Perry: Texas may turn down billions

[Are_grits_groceries]

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday he’s not sure the state should accept all of its projected share of federal stimulus money — $16.9 billion and counting by preliminary estimates — because of the “mile-long” strings that might be attached.

“In Texas, we actually know it is a good idea to look a gift horse in the mouth. If we don’t, we may end up with an old nag,” said Perry, who has been critical of such federal spending and voiced concern over whether the state could afford federal strings.

“One thing that concerns me is that dollars are going to come into Texas that require us to match those dollars, and then two years from now, those federal dollars won’t be there, but we will be on the hook to pay for those programs going forward,” Perry said.

According to a preliminary legislative analysis, economic stimulus provisions that affect the Texas budget could total about $16.9 billion.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6268076.html

Ok that's Jindal (LA), Perry (TX), and Sanford(SC). I haven't found any other support yet about Sanford. It was reported on MSNBC.

[Donnachaidh]

1. then re-direct the money to other states who WILL use them

These governor's are sickening. Do they expect their asses to be kissed just to take the money? F*CK em. Let THEM explain to their constituents how they decided NOT to help them.

[SCantiGOP]

42. posted earlier about Sanford and SC

He's a hard core libertarian who runs as a Republican. The Republicans in the legislature hate him far worse than the Democrats. The legislature is 60% GOP, and they have overridden some of his vetoes unanimously. One year he vetoed the entire state budget, and once they overrode 102 of his 106 vetoes. His main priority is school vouchers so we can pay rich people to send their kids to school and there will be no middle class lobby for public school funding. But, he is serving the last two years of his second term, so there is speculation he may be looking at a bid for the White House. I would love to see him and Palin on a ticket together: they would carry Alaska, Utah and South Carolina.

on edit: He is being ignored about this. The Republican Treasurer is on TV talking about the safeguards he is putting in place to track how the money is spent. And, there is a bill in the SC legislature saying that, for purposes of the stimulus money, the legislature is declared the 'chief executive' who will take custody of the funds. The man's a joke. He forgot that he married big money and thinks he's an example of a hard-working American making it big.

[Are_grits_groceries]

53. Hoover-Sanford is just running the state with his own philosophy.

he doesn't care if people get hurt. He's mad at everybody because he realized when he became Governor that it didn't have all the power he wanted. He's been trying to scrape up as much as he can.
Last election, he even had his own slate of conservatives he wanted to run and replace other Rethugs. I don't think many got elected.

The person to watch in the coming years is Nikki Haley. I don't agree with her at all. However, she's smart and gutsy. She is still taking on the leadership over recording votes. That I do agree with.

[babylonsister]

2. Bwhaha! "When the GOP attacks", or how to cut off your nose to

spite your face. All blubbering from sore losers.

[Thrill]

3. Ok. Turn it down. I;m sure California, FL, and NY could use it

They are using Politics over People.

Notice its only the Pricks that want to run for President

[zbdent]

4. Perry banking on oil going back up to $140 a barrel?

so he can skim off the profits and place the $$$ into those numbered bank accounts?

[peace13]

5. Oh please, can I be there when he tells this to the poor, hungry and homeless! n/t

[DBoon]

6. He doesn't care

they don't vote republican.

[peace13]

18. I hear that . I live in Ohio...

and George Voinovich voted against this package! I would so love to have him refuse the money. The people of Ohio would demand that he resign today instead of in two years. He needs to go!

[napi21]

7. That's just fine with me! I'm sure Aaanrrrnald & a lot of the other gov.

will be thrilled to take the excess! Let the people of their states decide if they're happy with the decision.

[billybob537]

8. Hey Rick Why don't you do what Palin does

Up in alaska and charge the oil companies royalties on every drop of oil they pump out of Texas?
Oh yeah I forgot!
BECAUSE THE OIL COMPANIES OWN YOU!!!!

[Dover]

9. I know! Kick the Republican 'leadership' OUT OF TEXAS! Problem solved...n/t

[elizfeelinggreat]

10. Turning Texas Blue

Thanks for the help, Gov!

[Javaman]

20. Exactly. oh how I hate that dope. nt

[aquamarina]

11. Fine, then give it to us in California - we certainly can use it.

[Andy823]

12. All or nothing!

Republican governors should not be allowed to only take money for special projects and not take the money to help the people who really need it at the bottom of the ladder. If the don't want to use the money to help "everyone", I say don't give them any of the money!

[marshall]

13. Who turns down free money?

Take it and spend it. You won't be governor in two years anyway.

[pampango]

17. Perry aside, who wants a governor who doesn't care what happens to a state

in a couple of years. If he's worried about unfunded mandates kicking in in a couple of years, I think he can relax.

