Gov Rick Perry’s Way To Increase Texas Debt

Why Being A Conservative Republican Doesn’t Mean Bull

When did the definition of being a conservative change? Did it change when Nixon was in the White House? Or did it change when politicians spent taxpayers' money on lap dances? Maybe being a true Republican stopped after President Ford was in office. Why can't we have more Presidents and politicians like Ford, Reagan, and BushBush? They all had their downfalls, but they weren't anything like Rep. Charles Rangel, John Edwards, or Senator John EnsignJohn Ensign.

The reason for me asking this is because as of right now, while unemployed and unable to meet my family's need on my own, the governor of my state (Texas) is living in a "rental governor's mansion" at a sticker price of over $10,000 a month. Yea, I'm applying at every job possible, and busting my hump looking for work, but jobs are scarce here in Texas, especially in rural areas. Why does the governor of Texas get to bill Texas taxpayers over $600,000 during the past two years while the real governor's mansion, which was burned down, is renovated? It beats me!

Rick Perry, who grew up in the same small west Texas town of Haskell as my wife did has also billed Texas taxpayers for the following:

* Over $130,000 for parties, food, drinks and cable TV.

* At least $18,000 for "consumables" such as household supplies and cleaning products.

* A taxpayers' bill for $1,001.46 in window coverings from upscale retailer Neiman Marcus.

* A $1,000 "emergency repair" of the governor's filtered ice machine.

* A $700 clothes rack.

* A little over $70 for a two year subscription to Food & Wine Magazine (probably to give him ideas on throwing all of those lavish parties at our expense!).

* Maintenance on the heated pool has cost taxpayers at least $8,400.

* The tab for grounds and lawn maintenance has topped $44,000 (that's some expensive fertilizer!).

His 6,386-square-foot rental sits on more than three acres and was advertised in 2007 for sale at $1.85 million. But, if he lived in the real governor's mansion, which requires no rental money from taxpayers, he would only have 2,750 square feet dedicated to his and his family's personal residence. The remainder of the 9,900 total square feet would have precious artifacts and museum pieces in it. But who wants to live in a paltry 2,750 square feet of space? He deserves much more than 50 families in an impoverished country like Africa who share a total of that much living space!

Gov. Rick Perry has defended his living situation that is putting the state of Texas debt, which is currently sitting at $18 million, in further fiscal straits. He stated recently to the Associated Press that he is cutting back on expenses with his meager annual salary of $150,000 a year. When you consider that his annual salary is the equivalent of 150 average families' annual salaries in the Middle East, he has no right to complain!

Gov. Rick Perry has one housekeeper, one full-time chef and one part-time chef, a mansion administrator, and a steward, which in all total make an annual salary of $195,770. Of course, that is billed to taxpayers too! How is this cutting back on luxuries?

Do you remember how the Internet, comedy late night shows like Jay LenoJay Leno (see Huckabee on Leno) , and small-time comedians everywhere had a hay day with Mike Huckabee in 2000? It was because while the Arkansas governor's mansion was being remodeled, Huckabee voluntarily chose to move his wife and himself into a modular home on the same grounds as the governor's mansion. The trailer jokes were flying everywhere like down feathers hitting the fan.

The Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association donated the triple-wide home home worth $110,000 free of charge to the Arkansas taxpayers. Since the manufactured home was on the same grounds as the original governor's mansion, security didn't have to uproot themselves and move into additional guest housing next to the governor's house. This saved Arkansas taxpayers a massive amount of money!

The modular home included three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two living areas and much more privacy. It had 2,100 square feet, more than adequate space for the Huckabees and was not a frivolous expenditure or considered an absorbent way of living. The gracious and down to earth Huckabees were delighted to live in the modular home for 2 years without so much of a complaint, though some of their belongings did have to be stored because not everything fit into the house.

Why can't more politicians live with this ideology, especially in a time where the environment is going to hell in a hand basket because of oil spills, and deforestation, and industrializing areas that are sensitive to wildlife? Just because people pay taxes diligently, that doesn't make it fair game to be wasted on things that do not improve the lives of it's occupants in that state or country. We don't pay taxes for the mere fact that a politician needs a lap dance, or a bigger and nicer place to live, or a fancy vacation.

When my younger sister and I discussed this over the phone the other day, we agreed on all of the aforementioned points. The only good thing that may remotely come from Gov. Rick Perry's lavish expenditures is that he may have hired an impoverished Mexican to clean his dirty toilets and prune his pompous, arrogant type landscape!