Bogus "14 Reasons" - Here's the truth

WingRight.org ^ | August 16 2011 | Beverly Nuckols, MD

[hocndoc]

There's been an email going around with out and out lies about the Texas economy and half truths or lies about our Governor Perry. I worked on this last weekend, sitting up most of Sunday night and rechecking my facts and numbers this morning. Here's the truth:

To everyone thinking about Rick Perry for President:

#1 Rick Perry is a "big government" politician. When Rick Perry became the governor of Texas in 2000, the total spending by the Texas state government was approximately $49 billion. Ten years later it was approximately $90 billion. That is not exactly reducing the size of government.

During that same period, Texas' population increased by about 20% ( and we grow 1000 - 1300 people a day from people moving in from all over the US) and aggregate inflation over that period was about 25%. So the actual growth of government was 39% over 10 years, or less than 3% per year.

#2 The debt of the state of Texas is out of control. According to usdebtclock.org, the debt to GDP ratio in Texas is 22.9% and the debt per citizen is $10,645. In California (a total financial basket case), the debt to GDP ratio is just 18.7% and the debt per citizen is only $9932. If Rick Perry runs for president these are numbers he will want to keep well hidden..

These are completely false numbers. In fact, Texas received a credit upgrade this week.

Go to the US Debt Clock Website or Texas' Debt Clock. I checked this morning, August 16, 2011, in order to make sure I had the correct numbers: Texas has a debt to GDP ratio of 18.5% and a debt per person of $8345 - down from last week's $8930.

The truth is that Texas is second lowest State in debt compared to personal income. Half our our debt is bonds voted on by the People at election time. The other half is mostly "self-supported debt" - like student loans - that is paid off when people pay interest on the loans. Texas has decreased "non-self-supported debt" by 16%.

More here: http://www.willisms.com/archives/2011/08/texas_interest.html

#3 The total debt of the Texas government has more than doubled http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2010/mar/04/bill-white/white-says-texas-debt-has-doubled-under-perry/ since Rick Perry became governor. So what would the U.S. national debt look like after four (or eight) years of Rick Perry?

The "more than doubled" number includes city, county, and school districts -- not just State debt. See # 2 and the link that notes that the People voted to allow TXDOT to borrow money (Bonds) in 2001 and voted to sell bonds for the creation of the Texas Cancer Prevention and Research Institute. Everyone should quit voting for more debt when those amendments come up at election time!

#4 Rick Perry has spearheaded the effort to lease roads in Texas to foreign companies, to turn roads that are already free to drive on into toll roads, and to develop the Trans-Texas Corridor which would be part of the planned NAFTA superhighway system. If you really do deep research on this whole Trans-Texas Corridor nonsense you will see why no American should ever cast a single vote for Rick Perry.

The Legislature stopped the above, Perry signed the Bill. But, the Legislature introduced Regional Mobility Authorities, etc., which can make these deals. It was on the ballot and the People of Texas voted to pass the Constitutional Amendment to allow borrowing in the form of bonds in 2001.

Perry put SB 18, a bill to protect private property rights from the misuse of eminent domain, on his "Emergency" fast track this year and signed the Bill into law at the first Regular Session. That law limits the use of eminent domain to public use, requires a formal "bona fide offer" process, mandates a market price and allows the original owner to buy the land back in 10 years for the LESSER of either the original price or the current market price if it's not used for the stated purpose.

#5 Rick Perry claims that he has a "track record" of not raising taxes. That is a false claim. Rick Perry has repeatedly raised taxes and fees while he has been governor. Today, Texans are faced with significantly higher taxes and fees than they were before Rick Perry was elected.

These are cigarette taxes, user fees, etc. that were raised when the school property tax was lowered in 2006.

#6 Even with the oil boom in Texas, 23 states have a lower unemployment rate than Texas does.

And 26 States have higher rates.

We are increasing jobs faster than most and have produced more NEW jobs than all the other States put together.

Our unemployment rate is impacted by our illegal immigrants and legal immigrants. 1000 people come in legally each day. If the rest of the US were adding jobs at the rate that Texas is, the US unemployment rate would be 7.9%.

#7 Back in 1988, Rick Perry supported Al Gore for president. In fact, Rick Perry actually served as Al Gore's campaign chairman in the state of Texas that year.

Al Gore was Pro-life, Pro-marriage, and Pro-Israel in 1988 - he got most of his grief in that race from opponents backing Jesse Jackson because he was Pro-Israel.

Governor Perry's dad was a Democratic County Commissioner. Governor Perry said in 1985 that he was going to make the Democrats move right. By 1989, he changed Parties. His home County still voted Democrat in 2006.

#8 Between December 2007 and April 2011, weekly wages in the U.S. increased by about 5 percent. In the state of Texas they increased by just 0.6% over that same time period.

