Rick Perry's Texas

[RyanPsych]

Perhaps inevitability due to overall GOP discontent with their crop of presidential candidates, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has thrown his Stetson into the ring. Perry enjoys popularity among the American Right, who often cite his record as Texas governor as the way forward. However, a closer examination of Texas under Rick Perry ought to give any American a shudder.

Perry and his supporters like to tout his record of job creation in Texas. Granted, 38% of American jobs created since 2009 have been in Texas, but that hardly tells the whole story. In fact, unemployment under Rick Perry has actually increased from 4.3 percent in 2007 to 8.3 percent in 2011. This is due to the fact that, while Texas has created some jobs, it has failed to keep up with its own population growth. It is behind 25 states in terms of unemployment.

Additionally, a good chunk of the jobs that Perry touts are very low-paying jobs. In fact, 10 percent of all workers in the state are paid at or below the state's minimum wage. This statistic ties Texas with Mississippi as the states with the highest percentage of workers at the minimum wage level. The number of minimum wage jobs in Texas has jumped 150 percent since 2007. Texas also lags behind in wage increases. Between 2007 and 2011, the average wage per worker has increased 5 percent in the United States, 9.3 percent in California, and 2.5 percent in New York. In Texas, the average wage per worker increased a paltry .06 percent.

Perry likes to use his condemnations of the federal government's debt and spending as applause lines. However his track record on Texas's debt tells a different story. Texas's public debt increased from $98 billion in 2001 to $216 billion in 2011, and the solidly Republican state's debt has actually increased faster than the U.S. national debt in the same period. Currently, Texas is looking at a $25 billion shortfall on its $95 billion two-year budget.

Keep reading at: http://www.peoplesworld.org/a-few-facts-about-rick-perry-s-texas/

[Richardo]

1. Highly recommended

Excellent talking points.

[Ship of Fools]

2. Great stats to use, except

t-baggers' and low information voters' eyes will just glaze over. It's all about the charisma, *the guy I'd like to have a beer with* charm ... I'm afraid we're destined to repeat history here with Parry. It seems to me that Obama is toast (although sometimes I think he'll be a shoe-in). Can't figure it out. All I do know is if Repubs get hold of Congress, Senate, and WH, we'll fast become a feudal system with cable (as Maddow put it), if we're not there already. Nothing that everyone around here doesn't already know, of course.

just one woman's opinion...

[RyanPsych]

3. Unfortunately I tend to agree with you

We need to find ways to "dumb down" the information that needs to be disseminated.

Its sad that such a dumbing-down needs to even happen. Its like that movie "Idiocracy"

[Papagoose]

5. I just watched some Teabagger eyes glaze over...

I went through this list with my Rick Perry fanboi coworker...he listened, then told me he still supports Perry because he's such a good Christian. Tomorrow I will attempt to educate him on what it means to be a Christian, if I can stay sane.

[RyanPsych]

8. Hah- good luck

I just facepalm myself when I hear people who only vote Republican because of Religion.

[Skittles]

9. teabaggers are not the only idiots fooled by "charisma"

:(

[chelsea0011]

4. My favorite stat is how he touts bringing in businesses from other states

which indeed increases jobs for Texas but is a net zero job growth nationally.

[blkmusclmachine]

6. This dog has many fleas.

Shine some everlasting light on them..

[Hydrated]

7. What is this obsession you have with Texas?

I very honestly do NOT understand it!

[Skittles]

10. it goes like this

a while back, we had a dipshit Texas governor that ran for president, got appointed, and proceeded to trash America, taking the world along for the spiral-down ride. We just would hate hate HATE to see it happen again.

[RyanPsych]

11. I think the better question is what is Texas's obession

with Stupid and/or terrible leaders?

[People for Polity]

12. Job growth

Not to mention that the actual job growth had nothing to do with his policies...and a lot to do with what conservatives hate...immigration.