Gov. Perry's temporary digs costs Texas big bucks

[efhmc]

This thread in lbn needs to be read and reccommended so outsiders can get this "news".

[sonias]

1. I read that article today - what a waste

AP 6/17/10
Gov. Perry's temporary digs costs Texas big bucks

AUSTIN, Texas — With the state facing a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has spent almost $600,000 in public money during the past two years to live in a sprawling rental home in the hills above the capital, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

It costs more than $10,000 a month in rent, utilities and upkeep to house Perry in a five-bedroom, seven-bath mansion that has pecan-wood floors, a gourmet kitchen and three dining rooms. Perry has also spent $130,000 in campaign donations to throw parties, buy food and drink, and pay for cable TV and a host of other services since he moved in, the records show.

The public spending on Perry's rental comes as the state grapples with a budget shortfall forecast to reach at least $11 billion over the next two years. Perry has asked state agencies to cut their budgets by 5 percent and the Republican House speaker has begun to consider furloughs and shortened workweeks for state employees.

No Slick Rick won't tighten his belt but he sure expects the rest of Texas to, so he can continue living in the "high rent" manner he's accustomed to. On your dime of course. :grr:

By the way the link to the LBN thread is here:
Gov. Perry's temporary digs costs Texas big bucks

[TEXASYANKEE]

2. Arson?

I'm convinced that he hired someone to torch the old Gov's mansion, so that he could live somewhere else. Hopefully this story will get turned into a Bill White ad.

[sonias]

3. With Perry, I could believe it

I'm still convinced that the coyote shooting was a staged event too.

[Lithos]

4. Agreed, very stinky...

Palin shot a wolf, so Perry has to shoot something similar. Given the lack of wolves in Texas, this left a coyote.

L-

[ashling]

5. Cartooon at Dem Party facebook site

[sonias]

6. Excellent toon!

Perry and crew came out with their budget cuts today, and you won't find Perry tightening his belt one bit.

Postcards from the Lege blog 5/18/10[br />State leaders announce budget cuts
(snip)
“Every penny we save now in the 2010-11 biennium is one penny closer to balancing the budget in the next legislative session,” Gov. Perry said. “These reductions reflect our state’s ongoing commitment to keeping taxes low by limiting government spending, a key aspect of the continued strength of our state’s economy.”

There's a link to the budget cuts at the LBB site:
Approved Reduction Targets for all Agencies - Legilative Budget Board May 2010

Office of the Governor - Submitted $1,139,472 - Adjusted Target $1,139,472

[sonias]

7. Labor group offers Gov. Perry a mobile home

AAS 5/19/10
Labor group offers Gov. Perry a mobile home

AUSTIN, Texas — There's no pool or fancy ice machine, but a home the Texas AFL-CIO wants to rent to Gov. Rick Perry is a delightful shade of dark green — and it's mobile.

The Texas labor group bought a manufactured home and suggested Wednesday that Perry lease it for $1 per year. That would save the state nearly $10,000 per month that's being paid for his sprawling rental home.

Remember Perry - every penny counts!

:rofl:

And in case you haven't seen the TDP video of Slick Rick's digs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hub-GUE0kCc

[sonias]

8. Video: A Luxury Liability

Texas Tribune 5/21/10
Video: A Luxury Liability
Details of life inside Rick Perry's temporary digs made headlines this week, revealing that — in addition to $9,900 a month in rent — taxpayers foot the bill for Neiman Marcus curtains, $700 clothes racks and a subscription to Food & Wine magazine. How much of a political problem are the governor's posh trappings?

The video is pretty good. Way to go Elise Hu!

:applause::applause::applause:

[white cloud]

9. unbelievable

Wow, LOL Good stuff!
What can we say!!!!! How does Perry stand in front of POT and state things are doing fine. Goes with the party.

[sonias]

10. The party of "no"

The party of "no you can't have anything, but budget cuts" but I Slick Perry get to live high on the hog on your tax dollar.

Just saying. :grr:

[tammywammy]

11. That's a great video!

[sonias]

12. Hey you!

Glad to see you. :hi:

[white cloud]

13. fiscal austerity " u betcha" the foundation to ride this guy out of Austin

Amarillo.com
Rick Perry must answer a key question during these times of fiscal austerity in Austin: Why are you living in such a pricey rental house while asking state ...





AUSTIN -- The state's top three leaders announced $1.2 billion in reductions in current spending Tuesday in the opening round of cuts to deal with a projected budget shortfall of at least $18 billion.

The measures outlined by Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus could be just a taste of the stringent remedies needed to balance the state budget over the next two years, fiscal experts warned.

"If you didn't like $1 billion, you're not going to like $18 billion," said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, a business-backed watchdog group.

The reductions announced Tuesday apply to spending already authorized for the current 2010-11 biennium. The leadership team is expected to call for further retrenchment during the next several weeks when it issues instructions to agencies preparing their next budgets.



Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/05/18/2199645/texas-12-billion-in-budget-cuts.html#ixzz0oht0IzYb



http://www.amarillo.com/stories/052210/opi_opin1.shtml

[sonias]

14. Holy crap - Amarillo newspaper is actually calling Perry out!

About frigging time! Let it ride!!

:woohoo:

Editorial: Pricey rental offensive?
(snip)
But it's no ordinary rental house. It's costing the state $10,000 per month. It sits in the hills overlooking Austin. In short, the Perrys are living in some pretty nice digs.