Texas' annual wages have grown significantly faster than other big States. We didn't lose jobs in the first place.

The false number proves that there's lies, darned lies and statistics. (That, and don't use Rachel Maddow for your source.) It costs less to live here, too.

#9 Texas now has one of the worst education systems in the nation. The following is from an opinion piece that was actually authored by Barbara Bush earlier this year....

•  We rank 36th in the nation in high school graduation rates. An estimated 3.8 million Texans do not have a high school diploma. •  We rank 49th in verbal SAT scores, 47th in literacy and 46th in average math SAT scores. •  We rank 33rd in the nation on teacher salaries.

These numbers are useless without telling us what the same numbers were before 2000. Are we better or worse than we were?

They are strongly influenced by the poor performance of the school districts in the inner cities of Houston, Dallas, and El Paso, plus our border areas. It's aggravated by the illegal aliens that are unstable or just through the State.

#10 Rick Perry attended the Bilderberg Group meetings in 2007. Associating himself with that organization should be a red flag for all American voters.

Governor Perry was invited to speak as the Governor of the State of Texas, which would be the 17th largest economy if we were an independent Nation.

On the other hand, Margaret Thatcher was a member.

#11 Texas has the highest percentage of workers making minimum wage out of all 50 states.

At least they're working and not on unemployment. Our job force and our job numbers are growing much faster than the rest of the Nation.

#12 Rick Perry often gives speeches about illegal immigration, but when you look at the facts, he has been incredibly soft on the issue. If Rick Perry does not plan to secure the border, then he should not be president because illegal immigration is absolutely devastating many areas of the southwest United States.

Governor Rick Perry is for border control and has the record to prove it:

Perry has always advocated for “boots on the ground” at the border, but has been unable to get the Feds to send the manpower. He’s advocated letting the military practice the use of unmanned Predator aircraft along our border ("They’ve gotta practice somewhere” )

There are National Guard troops on the Border. Perry has repeatedly asked for more and recently won approval for the 1200 (we only got about 250) that have been deployed to stay longer. Read this news report from a year ago.

As a direct result of the Governor alerting the Texas Republican Congressman about Obama’s plan to remove the National Guard after less than 6 months, we'll have them longer. News report, here, from last month about the extension.

More, here http://www.freerepublic.com/%5Ehttp://wingright.org/2011/08/06/perry-palin-fish-or-cut-bait/

Watch and listen to Governor Perry talking with Greta van Susteren about the border. boots on the ground, and the problems with the fence. (You can see and hear the Texas Ranger helicopters in the background.)

He created the Ranger Recon force, sending 150 Texas Rangers (one riot, one Ranger) to the border along with helicopters and Texas Guardsmen. He demanded and got National Guard and two unmanned drones. He got the National Guard deployment extended beyond the original 6 months. Unfortunately, Texas only got 1/4 of the Guardsmen and 2/8 of the drones.

Texas (with our costs from the ICE detention center detainees being dumped in the State by Homeland security, support of Katrina refugees, our natural disasters like Ike, wildfires, and tornadoes) is expected to pay for our own Guard if we want them here after September.

Texas has spent $200 million a year on the cost of jailing illegal aliens that the feds bring here. We’ve spent $79 million of our own Texas tax funds on troops, helicopters.

The Legislature refused to fund his virtual border, so he used money from the Governor’s discretionary fund. In some cases, local sheriffs and cities refused to cooperate.

Here’s an article from January of this year showing resistance from border Sheriff Wiles.

#13 In 2007, 221,000 residents of Texas were making minimum wage or less. By 2010, that number had risen to 550,000.

More Rachel Maddow.

AT LEAST THEY'RE WORKING!!! (Do you want the Federal Government to raise minimum salary, again? Or how about a Chicago-style "living wage" requirement that runs businesses out?)

#14 Rick Perry actually issued an executive order in 2007 that would have forced almost every single girl in the state of Texas to receive the Gardasil vaccine before entering the sixth grade. Perry would have put parents in a position where they would have had to fill out an application and beg the government not to inject their child with a highly controversial vaccine. Since then, very serious safety issues regarding this vaccine have come to light. Fortunately, lawmakers in Texas blocked what Perry was trying to do. According to Wikipedia, many were troubled when "apparent financial connections between Merck and Perry were reported by news outlets, such as a $6,000 campaign contribution and Merck's hiring of former Perry Chief of Staff Mike Toomey to handle its Texas lobbying work."

Gardasil is a good vaccine. The truth, according to a complete review by the CDC and the FDA, is that there have been no Deaths due to the vaccine.

I've covered this subject in an earlier review at this blog.

[caww]

Some information about Perry’s Muslim Friends Foundation though I am certain you will find some defense of this as well....I will continue to oppose Perry for his affiliation and promotion of Islam in our country. You paint a clean picture of this Imans’ faith...it is hardly that....as follows.

