Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Rick Perry, Massive Statist

Brad Plumer at WaPo explains how the job market stayed strong in Texas, and why that is about to change:

Thanks to relatively high property taxes and loose restrictions on building, Texas had a much less severe housing bubble than did other states. When many parts of the country were plummeting into recession in 2008, Texas was still growing.

It was only in 2009 that bleak conditions nationwide finally caught up with the Lone Star State, and sales-tax revenue started dropping. Fortunately for Texas, however, Congress had just passed a big stimulus bill, and Perry used $6.4 billion in federal money to smooth over the state’s growing deficit. Hence Texas hasn’t been forced to enact the same sharp budget cuts over the past three years that most other states have made.

Trouble is, that’s all about to change. Texas could only fend off its deficit woes for so long, and this year, faced with a $27 billion shortfall, Perry and the legislature opted for steep cuts to Medicaid and education over the next two-year budget cycle. Given that roughly half of all new Texas jobs in the last two years have come in the health care, education and government sectors, it’s a real question as to whether a newly austere Texas will keep creating jobs at its current pace.
Got that?  Fifty percent of jobs have been either direct government jobs or jobs created by Federal funding. Perry is a massive statist.

33 comments:

  1. So the Reinvestment Act worked to create all these jobs? Obama oughta nail down those numbers and run on them - he has an unsung success story in Texas and nowhere else for some reason.

    Either government spending works or it doesn't; you can't have it both ways. One side has to yield here.

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  2. Anonymous@1:56, please see "broken window fallacy"

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  3. @Anonymous 1:56 pm - The piece/comments show the government-related and stimulus-enabled jobs are short-lived. Did you read it?

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  4. @Anonymous 1:56,

    I don't want to presume to speak for him but, I believe Mr. Wenzel's posting of the article is making clear which "side" (i.e. which economic theory and its adherents and proponents) is about to yield here.

    And yes, by all means, I for one hope Mr. Obama does try to nail those numbers down and run on them.

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  5. Also, Rick Perry introduced the first income tax in the history of the state of Texas. It's called the business margins tax:
    http://www.lonestarlandlaw.com/Texas-Margin.html

    Also, Rick Perry loves to raise revenue by implementing "user fees" which he claims are not taxes.

    http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2011-05-PB28-BillAnalysis-SB1811-CFP.pdf

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  6. Property tax and medical insurance costs are skyrocketing...Hmmmmm. Need to keep these taxtaker parasites alive...Right?

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  7. Is Texas now the USA Greece?

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  8. As a native Texan, I have nothing but contempt for Perry.

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  9. Here's the 2010 Republican primary debate. Y'all can watch Debra Medina kick ass against statists Rick Perry and Kay Bailey. It's a good debate. Debra pulls out our dirty laundry for all to see. Shame she was plowed under by the evil Glenn Beck.

    http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/291322-1

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  10. @Anon
    Medina was our last, best hope.

    Further, all thinking Texans know Perry is a Bush-like pro-statist. He's running for president now, and dropping out as governor, so he won't have to deal with the HUGE budget shortfall he created.

    So much for the captain going down with the ship.

    Perry will not carry Texas in a primary. That alone should be a warning to all Americans.

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  11. There's an old saying, "You can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh1t." Governor Perry has done his best to do that. In fairness, he did not create the chicken sh1t; it was created in Washington D.C. by former and current occupants of the White House and both houses of Congress.

    We can only hope that a President like Rick Perry will be able to diminish if not eliminate the chicken sh1t that is burying our country in debt. The current President who is a genuine massive statist, will only exacerbate our dire problems.

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  12. high property taxes cause real estate prices to remain stable? You mean prices are not determined by demand, but by tax expense? You've got to big one big idiot to belive something like this. At some point you are expected to think for your selves and use some god given common sence. California got 24 billion in stimulus money and we're still in the crapper. Our real estate prices fell as much as 75% . Now we "learn" our problem was simply "too low" property taxes. This is an example of "ideology" driving thinking. I think we used to call it "Bush derangement thinking"

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  13. What about Ron Paul?

