a Republican Majority and to Tom DeLay’s defense. In 2006, Perry was the largest political donor in Texas. 2006 donations included nearly $400,000 to the campaign of GOP Governor Rick Perry (no relation).
On a side note, HEB CEO Charles Butt is a piker compared to Perry Homes CEO Bob Perry's giving.
Merck: A FReeper claims a $6K contribution to Rick Perry. Merck has contributed Millions to politicians -- the list is very long.
The question is: Are they paying to get people into government who will keep government off their backs, or are they paying to grow government?
Business vs Unions.
Capitalism vs Socialism.
What makes the most sense?
”As governors of states whose residents, like all Americans, are desperate for the restoration of fiscal responsibility in Washington, we are proud to have signed the “Cut, Cap and Balance Pledge” amid the debate over once again raising the federal debt ceiling.
We oppose an increase in the federal debt limit unless three common-sense conditions are met: substantial cuts in spending; enforceable spending caps to put the country on a path to a balanced budget; and congressional passage of a balanced-budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That amendment should include a requirement for a congressional supermajority to approve any increases in taxes.
At heart, the pledge represents the reality that yet another temporary fix to our nation’s budgetary woes is no fix at all. The time has come for all of us to begin holding the federal government to the same common-sense standards in place in most states, including South Carolina and Texas……”
Bump!
There wasn't "growth in the spring." Big Education didn't get full increased funding -- only some increased funding. The legislature and Rick Perry balanced the budget, didn't raise taxes and left money in the rainy day fund.
Our Texas school district worked hard to deal with reality. It managed, through innovative ideas and belt tightening, and without raising our property taxes (but then our school district receives awards for how they manage their budget) to maintain a great program (consistently one of the best school districts in the state and the country).
Alex, I’ll take “What makes a RINO?” for $300.
Union parasites lie. They might have to contribute more to their retirement and this trick of claiming the poor children are suffering isn't working in some states or with taxpayers anymore.
Nonsense.
The REAL point is that RINO Perry's seeming intent
has been to
(1) reward his political allies inc. Chief of Staff inc. his Merck employer and
(2) to essentially shove an untested drug into the bodies of
his constituents’ pre-pubescent girls. Girls. So where was Perry's
due diligence? Where was the informed consent?
Is there an iota of evidence that RINO Perry really cared? Most importantly,
what would he do on a national level, if given the power.
Many on this forum are still waiting to hear Gov. Perry
begin to finally address this issue.
I'm not a mind reader but it strikes me that Gov. Rick Perry truly believed the HPV vaccine would have helped a lot of Texans who otherwise would not have gotten this protection against cervical cancer (it was to help with 3 strains of the human papilloma virus HPV).
Rick Perry's wife Anita Perry was a nurse for many years and still is involved in health care as First Lady of Texas, so I imagine health care is something this governor is more aware of than maybe your "average" governor and understood this to be a vaccine that would combat cervical cancer and cut heath care costs.
Then too Rick Perry grew up hard scrabble with little luxury as many have, yet vaccines traditionally have been made available to all.
Instead of applying the worst motives to Rick Perry, perhaps his critics could consider that his motives were good ones.
Another FReeper had some thoughts on this issue.
However, there are some here on FR who prefer to apply the worst motives to Rick Perry.
The most "vocal" either won't name a candidate they would support; say they would vote for Huntsman or Romney over Perry; say they would rather Obama stay in the White House than vote for Rick Perry.
The HPV vaccine was always Opt-Out. And according to this report had been changed to Opt-In, before being dropped entirely.
90 days after his EO, Gov. Rick Perry let stand legislation undoing the EO.
..Ann Hettinger, Concerned Women for America's state director of Texas, was instrumental in convincing Perry to change his proposal to an opt-in provision. When asked if Perry's original plans for the HPV vaccine would be an issue if he were to run for president, [Penny] Nance [CEO of Concerned Women for America] replied, “It would've been an issue IF HE HAD NOT FIXED IT.”