While the Aga Khan Foundation looks good on the surface, they also have formed associations with mobsters and serious Islamists, including al Qaida and one of the suspected perpetrators of Daniel Pearl’s murder.......
Scroll down to see the paragraphs about them. Emphasis added. Clean they are not. http://www.deepcapture.com/the...

The Aga Khan Foundation, it is not just a charity – it is also a massive business enterprise that owns, among other things,........................Tthe Cala Di Volpe hotel, and the Pakistan-based Habib Bank.
‘Habib Bank’ has been ....................accused of laundering money for Al Qaeda and for Omar Sayed Sheikh, the Jaish-e-Mohammed operative and suspected agent of the Pakistani spy services who handed Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl to 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who then (according to Khalid Shiekh Mohammed) sliced off Pearl’s head with a Yemeni knife.

In addition to the interesting business partners of its market manipulating CEO, Ali Nazerali, the Aga Khan Foundation....’ maintains close associations with agents of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard’...., which is tasked with “exporting” Iran’s Islamic revolution by directing the operations of Hezbollah and other jihadi concerns.

The Aga Khan Foundation’s membership and supporters ...’also include top military officers in Syria......, such as General Moustapha Sharba, who had a hand in the early stages of the covert nuclear weapons program that Syria was developing with help from North Korea (and probably Iran).

Another Aga Khan Foundation member is Aziz Mohammed Bhai, a Bangladeshi Mafia kingpin who became a billionaire smuggling high-powered weaponry and narcotics into Myanmar and India. Aziz Mohammed Bhai is one of the Aga Khan Foundation’s more prominent members. He is also alleged by Bangledeshi authorities to have conspired with an Al Qaeda tied terrorist named Sanjidul Islam Imon to assassinate a number of people considered to be enemies of the jihad. In 2009, Bhai was arrested and charged with the murder of Sohel Chowdhury, who was, according to Bhai, an apostate. Until her untimely death, Ms. Chowdhury had been Bangladesh’s most famous film star.

[MestaMachine]

ANY sect that starts with Jamat is interconnected. Gulen’s network is as large and in most of the same places as ismaillis. Gulen calls himself a sufi, but its a misnomer, just like ismailli. Maybe people need reminding who ismail, the avenger was!
They all do the charity thing. It’s to legitimize them It’s the *face* they show to the idiot West.

[caww]

you cannot refute that the man promotes shia islam in Texas, and just like Bush, he will do the same thing nationally. Bank on it.

Thank you Mesta....am finding more dirty hands with Perrys Muslim friends association with Islam......directly and indirectly. People just don't want to know this....but then you've tried long and hard to give everyone a heads up....some will finally see...others will continue to keep their willful blinders on.

[diogenes ghost]

"Except, forcing a vaccine on someone is tyranny."

Geez, where to start.

EVERY state has mandatory vaccination requirements for children. Is every state tyrannical? (probably)

The Gardasil proposal had an opt-out...hardly a tyrannical idea.

It was NEVER implemented. Did Perry become an un-tyrant?

Between the MSM and Palin supporters Perry has been taking a lot of heat the last couple of days, probably for the same reasons. But there has been a lot of reasonable rebuttal to those assertions that have been posted.

FReepers often refer to Obama as 'The Messiah" and 'The Chosen One', among other titles. Palin supporters seem to be quite close to that level of unreasonable support.

Fifteen months from the next election, still early, and the Right has several attractive personalities to consider.

I, for one, appreciate those who catch the arrows aimed at various candidates, and consider their rebuttals in depth.

However, those who made up their minds long ago have left themselves no options.

Like the Obamabots, they have painted themselves into a corner, and come across as venal, single-minded, and increasingly desperate.

[CynicalBear]

I figured you wouldn’t catch on. I was being facetious knowing that’s how progressives think. My contention is with government mandating anything. It’s a slippery slope that must be avoided at all cost.

To illustrate my understanding of the situation, I had polio back in 1950 when I was two years old. Salk’s vaccine wasn’t announced until April of 1955 but I can assure you that my brothers and sister were vaccinated as soon as it was available to the public. It certainly wasn’t because the government mandated it. If something works it will be used without the need of government intervention or mandates. Your attitude about needing the government to somehow mandate anything is scary and indicates your propensity to give over freedoms without view to repercussions. Give me liberty or give me death. He who gives up liberty for security deserves neither.

[caww]

They all do the charity thing. It’s to legitimize them It’s the *face* they show to the idiot West.

Trouble is the politicians, like Perry, are painting that face for them as well!..... And that's what's going to be our downfall....our politicians playing in the Islamic sandbox and expecting something different for doing so then what's been done for thousands of years.....we will see this here in our country if the politiians do not get a grip on the Islamic mask they wear...and the huge deception these Muslim businessmen etc. are wearing.