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  14. The above article is FULL of massive holes and false statements, like your reference to property taxes and home prices. FIRST: Texas had a much less severe housing problem due to the FACT that the local banks did NOT get as involved with the fraud being promoted out of Fannie and Freddie to give everyone that sign their name a house! Oklahoma was also more prudent and wise; a little common sense goes a long way! SECOND: Texas has also done better, and will continue to, due to the fact that Texas does not punish income producers... Texas has zero INCOME TAXES!!! THIRD: Texas, unlike California and New York, send more funds to the FEDs than it receives!!! So, TEXAS not only supports itself, it is supporting other socialist states, like California and New York! FORTH: People are leaving other less productive states to move to Texas because Texas is still creating JOBS! The above statement is also full of holes concerning the sector where the jobs are being created, that statement is also misleading and false! TEXAS IS A GREAT STATE in an otherwise socialist nightmare! Texas should withdraw from the FEDERAL controlled U.S.!!! ONE more thing, I will never come back to this site. I will NOT support lies and socialist propaganda.

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  15. I can hardly imagine how many wars this Christian jihadist and his Israeli buddies will have us in while he awaits and, more importantly, assists in bringing about The Rapture of the nut-jobs.

    He'll fit right in with our current warmonger-in-chief.

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  16. Haven't heard much about Ross Perot? What about the Cow Business in Texas? Are they hiring Cowboys or have those jobs been eliminated?

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  17. Anyone who thinks the Fed has been going out of their way to help the Texas economy is halucinating. Texas economy has been strong in spite of the Federal Government and their policies. The Texas economy has been strong because we are a "Right to Work" state and a heavily energy based economy. However, now Texas is beginning to feel the affects of an over-reaching, over-regulating Federal Government. 3 coal powered generating faciliites have been targeted by the EPA. We cannnot drill in the Permian Basin for fear of hurting a lizard, like there has never been drilling in the Permian Basin. EPA regulations are choking out our industry. Even Texas cannot thrive forever under the Fed's stiffling bureacracy. Rick Perry isn't perfect, but he is far better than what we have now!

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  18. I agree with Anonymous (posted at 1:00). Texas is not perfect, but looking at the federal government it is head and shoulders above.

    In order to be accurate, how much more or less are the are the taxes and regulations now verses how much were they before he took office. Also what are his positions on future taxes regulations and other government controls.

    I believe that this would be the best measure of what type of person he is.

    Ray in Alachua, FL

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  19. I think Rick Perry hung the moon! I'm from Texas and I'll take Perry over Obama or Romney any day of the week and twice on Sunday! Everyone in Texas pays sales tax whether your a drug dealer, on welfare, or just a regular Joe! We have no state income tax that creates jobs for Attorneys, Accountants, & State Workers. It is seamless and non intrusive. You can easily estimate future revenue as well without all the accounting gimmicks. Quit bashing a guy that has done a terrific job for a state that is 25% of the entire US. All the bashers must be from the crappy North and those are the ones who flock here for a real job!

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  20. Perry has "taken on" the Fed. Reserve which must give way to a new international control of monetary function for the new world government. Watch while he rockets to the top! He is the ultimate insider, coming from both sides of the aisle and the "negotiator" Washington is looking hard to find. Obama has proven to be the catalyst for "change" but he can't put it back together for the global needs!

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  21. How is it that people can deal with the same facts and come up with totally different conclusions? How is poor lost Brit like myself going to get any take on the US? I am a liberal kind of thinker, (read European), but I don't want to warp or slant the facts to fit any preconceptions. Trying to find a reasonable approximation of the truth in America I began to observe decades ago is becoming a near impossible Herculean task.

