The word I hear most often to describe Rick Perry is "scary". The fact that he is currently being hailed as the frontrunner in the Republican primary cannot make those people feel comforted.
I thought this was a wonderful opportunity for us to discuss the facts of Rick Perry, governor of the state of Texas, so that potential supporters can really think about whether they want him running the country for a minimum of four years.
Rick Perry is not George W. Bush, but that's not a good thing.
Paul Burka, writer for Texas Monthly, described Perry as a "hard man" in his piece "Dear Yankee". He went on to say, "He is the kind of politician who would rather be feared than loved -- or respected." Perry will do whatever he wants to do, once he's in office, regardless of what anyone else thinks of what he's doing. Take for example his failed mandate that all female children in the state of Texas be given the HPV vaccine. Rest assured, Bush never would have suggested such a thing to parents.
Rick Perry doesn't think the federal government should help anyone.
In 2003, George W. Bush said, "We have a responsibility that when somebody hurts, government has got to move."
Rick Perry doesn't think so. When the state was facing a budget deficit, Perry balanced the budget with a combination of money from the federal government and a $4 billion dollar cut to money for K-12 education. Meaning, Perry doesn't care if your child or any other gets a good education, and no one should suggest he raise taxes on the wealthy or corporations instead. He prefers giving corporations as many tax cuts as he can find to give them, claiming that free reign for corporations is how jobs are created. Except, that's also how the Great Recession started.
Under Rick Perry, Texas created more jobs than any other state.
This is true, and if you enjoy being underemployed or employed in a service-oriented job - fast food service, janitorial work, and other minimum wage pursuits - consider moving to Texas to find your new job.
However, the unemployment rate is higher in Texas than both New York, where all taxes of any kind are high, and Massachusetts, which just happens to have a statewide healthcare plan, with an individual mandate to boot (click here to read more about the MA plan). So, before you pack your bags for Texas - where the heat seems to have melted the brains of a majority of voters - consider New York state or Massachusetts.
Rick Perry doesn't like "social" programs.
Perry has called both Social Security and Medicare unconstitutional. To balance Texas's budget, in November of last year, he considered opting out of the Medicaid program. This was to meet a $25 billion shortfall, which frankly, probably would have been remedied if the state had an income tax. But, who wants tax payers to help fund the government, right? He has also called Social Security a "Ponzi" scheme on more than one occasion.
Rick Perry would delight in seeing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid dismantled under his authority. He thinks that the states would be better off creating similar safety net programs. The states that are all running a deficit and keep laying people off. Of course, if the states run their own programs, that also means they're free to not offer any safety net programs at all.
So, take all of these facts and decide for yourself, do you want Rick Perry running your country?
-- Statler, moderator
Our sources for this post:
The Texas Unmiracle
In Texas, Perry Rides Energy Boom
5 Myths About Rick Perry (written by a fellow Texan)
The sad facts behind Rick Perry's Texas miracle
The Rick Perry that Texans Know
Rick Perry distances himself from George W. Bush in GOP presidential race
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