Governor Rick Perry thinks he got hisself a big ol’ “Texas Economic Miracle,” and he’s aimin’ to bring it to the rest of the country as U.S. President. How’s he gonna do it? Simple: discover oil and gas in the other 49 states, open more military plants and bases everywhere, encourage more US investments by drug lords, and increase public sector employment by 19%, just like he did in Texas.
But just why does the Governor think there is a “Texas Miracle,” anyway, when unemployment in his state is about the same as that of, oh, New York? Maybe because economic genius Rick Perry got a “D” in Economics at Texas A&M.
Rick Perry claims his Tea Party approach to government is the reason for his imaginary “Texas Miracle,” but if tax-cutting and deregulating were the keys to economic prosperity, George W. Bush wouldn’t have crashed the economy and we’d be seeing a “Misissippi Miracle” and “Alabama Miracle.”
Of course, a President Perry could help reduce the Federal deficit by returning the $17 billion in Federal stimulus money he got for Texas. That would mean the Texas state budget will no longer balance, but he won’t be governor any more, so he won’t give a hoot.
More:
The Texas Unmiracle,” Paul Krugman, New York Times
“Texas’ economic miracle beginning to tarnish,” Chris Tomlinson, AP via Business Week
“Miracle Guile: Rick Perry Has an Odd Way of Measuring Success,” Patrick Williams, Dallas Observer
“Perry’s employment record in Texas,” Felix Salmon, Reuters
“Rick Perry’s ‘Texas Miracle’ consisted of 125,000 new government jobs,” Hunter, Daily Kos
“Report: Texas Economic Miracle Paid for By Its Kids,” Pamela Oldham, Miller-McCune
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Tags: "Tea Party", GOP, Perry, politics, Republicans, Rick Perry, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Economic Miracle, Texas Miracle
August 22, 2011 at 9:40 pm
UPDATE:
“A Different Kind of Texan,” Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker
August 22, 2011 at 10:34 pm
He may have gotten a “D” in Principles of Economics, but he got an “A” in World Military Systems. That may be worrisome…
August 22, 2011 at 11:13 pm
HL: While in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, young Mr. Perry conducted laboratory work in Military Systems, and specialized in the M-80 firecracker tactical system:
“Perry learned that he could drop something down the second floor toilet and get it to come out the first floor toilet. Then he learned M-80s had waterproof detonators — a perfect combination. His accomplice, [John] Sharp, would give the high sign out the window when a potential target wandered into a stall. Perry, from the floor above, would flush the lit firework down.
‘It kind of launched the guy off of the seat,’ Sharp told the [Texas Tribune] …. ‘It was quite a hoot.’”
“Texas A&M Years Launched Perry — and a Rivalry,” Chris Hooks, The Texas Tribune
August 23, 2011 at 10:24 am
Excellent! Perry is a one-man disaster. I found the larger gap in wealth versus poverty disparity in Texas also a grim consideration when looking at Perry’s record. And these stats:
Texas is:
49th in teacher pay
1st in the percentage of people over 25 without a high school diploma
41st in high school graduation rate
46th in SAT scores
1st in percentage of uninsured children
1st in percentage of population uninsured
1st in percentage of non-elderly uninsured
49th in mental health funding
50th in homeowners’ insurance affordability
50th in average credit scores for loan applicants
1st in minimum wage jobs
3rd in percentage of people living below the poverty level
49th in average Women Infant and Children benefit payments
1st in teenage birth rate/ unintended pregnancies, and repeat teen unintended pregnancies
50th in percentage of voting age population that votes
1st in annual number of executions
1st in air pollution emissions
1st in volume of volatile organic compounds released into the air
1st in amount of toxic chemicals released into water
1st in amount of recognized cancer-causing carcinogens released into air
1st in amount of carbon dioxide emissions
Don’t mess with Texas, it’s enough of a mess as it is.
August 29, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Updates:
“Is Rick Perry dumb?” Jonathan Martin, Politico
“When being the ‘dumb’ candidate is a problem,’ Steve Kornacki, Salon
“Is [insert name here] dumb? ” E.G. Austin, The Economist blog