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  22. Im not a huge Perry fan, but certainly would support him against Obama. Im not really sure where your reasoning or your #'s come from. Texas has been the beneficiary of a trenmendous oil/gas boom due to horizontal drilling. There are several shale plays that are going crazy right now and there are a tremendous amt of new jobs being created due to all of the drilling activity not to mention all of the the goods and services being traded to support the drilling, fracing etc. You have also failed to mention the fact that 100's of businesses have relocated to TX due to the business friendly environment here. Yes Im here in TX, life is good here although its been a very hot & dry summer. RealEstate Prices have held their own in most parts of TX due to more conservative lending practices and a much slower real estate appreciation rate. Sure our budget has been cut and many govt employees are being phased out, schools are taking it on the chin too, however, most schools and other govt offices around the state were bloated with uneccesary expenses. The govt here, like the poeple of TX will learn to live within their means, unlike other tax and spend govt's.

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  23. Obama is horrible, but if you think Perry will be any better you are just deluding yourself. The man is a government worshipping tool.

    Dale Fitz

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  24. On August 17, 2011 10:44 AM Anonymous said...
    high property taxes cause real estate prices to remain stable? You mean prices are not determined by demand, but by tax expense?
    Unfortunately, state plunder [taxes] influences demand.

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  25. I do not know that Rick Perry is a statist - this article hardley convinced me of that. Evey state took Oboma money(stimulus) some had a larger per captita share. Texas is the in the top three of states population so their share is not that crazy. Ragardless many states took stimulus and did not grow - Texas grew. I do know for a fact that many companies have moved operations to Texas over the past four years and with their recent litigation reform many more will follow. I live in Florida and the local bar is killing the state driving up insurance, regulatory and business expenses. Time will tell as the campaign moves forward. The articles author needs more evidence to convice me that Perry is a statist. Im not an idiot that believes every title is accurate just because it was printed by a media outlet.

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  26. The trick is to be all things to all people. Hence it appears that Rick Perry is that. What he really is is a mystery just like Obama. Only prying and tearing will the real character be exposed. The news media failed to do that to Obama and now we have a Communist ruining our Captilist country that worked just fine positioned right of center. Huge salaries to government employees that can't wipe their own arse will continue to destroy the country. Regulations and regulators will hinder the entrepreneurs. The whole US government will collapse into a Communist State-run by elitist idiot government people. No responsiblity will be taken by the elitist communist reckless behavior. The subjects will bear the brunt of all the elitist's stupidness. From there revolutions are born and civil wars errupt. A bleak future for sure. Do you still want to have a family?

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  27. That WaPo article misses a few things.

    The Texas housing market was hit by a huge oversupply from the 1980s, so it took longer to crawl out.

    And, as anonymous said, there was never that kind of wild lending as there was elsewhere.

    The jobs come from the oil industry. Lots of high tech industries also relocated to the Dallas area, if I remember right.

    Texas is still a good place to go for jobs. Over the next 10-20 years, Texas will be one of the better areas to live in, I should think.

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  28. Lots of mis-informed opinions posted here!! Opinions are like 'assholes' everyone's got one!!

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  29. I am a Texan. Ich bin ein Texan. Everything is going to be ok.

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  30. Texas is one of the best states to live in, economically...No state income tax, in the last few years property taxes have been reduced....Texas has one of the best education systems, the colleges are good. How many other states can say they have the same record!!!!!

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  31. No one is attacking Texas- the attacks are on Perry and his slimy politics and lack of character. He's a lying, thieving, murdering asshole who should be mopping floors, not running a state.

    Gardasil PRick is the GOP elite choice for prez- that alone is enough to convince me he's evil to the core.

    Dale Fitz

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  32. I'm a conservative from Texas, and I promise that Rick Perry is a scumbucket. He always knows exactly to which group to pander, then panders like crazy. Think "flip-flopper". Like Bill Clinton, he has big insecurities and tries to make up for it with political power. If he were really religious, and not a faker, he wouldn't have promoted Gardasil. He doubled the state's debt in Texas.

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