Few states are going to be able to afford to fund these mandates in a couple of years which means that the federal government will have to change the rules and continue to provide funding or scale back the mandates. After years of Democratic concern for NCLB's unfunded mandates, I don't think we are going to stick states with an even greater burden just as we are, hopefully, emerging from the economic downturn. Perry will feel pretty silly if he turns down the "free money" now, then the federal government turns around and provides funding to all the other states for the "unfunded" mandates in a couple of years.

[Igel]

46. Depends on the budget.

* doubled the national debt in what, 6-7 years? Great source of shame and rebuking. Debt service is nearly 1/2 trillion dollars/year. That sucks.

Dems, between releasing TARP 1.5 and the stimulus bill just jumped it by over $1 trillion, and I suspect they're not done. I'd hate to see them increase it by the same amount in 3-4 years.

And no, I don't put releasing the second half of TARP 1.0 on *'s watch. He held off until Obama gave the go-ahead and it was on that basis it was approved by a dem-controlled Congress.

[Pirate Smile]

14. This morning, MSNBC said Sanford is checking the "details" of the stimulus before deciding

whether or not to turn it down.

[dcindian]

15. LOL it's too late for repukes to look fiscally responsible.

After blowing the surplus and the borrow and spend mentality of the last eight years you all look like a bunch of hypocrites. Oh it's going to be a good 2010!

[8 track mind]

16. What an Idiot....

I live in Texas. Our roads suck. Crime is high. Meth is everywhere. Poverty is rampant.

This fucking douche has the gall to look Texas straight in the face and say " Naaa, we don't need the money." and his only reasoning is that there are too many strings attched?

Gov. Good Hair, have you lost your fucking mind? There are people who could use the work that these funds would generate.I have witnessed with my own eyes families having to decide between food or medicene. This is purely political and you fucking know it. You are not worth of this office. Hell on second thought you couldn't even manage a fucking Dollar Store.

Fuck you Rick Perry. Rot in Fucking hell.

[Love Bug]

48. Did you see the link to the documents that show what each State

stands to gain in jobs? I was astonished that TX stands to gain well over 200,000 new jobs because of the stimulus. That is, if they take it.

Maybe it's time for the people of TX to march to the capital.

[Javaman]

19. that mother fucker, if this son of a bitch dumb bastard moron turns down this money

there will be a protest in this city the likes of which this fucking dope has never ever seen in his life. his name will be mud and won't be able to get elected to dog catcher. playing chicken with our lives is not a good plan, you dumb fuck.

oh how I loath, hate and completely despise this useless wastes of air.

that pile of shit needs to vanish.

[KittyWampus]

30. nice rant!

[Ilsa]

54. All I can add is... I Totally Agree. nt

[Justyce]

21. Some of our counties and cities are going broke & laying people off

or cutting hours. Good call, turning down help... :eyes:

[bmbmd]

37. Our North Texas community is raising cash

by tripling the number of traffic citations in 1/09 compared to 1/08. A young cop in my office yesterday told me that the chief instructed the officers to "get busy writing tickets" if they didn't want their hours cut.

[datasuspect]

22. it's still legal for texas to secede

it would be better if they seceded for better reasons though.

[tammywammy]

27. That's a myth. Texas doesn't have special secession rights. n/t

[Kalyke]

23. Tennessee may have a lot of Republican representation, but I thank God a Dem

is still our governor.

Idiots!

[acmavm]

24. Oh yeah right. That greedy bouffant-sporting fool is going to grag whatever

he can get. Texans like him are LONG on bullshit, SHORT (the understatement of the day) on ethics.

[WI_DEM]

25. Okay, Texas is giving up it's billions, okay give it to states that want it. Thanks, Perry!

[MajorChode]

26. Palin said essentially the same thing....

When the hairlipped "journalist" from Faux news was interviewing Palin and Bristol. So you may add her to the list.

[tammywammy]

28. As did Louisiana n/t

[DeschutesRiver]

29. Well, Texas and for that matter, the rest of the country, better start saying "no"

and quite wasting everyone's time if they still insist on believing in something for nothing during a severe national economic crisis.

There is not enough money to go around from the Federal Gov. The only smart thing to do is to attach conditions to receipt of fed funds - I will give you X from the taxpayers, and you will do Y in return. If not, buh bye, because we can't make it work any other way.

This is going is going to ultimately hit both parties favorite ways of doing business, entitlements, favorite causes, freaking everything. It isn't hard to see that many many things can't be funded or funded on the levels that I see people demanding. Even if you turned the USA 100% to the socialist side. So the thinking guy, which Obama is, will be stretching the country's dollars as much as possible so the fewest amount of people fall through the cracks. We are in such a shit storm that we'll be lucky if only 30% fall into one crack or another for a few years.

