TX Senate votes to take federal money

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: NBC Austin-KXAN

Draws some $555M in unemployment benefits

AUSTIN (AP) - In spite of opposition from Republican Gov. Rick Perry , the Texas Senate passed legislation that would draw down some $555 million in federal unemployment benefits.

The measure, which passed 22-9 on a preliminary vote late Thursday, would expand state unemployment benefits by including part-time workers and people who quit for "an urgent compelling and necessary" reason -- such as a child's illness or family violence.

Perry agreed to take almost all the nearly $17 billion stimulus package slated for Texas, but he said there are too many strings attached to the $555 million in unemployment money. Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said the governor made his position on this issue very clear.

Read more: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/tx_senate_votes_to_take_federal_money

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Perry once again reminded he's irrelevant.

[jpak]

1. Rick Perry - traitorous asshole

Will he veto this?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. I don't think he's that big of an idiot, but who knows?

There's already a proposed constitutional amendment on the table to permit an override of a veto by special legislative session here in Texas. He won't want to add any more supporters to that if he can avoid it.

Then there's the fact that this is a very popular decision here in Texas where our unemployment benefits are in danger of running out at a time when unemployment is on the rise.

He was grandstanding in my opinion and won't take it further at a time when he's facing a very difficult reelection battle. The last thing he needs is for a bunch of unemployed voters to hear they're about to run out of benefits right before they head to the voting booth.

However, this is Perry we're talking about. He's not the brightest crayon in the box. :shrug:

[Blue State Bandit]

6. With over 2/3 in the S.Sen...

I guess it's up to the House to present Perry with a "kiss our ass" majority.



:popcorn:

[Captain Hilts]

2. Texans aren't stupid, even if their governor is. nt

[LakeSamish706]

3. Hope it's near time to get rid of Perry... As I suspected, with his Succession ...

statement as well, he is on his own here. What an A-Hole....

[sledgehammer]

8. Friendly correction: "Secession" :) n/t

[Renew Deal]

5. Damn the man!

:rofl:

[ananda]

7. And Cornyn says we can't secede.

Whew! I never woulda known that if Cornyn
hadn't said it. duh

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/index.html

While a poll broke this morning suggesting Texans favor staying in the United States by more than 3-to-1, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said secession can’t legally happen.

A multi-media firestorm broke this week over Gov. Rick Perry insisting Texas could secede if residents wanted to do so, though he also said he doesn’t favor breaking away.

Perry stuck Thursday with his initial indication that Texas could quit the union. He’d said Wednesday that “if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that?”

Cornyn, the state’s former attorney general and a past member of the Texas Supreme Court, said in response to a question during a stop at the Texas Capitol that secession isn’t legally possible. “I understand the sort of frustration people feel about what’s happening in Washington. I share that frustration,” the second-term senator said. But as to secession being legally possible, he said, “the answer is no. Texas cannot, as a constitutional law matter, secede. I thought Sanford Levinson did a good job of answering that question,” a reference to a law professor quoted here in Friday’s American-Statesman.

[sledgehammer]

9. "Perry says secession comment misinterpreted"

***
"Clearly, I stated that we have a great union. And Texas is part of a great union. I see no reason for that to change. I think that may not be the exact quote, but that is, in essence what I said," he added."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/17/perry-says-secession-comment-misinterpreted/#more-48019
***

Riiiight...FYI, there are things called cameras that record what you say. And that's not what you said!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. He saw the polling that only 18% of the state are as ignorant as he is

The good news: I really do think we've just about seen the last of Perry in Texas.

The bad news: It's possible Hutchinson could take his seat.

[sledgehammer]

14. Is Hutchison any worse than Perry?

Of course, she's still a strong right-winger. But she seems more educated, and a little less of a fearmonger and religious nut than Perry.

We're not getting a liberal Gov. of Texas anytime soon, but I guess we can hope for a lesser evil among repug candidates.

