Yep, the secessionist governor is a hypocrite. After rejecting $555 million dollars in stimulus funds and suggesting Texas should secede from the union, he’s now asking for $170 million dollars of the stimulus funds for unemployment. This is from News 8 Austin,
Texas has known for months that the funds to pay unemployed Texans were running dry.
“The balance is depleting faster than we expected,” Texas Workforce Commission officer Ann Hatchitt said.
Texas is now asking the federal government for a $170 million loan so that benefits keep getting paid.
“This is nothing out of the ordinary. We’re following protocol that we put in place,” said Governor Rick Perry.
Texas has asked for this loan only one other time, in 2003. This year however, the decision is getting extra attention after Governor Rick Perry rejected federal stimulus money that would have replenished the fund. Perry said the stimulus would have expanded eligibility and cost more to business owners in the long run. Many are now questioning that decision.
“That $555 million would that would have come with the stimulus money wouldn’t have to be paid back to the federal government and that would have saved business taxpayers money for the next 20 years,” said Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin.
read more here
Wonder how well off that state would have been if it did seceded the union. Gov. Perry has made a poor decision amongst others on this. He knew the funds to cover unemployment would dry up and yet he rejected the funds he knew he’d need. I guess the excitement of the tea parties is what caused him to suck up to the extreme right and in the process put his state into deeper financial burden. Another example of how the GOP fails when they do what the extreme right wants them to do.
Ann Hatchitt, Texas Workforce Commission officer said that the state is expected to “$650 million from the federal government through October 1st, to pay for unemployment benefits”. Which is more than the amount of money that Perry rejected earlier this summer. For the state’s sake, I hope Kay Bailey Hutchison, republican senator of Texas, is committed to running against Perry for the Governorship because that state needs a better than Perry, the secessionist.
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9 Comments
Interesting article–thanks.
np, you’re welcome
When you look at the top economies in the country, 16 of the top 50- and 8 of the top 10- are in Texas. Texas’ unemployment rate is 6.9%. Texas is decidedly a Red state.
By the way, the worst cities are in Michigan, Ohio and California- run by Dems…
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00741-all-cities-rankings-2009-new-geography-best-cities-job-growth
Let us be a little more honest about this though. Stimulus comes with significant strings, this doesn’t. And the fact that Dem Strama is upset because Texas wouldn’t have had to pay back the stimulus money goes to show what kind of people dems are- looking for handouts. It has been consistently shown that red states, and conservatives in general, are far more generous than blue states and liberals, unless of course it is someone elses money, then liberals are all about ‘generosity’.
The fact of the matter is that Perry controls how the funds are used and they do not come with the unsustainable mandates that are a part of the stimulus.
fwiw, California’s governor is republican not a democrat
out of spite they should tell him to go ask his imaginary union for money… However, the people would suffer. It amazes me that people can so easily play politics when it’s convenient for them… Even if he didn’t want them, I thought the state senate or some state/local gov’t had the power to override him… Maybe I misread that somewhere.
You’re right they do, but I think the rest of the state legislators were going along with Perry. Texas is the model of conservatism.
o, and how did you get the thumbs up thumbs down thing on the comments? Put me on;)
it’s a new feature on wordpress.com for weeks now. They officially announced it yesterday http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/polldaddy-ratings-and-polls/
That’s your response? OK….
He may be Republican, but he’s not really conservative, and in his defense, he is still dealing with the travisities of Gray Davis. The State Employee Union is destroying the budget.