Rick Perry's Blueprint
(Texas • Politics)
“If Washington, D.C. wants a blueprint,” my tragically inept Gov. Rick Perry barfed yesterday, “they don’t have to look any further than the state of Texas.”
And if they do look, here’s a little of what they’ll find, compared to the other 49 states:
→ Percent of population 25 or over possessing a high school diploma: 50th
→ Percent of non-elderly women who have health insurance: 50th
→ Tax expenditures per capita: 50th
→ Homeowners Insurance affordability: 50th
→ Percent of voting-age population that actually votes: 50th
→ Percent of population without health insurance: 1st
→ Percent of uninsured children: 1st
→ Teenage birth rate: 1st
→ Air pollution emissions: 1st
→ Amount of toxic chemicals released into water: 1st
→ Amount of carbon dioxide emissions: 1st
→ Number of executions: 1st
In my opinion, the above factoids are just the tip of the iceberg – and if anything, they represent a blueprint for why Texans should’ve stopped voting for Rick Perry about seven years ago, not that the do-nothing senator planning on opposing him shows any promise whatsoever either.
Really, unless the Democrats produce someone with name recognition, good credentials and a brain really soon, people are probably going to go out and vote for some clown in protest.
I lived in Arizona during similar times, when the establishment choices for governor were so pathetic that the people elected millionaire crack-pot car dealer Evan Mecham. Trust me, the results were horrible, and I pray Texas doesn’t drive down that road.
Because awful as state government is under Perry, it could be even worse.
→ B.Dunn, Nov 12, 2009, 08 40 am
I never realized I lived in such a hell hole.
Democrats will re-cycle some loser like Rick Noriega or Nick Lampson and we’ll get our asses whipped again.
— Robert Williamson Nov 13, 12:37 am #
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Your sources?
Because although some of these sound believable, others do not. Some are rationally explainable. Some are practically meaningless. Some are good things.
I was just kidding, Bob. Don’t bother listing your sources. No need for you to go to that much trouble. I would just assume that they are pulling numbers out of their collective asses anyhow.
— jdallen Nov 15, 09:53 am #
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They are sourced, but of course it’s like you say in that some are the bad side of a coin that has a good side – like Texas spends the least per capita per state on its residents, but also has the lowest tax burden.
And yeah, maybe Rick Perry as governor can’t do a whole lot personally (outside of remaining monogamous) to affect the teenage pregnancy rate.
Mostly I just found it ridiculous for Perry to suggest that if people wanted a blueprint for seeing how to do things right, they should watch how he does things.
Really, I could’ve been more meaningful and gone into quite some detail about how some of his pet projects, like the Texas Energy Center, have been used to soak up tax money and fritter it away on his pals without really creating any jobs as advertised whatsoever or providing much more than diddly in benefits to Texans, but that would’ve involved a lot more work than I was in the mood for.
— bob Nov 15, 12:06 pm #
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No, man, I’m the one who should apologize. I was kind of drunk when I made that comment, drunk enough that just now, when I am kind of drunk again, I remember that I made it.
I get lots smarter when I’m drunk. My memory works more better then.
Perry is ridiculous, all right. So is Kay. I’m voting for the lady over in Boling this time, myself. Don’t remember her name, but I don’t need to, because I know she won’t have a “D” or an “R” out there next of it.
jd
— jdallen Nov 22, 04:49 pm #
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