[sutz12]

17. I thought we answered that one back in the 1860's

How did that work out for you? :)

However, I must say that Texas suffered nothing like Virginia did, or Georgia. I'd suggest buying a history book, though. Else, they might not understand how the whole secession thing plays out.

Only 3-1? Wow, 30% of the state supports?
:wow:

[murielm99]

19. Cornyn was on the Texas supreme court?

I don't think all Texans are stupid, but Cornyn?

At least he shows some sense here.

[bamacrat]

10. Oh man I cannot wait to move to Texas....

so I can vote that dumb mother fucker out of office. He and his "party" are enciting violence agaisnt the government. I mean we all felt gilted and ignored during the Bush years but we never stopped wanting to be Americans, we realized that sometimes our guy doesnt win (or is not allowed to win) but it doesnt change the fact that we are Americans. Why is it acceptable for these once "great patriots" to condemn the US government on national news broadcasts and hold rallies to protest wasteful spending. Where were these same douche bags when Bush signed TARP into law. No where, they said it must be done to insure stability in the market. Now that Obama is in power he proposes a very very similar bill it gets signed into law, and all of a sudden it is socialism. In the words of Jon Stewart; "being the minority is supposed to taste like a shit sandwich." You can be angry with the policies if you dont agree with them, you can dissagree with the person who is president based on whatever you want. But trying to actually start another revolution or championing seccession you are not an American in my opinion you are a terrorist. We relvolted from an outside oppressive government in that we had no representation. This is now our government, and while your representative may not be the person you voted for but thats why we have a democracy. I live in Alabama for the love of God, my guy has never won until Obama. We are gravitating toward a failed state a middle eastern style of government where the minority revolts and tries to undermine and destroy the sitting majority government. That is not American that is treason. The great thing about this country is if you dont like the guy in office you can vote him out, in 4 years, if you are in the minority of people, if most people in this country want a certain person to run it, even if it is not your guy, it is your duty and obligation as an American to not try to fuck our country up. Dont destroy us just because you lost. It happens, it will happen again, we will lose in the future. Some day we will lose the majority in congress, will we hold seccession parties and publicly rally people to hope for our leaders to fail. It is despicable and unamerican.

[Bette Noir]

11. Take that, secessionist governor.

Maybe there's a nice island offshore that you can be President of.

[mvd]

13. K&R

Good news for residents of Texas.

[road2000]

15. Delay was defending Perry on Rachel last night.

Maybe the pair can buy up the old pig farm in Crawford and pull that out of the union, while pulling a new "sovereign state" out of their asses.

[Javaman]

16. Anyone that has a clue and lives here in Austin, knew this would happen

moron perry is nothing but an empty suit.

[No Elephants]

18. They should have impeached Perry while they were at it.

[rainbow4321]

20. So now Perry has a choice..take all of the stim package...or the lawmakers take his Enterprise Fund

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2009/04/18/house_takes_symbolic_votes_to.html

UPDATE #2: In a later move, the House gave Perry an ultimatum. He can keep the $136 million budgeted for the governor’s enterprise fund, which is used for job creation incentives, if Texas gets the $555 million in additional unemployment money from the federal stimulus package.

But if Perry vetoes the legislation that would allow Texas to get that money, as he has indicated he will do, his enterprise fund money goes into a workforce training fund that is not controlled by the governor.

“It says: ‘OK, Governor, now what are you going to do?” quipped Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.

----------------------------------------------
Keep in mind that his "Enterprise Fund" is now under scrutiny as being used for his own little slush fund. The money in it that reportedly was to help jobs be created...he sent some of it to his alma mater for a pet project. And the fund is paying places like Chase and WaMu big bucks to say that they have created full time jobs in TX--problem being, it's been discovered that they are counting up part time jobs as full time jobs (i.e example: 4 people work 10 hours a week would be counted as a "full time job" that was "created" by Perry's "fund")
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Make no mistake, this is a shot across Perry's bow..give in to the lawmakers or his dirty laundry/Enterprise Fund doings will be exposed/taken over.