All the while, the governor - along with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus - is asking state department heads to implement immediate budget cuts. The 2011 Legislature also is facing a budget deficit that might exceed $17 billion for the upcoming biennium.

It's understood that a less-expensive rental house won't balance the budget.

And no one is asking Gov. and Mrs. Perry to move into a double-wide while the Governor's Mansion is being repaired.

Leadership, though, ought to compel the governor to set a good example of fiscal cost-cutting while he is asking others to tighten their belt.

Thanks for the link white cloud!

[white cloud]

15. Royal Rick and our tax money

Thanks for the link white cloud!

Your very welcome. Got to get the wife on here so she can :spank: :kick: Perry.


Posted by: a_papoose at May. 22, 2010 at 3:03:53 am
Here's an article to tell you the life-style His Imperial Gucciness is having to endure during this recession:

"...$10,000-a-month, five-bedroom, seven-bath mansion with pecan-wood floors, a gourmet kitchen, three dining rooms and a swimming pool for which taxpayers were footing the bill. "

But he really has had to cut corners and here's how he's trying to get by:

"At Perry�s temporary home (listed for sale at $1.85 million in 2007) taxpayers have spent nearly $600,000 for rent, utilities, repairs, furnishings and supplies since Perry moved in, including:
�$18,000 for �consumables� such as household supplies and cleaning products.
�$44,000 for ground and lawn maintenance.
�$8,400 for pool maintenance.

And other cutbacks:

"...Perry has cut back on expenses to do his part to help the struggling state budget. The AP reports that Perry�s spokeswomen Allison Castle says Perry now has just one housekeeper and one full-time chef. But there is also a part-time chef and a steward. Not exactly heartbreaking sacrifices or �doing without,� said Moeller."

So...certainly those essentials His Imperial Gucciness is "roughing it" without puts him right there with the common man he serves:

"... a $1,000 �emergency repair� of the governor�s filtered ice machine and $70 for a two-year subscription to Food & Wine Magazine."

and

"When the state has announced $1.2 billion in immediate budget cuts that effect public schools, universities and other core programs, we deplore the symbolism of a governor�s saying he is �cutting back� on luxury by suffering with one-and-a-half cooks. A governor who wouldn�t take $555 million in federal funds to help Texas workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own hasn�t hesitated to live in a gated millionaire�s community on the taxpayer dime."

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/05/20/gov-trashes-trailer-offer-from-texas-afl-cio-prefers-mansion/
:spank: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[white cloud]

16. Gov. Trashes Trailer Offer from Texas AFL-CIO, Prefers Mansion

Years ago, when I moved into a three-bedroom trailer in Ohio, it felt like moving on up to me. But then again, I wasn’t coming from a nearly $10,000-a-month, five-bedroom, seven-bath mansion with pecan-wood floors, a gourmet kitchen, three dining rooms and a swimming pool for which taxpayers were footing the bill.

Maybe that’s why Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) ungraciously turned down the Texas AFL-CIO’s offer to solve his temporary housing problem–the governor’s mansion is undergoing renovation, hence the rental–and save the taxpayers nearly $120,000 a year. Every penny counts when the state is $11 billion in the hole and is slashing billions from schools, universities, public safety and other vital programs.

Yesterday, the Texas AFL-CIO offered Perry the use of a brand spanking new, 1,100 square foot, three-bedroom, two-bath mobile home with brand new appliances for just $1 a year. On top of that, it is located at the state federation’s downtown Austin offices, within walking distance to the Capitol, cutting down Perry’s big carbon boot print from the black limo entourage that chauffeurs him to work each day from his gated community in the West Austin hills.
>>>>>>>
http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/05/20/gov-trashes-trailer-offer-from-texas-afl-cio-prefers-mansion/

[sonias]

17. I saw the trailer today. It's parked right across from the mansion

I didn't have my camera or a would have posted a picture. But it's so funny.

For people not familiar with Austin, the AFL-CIO has a building catty-corner to the Governor's mansion on 11th and Lavaca. In other words closer to the mansion than the capitol.

Unfortunately since Slick Rick is living with the rich people he doesn't see this everyday but thousands of people driving Lavaca and 11th Street do.

It has a big banner "Save Taxpayer Money $9,899/month"

[sonias]

18. Rick Perry Ducks Rental Mansion Poll Question (Amarillo)

This issue may just have grown some legs.

• http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/10389/rick-perry-ducks-rental-mansion-poll-question-from-kvii-amarillo-video">Rick Perry Ducks Rental Mansion Poll Question from KVII Amarillo (VIDEO)|Burnt Orange Report 5/23/10
  
  
• Perry's comment is 'no comment' - Valley Central 5/18/10
  
  
• Perry dismisses expenses criticism with a laugh -ConnectAmarillo.com 5/18/10
  

Go vote on the poll here:
kvii-amarillo poll

:kick:

[white cloud]

19. 90% AGAINST

OUT OF 1891 VOTES.


I saw the mobile home on Channel 8 DFW TV news story tonight. Looked like a good way to save to me consider where he has put the taxpayers.

[sonias]

20. Really does and they mentioned that Huckabee did it!

:rofl: They're making Perry look bad. After all Mike Huckabee tightened his belt, why can't Slick Rick?

I hope this story keeps getting bigger and bigger!