Have we not all seen a "change" in Fox news? Little by little they infilitrate...until their time.

[CA Conservative]

Perry is a RINO and I see another Arnold.

Trust me, as one who lived through Arnold, Perry is no Arnold. We all knew Arnold was not a social conservative when we elected him - but he was better than any of the Dems on fiscal issues, and he even was better on some social issues, in that he at least vetoed some of the worst stuff (drivers licenses for illegals, etc).

Perry, on the other hand, has a strong record as a social conservative - pro-life, pro-gun, pro-marriage and family. And his fiscal record in Texas speaks for itself - low taxes, pro-business, low regulation. He is not perfect, but he is hardly a RINO.

[CynicalBear]

Besides, they all use the Quron as their holy book. One only needs to read it to understand that Islam is incompatible with both Christianity and a Republic form of government. To pretend that Islam can coexist with either is naïve at best and very self destructive.

[CA Conservative]

Perry has a unique talent for finding new ways to raise taxes and loves to use taxpayer money to subsidize his business cronies,” says Dave Nalle,’ secretary of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas.’

It is interesting that your are quoting the RLC - the same group that endorsed and promoted a 9/11 "truther" for Texas governor in 2010.

[caww]

they all use the Quron as their holy book. One only needs to read it to understand that Islam is incompatible with both Christianity and a Republic form of government. To pretend that Islam can coexist with either is naïve at best and very self destructive.

That is correct. Their agenda is not to co-exist with us for the long run...it is to impliment their Laws...it's a stageing process they are well prepared to take time to implement....first by intergrating all areas of governance and business....which they are currently making strides in...then to change our laws as they increase thier population who will support them in our governments and business....

[achilles2000]

I’m glad to hear I can afford it. I never would have thought that if someone hadn’t told me....;-)

(Godd news, really. I must not realize how prosperous I am)

[caww]

Just stick to the topic..Perry’s affiliation with Islam and promoting it in his state....and those he has affiliated himself with who also promote this.

[CA Conservative]

Just stick to the topic..Perry’s affiliation with Islam

Actually, my post had nothing to do with that topic, I was responding to your post on a different topic. Keep up.

[achilles2000]

Spending doesn’t necessarily need to go up proportionately to maintain “current services” unless you equate “current services” with per capita spending. Not all services/spending functions are linear, and there are plenty of areas in which Texas government could operate more efficiently. Perry and the semi-RINO legislature have spent too much - partly because they have been unwilling to do much about illegals.

Perry’s spending record looks good compared to states like Illinois, but it isn’t strongly conservative.

Having said that, I’ll certainly support Perry if he is the nominee.

[MestaMachine]

>Just stick to the topic..Perry’s affiliation with Islam
>>Actually, my post had nothing to do with that topic, I was responding to your post on a different topic.

Then please address it now, because it is not going away. It is odd that perry supporters will insult, disparage, flame, and make excuses for literally everything perry has done, but when islam is mentioned, everybody runs for the hills.

[freekitty]

Perry is a gush of hot hair. He is always touting what he says he is going to do; but when it’s time to vote; no go. He is definitely a RINO.

[antivenom]

Perry

LISTENS

to the voters.....

REFRESHING isn’t it?

[arthurus]

approximately $49 billion. Ten years later it was approximately $90 billion>

I am NOT a Perry fan for several reasons but this is not one of them. The dollar in 2010 is about half the value of the dollar in 1990. Spending seems to have held pretty steady in Texas.

[demshateGod]

States that require vaccination are tyrannical. I’m not a Palinbot. I don’t really like her and can’t stand Palinbotism on FR. If it was between Perry and Palin I’d vote for him. I don’t what Palin has to do with this discussion.

None of my children are vaccinated. Do you think the state has a right to pry my kids from my arms, screaming and crying, and force a needle into their little arms? Somebody would die if they tried that.

[AnAmericanMother]

Unfortunately, there's always a group that doesn't exercise common sense and doesn't care, so that they never get around to taking public health precautions on their own.

And these days, we also have the folks who are convinced that every vaccine is a health threat and that all vaccination programs are a conspiracy. Their spiritual ancestors were convinced that Jenner's inoculations would cause them to break out in cows.

If everybody were as sensible as you and I on such matters, it wouldn't be a problem. And if the folks who refuse to take precautions infected only themselves, it still wouldn't be a problem. But they infect other people -- including those who do get vaccinated (although generally the disease will be milder). That's why herd immunity is important.

And mandatory vaccination goes back to 1807. I'm not a big fan of government intervention, but preventing epidemics is a traditional, core governmental function along with keeping the peace and regulating trade. There's a lot of other government interference that needs to go before we interfere with public health mandates.