Would you care to expand on that -- as it pertains to my post on Rick Perry?
It does not "protect".
It is not appropriate for chaste 6 grade girls.
Sexually promiscuous women (not chaste girls)
require three shots over six months
CDC: 44% of teenagers received the HPV vaccine
but only 27% of them received all three requisite doses.
There is no evidence one does even works.
Cincinatus' Wife: "The HPV vaccine was always Opt-Out. "
This an utter lie suggesting again
that you are a paid, or bound.
RINO Perry's Chief of Staff worked for Merck
and, at the time, the Merck company was desperate for cash.
Solution: MANDATE GARDASIL BY EXECUTIVE ORDER.
RINO Perry rejected opponents' and Conservatives' calls to reverse
his mandate
Cincinatus' Wife: "Rick Perry grew up hard scrabble with little luxury as many have,
yet vaccines traditionally have been made available to all."
This has NOTHING to do with the matter. It tells more about YOU.
Cincinatus' Wife: "Rick Perry's wife Anita Perry was a nurse for many years
and still is involved in health care as First Lady of Texas, "
Then there has been absolutely no excuse for this abomination.
AMEN
My friend's wife teaches in Richardson, they had a 10 million dollar surplus from what I have heard and have had to forfeit it.
This "the rich don't pay their fair share" crap is getting really old, especially when my own kids district gives away my tax dollars and rewards the lazy districts like Dallas, where they do affirmative action hiring for superintendent ( who then steals 10's of thousands of dollars) and where at city council meetings the black panthers show up with shotguns and black members tell white members "why don't you just call me nigger!" or my favorite (referring to a white guy who said the district is like throwing money into a black hole) "What about a white hole!" and then a black judge forcing the white guy to apologize to the offended black.
That's where my money goes.
Or, as I like to put it, "Facts and logic."That is so old-fashioned; we need to get with the program and get up to date. Everyone knows that in this day and age the only thing that actually matters is PR. </"liberalism">
"Rick Perry has continued to stand up. I think that's who the man is," says Cathie Adams, who has been a Texas GOP chairwoman, national committeewoman and head of the Texas Eagle Forum.
She, like others in the Perry fold, believes he's been consistently conservative on issues that matter to social and religious conservatives — most of the time. Like others, she says his support for a mandated vaccine against human papillomavirus was off pitch. HPV, which is sexually transmitted, is the leading cause of cervical cancer; Perry wanted to require the shots for all 12-year-old girls in Texas, unless their parents opted out.
"I worked against HPV," Adams says. "I don't think he was ill-intended on that. He could have listened to more voices."
State Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, agrees with that — "where he shot himself in the foot was a couple of sessions ago with that vaccination thing" — but also says Perry's place as the party's standard-bearer is safe.
"I've talked especially with the Tea Party people," he says. "If you want to say on the correct side of them, you need to stick with Perry."……….
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/07/legislature/4535418.html
Perry’s vaccination order still stoking fires
AUSTIN — Blowback continued at the Capitol on Wednesday over Gov. Rick Perry’s order mandating
that schoolgirls be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease linked to cervical cancer.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/07/legislature/4528909.html
Critics rip Perry’s vaccine mandate
Governor rejects opponents’ calls to reverse order
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry stood firm Monday against a political firestorm generated by his
order that sixth-grade girls be inoculated against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer.
Social conservatives from Texas to Washington called on Perry to reverse his order making
Texas the first state to require the vaccine, saying the mandate makes sex seem permissible
and that parents should be the ones to decide whether to immunize their daughters.
And several Texas lawmakers expressed outrage at Perry for circumventing the legislative process.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/us/26texas.html
The vaccine, Gardasil, is manufactured by Merck, which was represented in Austin by the
lobbyist Mike Toomey, who was chief of staff for Mr. Perry from 2002 to 2004.
Union parasites lie. They might have to contribute more to their retirement and this trick of claiming the poor children are suffering isn't working in some states or with taxpayers anymore.Excellent post. Worth repeating.
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