So feel free, Perry, to be the first to say take this stimulus and shove it; we only take free money that comes without any responsibilities to those from whom we take it. We are in such dire straights that I'm sure Obama will show you exactly how old school that thinking is right now in the crisis, by way of example to all others of what is coming down the pike. I fear it will be much tougher on Obama when democrats have a similar come to Jesus moment about such things, but this crisis doesn't care which side on which any of us are standing. This crisis will take down what it needs to, as it needs to, to re-balance, as all depressions do. This is so going to suck, and maybe if Perry stands as an example of short sighted stupidity on this, others will avoid his mistake.

[DeschutesRiver]

32. Just saw this Louisiana is also balking at the notion of "conditions" per Jindal

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/02...tsheet_4807323

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, has suggested his state may not be interested in all of the roughly $4 billion allotted to it in the economic stimulus package to be signed by President Obama today.

"We'll have to review each program, each new dollar to make sure that we understand what are the conditions, what are the strings and see whether it's beneficial for Louisiana to use those dollars," Jindal said, according to CBS affiliate WWLTV.

[tabbycat31]

31. redirect the refused money

to states that have long been considered "donor states" and have not gotten any bang for their buck when it comes to $$$ going to washington.

NJ will take Texas's money.

[MajorChode]

34. Texas is a "donor state"

[tabbycat31]

36. I didn't realize it

I only saw the list once, and all I remember is that most of the recepient states are red states, and that my state (NJ) is the #1 donor state.

[MajorChode]

39. NJ is hurting a lot worse also

For the most part, Texas hasn't been affected nearly so hard. That has a lot to do with the way Texas real estate laws are structured and the fact that most revenue is received through property taxes. Those things keep property values relatively low and stable. My home hasn't lost a dime of it's value so far.

[Dinger]

33. So, "If We Have To Account For Our Dollars, We're Not Interested"

Unless I have it wrong. perry, what an ass.

[Shakespeare]

35. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

I've got $20 that says he takes every cent offered to the state.

[Ganja Ninja]

38. What's the matter Rick?

Are you afraid that if people in Texas see their economy improve they may just decide they'd like to put the Democrats in power and kick the Texas GOP to the curb?

[MajorChode]

44. Goodhair is just repeating what all the wingnut Govs are saying

They must have gotten their Limbaugh puppet strings restrung recently.

[blue_onyx]

40. After 8 years of recession, Michigan will gladly takes this money off his hands

We could find plenty of things to invest the money on.

[Catherine Vincent]

41. He'll probably accept.

He's just trying to figure out a way to make President Obama look bad.

[blogslut]

43. Get on the horn, fellow Texans!

Call Governor Rick Perry's office and demand that he fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him by Texans and get to work on solving our state's problems rather than rejecting funds that will improve our infrastructure, create jobs and allow more parents the opportunity to send their kids to college.

Governor Perry's Austin Office: [phone]

link: http://www.txdemocrats.org/media/top_story/perrys_obstructionist_antics

[MajorChode]

45. Make no mistake, at the end of the day Goodhair will take the money

As will Palin and all the other wingnut Govs. They just have to get in their soundbites.

[blogslut]

47. Call his office anyway

That is, if you're a Texan.

I did. I let them know that this Texan wants the Governor to accept the stimulus money. I also pointed out that over 60% of students in the Amarillo Independent School District participate in the free lunch program. Texas is not doing well.

It's a free call. Go for it. You don't have to speak directly to a person. You can just leave a recorded message. :)

[MajorChode]

49. I always contact them through the state web site

That way they provide a reply. If you call, I'm not sure if they will give you a written reply or an email.

[blogslut]

51. We all have our ways

I prefer to telephone because I tend to think the luddites in Austin don't take teh Interwebs seriously.

The young woman did ask for my name and the name of the city where I live. I had to wait a few minutes in order to speak with a human. That might be a good sign - meaning that I may be one of hundreds, calling GoodHair's orafice office.

[MajorChode]

52. If you're speaking to a human and not to a recorder that's a good thing

At least someone has to listen. I've always gotten a response from Hutchinson using the interweb, and it's always been a written response mailed to my house. You can tell someone took the time to at least read what you had to say, although I have little doubt most of the responses are cobbled together from the standard answers. With Corny it's been hit and miss.

[backscatter712]

50. If he doesn't want it, I'll take it... n/t

[librechik]

55. If you accept the money, then you are a COMMIE!!

welcome to the world built by Republicans, Rick.